By Lissy Kurian
Panaji: The Archdiocese of Goa-Daman has launched a vocation week through Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR), a local cable TV channel, to overcome the pandemic restrictions.
“Due to prevailing pandemic, it is not possible to meet students in schools as we used to do to introduce them to various religious congregations of men and women,” Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao of Goa-Daman explained the reason for launching the September 19-25 program. “This was the option available to introduce them to various vocations in life,” the prelate added.
As many as 19 congregations and institutes have recorded 10 minutes of vocation stories, besides their charisms. The y will telecast from Monday to Friday, said Handmaid of Christ Sister Godwina Pereira, executive secretary of Diocesan Office for the Promotion of Vocations.
Director of CCRTV Robin D’ Souza said he “hopes that this program will be useful for young people discerning their vocations.”
“It involved a lot of work recording and editing the program within a short period of time,” he added.
Sharing on her vocation, Sister Cleris Vianney of the Bethany Sisters of the Little Flower said, “I was attracted towards religious life through the life of a religious, my classteacher. As a religious, I desire to add holiness to the Mother Church by my life of prayer, sacrifice and service,” she said.
Society of St Francis Xavier Priest Father Alfred Almeida says he “felt the call of God as an altar boy in his parish church. My parents joyfully accepted my decision to become a priest and joined the Society after my 12th standard.”
Holy Family Sister Jennifer Fernandes says “daily rosary on my knees and compulsory catechism classes helped germinate the seeds of my vocation. My mother’s bedtime stories on the lives of saints convinced me that priest and nuns can become saints, which I earnestly desire.”
A Google form for those who wish to know more about religious life will be sent out through parish priests to catechism students and youth, Sister Pereira said. “We will continue this program throughout the year as the pandemic continues,” she added.
Today’s youth is “visionless”. They often look for “role models” in the religious life but they fail to find credible role models. Hence, celebrities from film and sports sector become their role models.
The bishops, priests and nuns must start leading a “credible life”. If the youth do not find credibility in the bishops, priests and nuns, then, all the efforts that the Vocation Promoters make will go into the drainage.
As the founder Secretary of the U.P. Youth and Vocations Bureau way back in 1979 I can firmly assert that there is no better way of vocation promotion than personal example.