Pray for Holy Vocations

By New Outlook

Pray for Holy Vocations. How many times have you heard your priest say it at Mass? At Saint Ambrose Catholic Church in midtown Tucson, the pastor Fr. Mark Long does it every Mass. His request also comes during Prayers of the Faithful and now there’s a prayer in every weekly bulletin. More recently, the words have been put into action. Fr. Long has asked parishioners to take the “Traveling Holy Family Image” home with them and pray for Holy Vocations. One family a week, it’s not too big of an ask. 

Here's how it works. At Mass on the weekend, a parishioner picks up the binder with instructions; with it comes a large image of the Holy Family, and then you go home and pray every day of the week until Friday. 

Marji Gonsowski leads the Vocations Ministry effort at Saint Ambrose. She said in the last year, the traveling Holy Family image has been a huge success as a family has signed up every week, the calendar is full! Gonsowski refers to volunteers as prayer warriors. In the binder she writes, “Vocations do not grow on trees. Vocations come from God. For that reason, prayers for vocations are necessary. When we pray for future priests, deacons, sisters, and brothers, God listens. More than that, God may plant a vocation seed in the families of our parish who are praying.”

Beyond her plea, the prayers are clear and direct. It’s a succinct way to pray for a monumental task. Prominently displaying the 11x14 image on an easel in your home makes it easy to remember to gather the family every night before bedtime. And it’s also a great reminder to keep the stress at bay because the Holy Family is on display. For younger families, it’s a terrific way to calm the kiddos down at night while adding an extra prayer to the routine. Each night, someone leads the prayers while the others follow. One reads, “Lord, you are a good and loving Father. We have great confidence that You are listening to us. Today we need many priests, deacons, and consecrated men and women to serve Your Church. We offer our sufferings, our illness, the infirmities of old age, and our personal inconveniences for Your greater honor and glory. Give a spirit of generosity to our youth. Give them a vision, Your vision, of how they can serve their brothers and sisters in Christ. O God, give us strength to pray constantly, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.”

On the last day, you’re asked to pray for the next family who receives it and, before you know it, the week is over and the Holy Family is dropped back off at the church office. For Gonsowski, every prayer makes a difference. This past school year, she spearheaded National Vocations Awareness Week at Saint Ambrose Catholic School. Three priests and one sister visited the campus where they talked with students about their vocations, played games, had lunch, and ended the day with praying the rosary for an increase in Holy Vocations.

Another vocations awareness event began with a sheep garden dedicated to Fr. Mark. The message read, “Your flock loves ewe.” If you attended Mass that weekend, you couldn’t help but stop and smile at the art display. Gonsowski says midweek the students gave Fr. Mark a banner expressing their appreciation and heartfelt thanks. The week ended with a celebration thanking Fr. Mark for his service to the Church. Imagine if every Catholic school had a robust effort like Saint Ambrose, think of the seeds that could be planted and nurtured. How the prayers for holy vocations manifest are a mystery of Divine Providence. What’s exciting though is that men and women are indeed discerning the call, and our diocese is working to support them through prayer.