December 2020
It is Advent! Let the preparations begin for the expectant coming of Jesus' birth and His second coming! We are heartened that so many of you continue to promote vocations even during this challenging time! I strongly encourage you to continue to meet, even if over Zoom, make plans, and do anything possible to create fertile soil for the Holy Spirit!
Dos and Don'ts for Vocation Promotion
I was asked in the virtual workshop for the Diocese of Syracuse if I have a list of Dos and Don'ts for a Vocation Ministry. While many of these suggestions are in my book Hundredfold, here is a list of some of the most important ones:

Dos
  • Stay Positive. We have enough challenges to overcome, please stay away from the "This will never work" mentality.
  • Affirm often the Priest or Deacon working with your Ministry.
  • Be Kind to everyone in the parish. You want your vocation ministry to have the reputation of being the nicest group of people and a pleasure to collaborate with.
  • Have a Servant's Heart when asking others to help with activities, especially the parish office staff, who is normally overworked!
  • Exude Joy by bringing your smiles and authentic joy when promoting the priesthood, consecrated life, and marriage.
  • Promote Fellowship in your meetings, virtual or in person, taking time to socialize while also being productive for vocations.
  • Allow Members to Find out How They can Best Serve the Ministry. Instead of a chairperson or director assigning tasks, ask gently and humbly for people to volunteer. We want members to use their gifts in a meaningful way.
  • Invite the Youth and Young Adults to Think about the Priesthood and Consecrated Life. The average number of times a young man is asked if he has ever thought about the priesthood is 6 times! So, ask gently, while adding some qualities you see in him, "Johnny, have you ever thought about being a priest." He will probably say no and back away from you. That is ok! Many priests did that, too. Tell him that God has a plan for his life and that you will be praying for him. Then, pray for him daily!

Don'ts
  • Don't Center the ministry around one layperson or priest. Center around the mission of making the ground fertile for vocations and laying the groundwork for your ministry in a way that continues for years to come, even if priests or laity move on to other parishes or ministry work.
  • Don't Focus on the numbers. Keep putting one foot in front of the other, doing what is best for the parish for vocations, instead of focusing on when someone will answer the call.
  • Don't Overextend your ministry. This is a marathon not a sprint, so make sure that you select which days and activities are most important to promote this coming year without burning out yourself and members.

You might be thinking that some of these are easier said than done, but so is being a Christian. You can do this!
Behind the Veil #2! UPDATES
NEW Community and
New Experience for Discerners
We have a lot of women signing up for our unique behind the scenes look into convent life on December 12th! So please share with families who have daughters and/or youth ministers who want to see what consecrated life is really like!

The New community is the SOLT Sisters that will lead the first hour from Corpus Christi, Texas!

Great NEWS for Discerners! We have a new and AMAZING opportunity just for Discerners! During the last hour of the event event, women who identify themselves as discerners will have the chance to join a breakout room with a participating community of your choice. This is the time discerners will be able to ask questions and learn more from the community they are most interested in.

We've added alternative payment options:
  • Venmo @Vocation-Ministry
  • PayPal @Vocation Ministry

First click on the Register Here button below. When you get to the payment section, select Paypal/Venmo option, if desired. When your payment is verified, we will send the Zoom link for the event on December 10th.

Registration is $5. Only those who are registered and paid will recieve the Zoom link. It will NOT be a Facebook Live event. We know this will be incredibly fruitful! Please share!
Amazon Smile
If you shop on Amazon, would you prayerfully consider adding Vocation Ministry as your charity of choice to receive donations. Just click on the Support Vocation Ministry button below to easily set it up!
Introducing our new assistant Beverly Ladnier!
We are so excited to announce that we have hired Beverly Ladnier as our new Administrative Assistant. We are thrilled to have an amazing and experienced assistant to help us keep our eyes on our mission of promoting vocations in every possible way!
Ministry in Action
National Vocation Awareness Week was a big event for many parishes around the country, even during the pandemic! I was especially wowed by the vocation ministry at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Houston, TX! Their Narthex was filled with an inspirational exhibit, including cutouts of their priests, deacons, sisters, Pope Francis, and others. They also highlighted those from their parish who have said YES! Check out the 1 minute video and be inspired by how you can promote NVAW next year!
Keep in Touch
Remember that if you want to see past newsletters you can find them at VocationMinistry.com under the Resources tab.

Don’t forget to email me with your stories of triumph or struggle. If you have questions, know that I am here to support you in this mission of Building a Culture of Vocations One Parish at a Time!

As always, know that you are in my prayers. If you think of it, please pray for our ministry, too. God bless you!

Rhonda Gruenewald
Vocation Ministry
Cell: 281-352-4005
St. Alphonsus Liguori, Pray For Us!
Resources for YOU!
A Facebook Group for YOU!

This group is dedicated to the laypeople looking for support while promoting vocations to the priesthood, religious life, and marriage in a diocese or at a parish in a Vocation Ministry or Committee.
Vocations Today Weekly Podcast
This podcast is all about vocations to the priesthood, consecrated life, and marriage. You will hear uplifting news stories, great interviews with sisters, brothers, priests, seminarians and married couples and tips to promoting vocations in your family and parish! Subscribe today on all your typical podcast platforms by searching for Vocations Today! Let’s build up the Church together!