July 2020
I pray that you and yours are safe and healthy! Vocation Ministry is here for you and still working each day to bring about a culture of vocations. While we know times are challenging, it is exactly at times like this that God raises up many saints. On this feast day of St. Jun ípero Serra, patron of vocations, let us take his example of striving for holiness and perseverance while walking through Mexico and California, against great odds, to found the missions that still stand today. Thank you to all the Serrans who continually work to build His kingdom on earth!

I have some encouragement and advice along with exciting news for Vocation Ministry and vocations in the Church! We may have to pivot more in the coming months, but we are confident that God is still calling!
What can you do?
I encourage you to continue meeting as a ministry even during these times of social distancing. Through Facetime, free zoom, or good old fashion phones! Below is a sample agenda with some ideas of ways to still affect change, like working on ways that families, who are mainly at home now, can grow in holiness. How about a few people take charge of the Traveling Chalice or Crucifix program and deliver it to a new family each week? Put together a vocation backpack or Children's Mass kit that families can use for a week. Find a way to celebrate your priest:
  1. Ordination anniversary
  2. Transferring parishes, either from your parish or to your parish
You could have a car parade for him or have a small gathering.

This is your time to be creative!
A First of Its Kind!
We know it is difficult for you to share with female discerners about sisters and their life in the convent, so Vocation Ministry is collaborating with the Diocese of Lansing, Office of Vocations on this ground-breaking event to give discerners and possible discerners an inside look! On July 18th, we have 6 incredible communities participating, each having 45 minutes to give the women a behind the scenes look and then 10 minutes of Q & A.

Share this registration link  https://bit.ly/2Yy7ajc   with the discerners,   and then they will receive an email with the zoom link and more information. We have hundreds of women already registered, and only those who are registered will be allowed into the online zoom event. We know this will be amazing! Please share with any female discerners that you know.

We have had an incredible response from both religious communities and discerners, so this may become a quarterly event we offer with different communities each time.
Spanish Social Media
Affecting positive change in the social media has been a focus of Vocation Ministry since the beginning. We began with 1 follower on Facebook in 2015 to now 27,000. We added an Instagram page in 2019 and have 1,000 followers.
Combined, we reach about 1 million people each month.

Knowing how little there is in Spanish for vocations in the social media, we now have Ministerio de Vocaciones pages on Facebook and Instagram. These pages are growing rapidly with creative posts made specifically for this audience and for parishes, dioceses and vocation directors to share.

Each day, there are posts for you to share that are geared toward discerners or creating a culture of vocations for parents and grandparents. I pray this is helpful for your work.
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 me, 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
I am thrilled to announce something new from Vocation Ministry, a podcast 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!
Smile Program at Amazon