Vocations Sunday 2021

Today is Vocations Sunday
The Fourth Sunday of Easter is known as Vocations Sunday or Good Shepherd Sunday and is marked as the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. The purpose of this day is to fulfil Jesus' instruction to “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:38). While appreciating all vocations, the Church concentrates her attention today on raising up shepherds for God's people - vocations to Holy Orders (the priesthood and diaconate) and to the Consecrated life (religious life, secular institutes and various forms of consecrated single life.) - while encouraging all who are discerning their vocation to pray more earnestly that they may hear and respond to God's call.
Our Diocesan Vocations Office produces materials for our parishes, schools and universities to mark this day. Physical copies of posters and prayer cards are sent to parishes and schools in the diocese and digital copies can be downloaded from  
https://www.vocations.org.uk/vocations-sunday

​ The Clergy Training Fund
On Vocations Sunday we are not only asked to pray for vocations but also to financially support the training of Priests and Deacons in our diocese. Today’s second collection will therefore support our seminarians- men in formation to be our future priests of the Archdiocese of Birmingham. It will also contribute towards the formation of deacons who serve in parishes across our diocese.
As well as the second collection today, there are also leaflets (featuring our own Fr Sean on the front!) which show you how you can support the Clergy Training fund by Standing Order and Gift Aid. Full details are in the leaflet. Please take one to find out more.
 
 
Prayer for Vocations Sunday
God our Father,
you call each of us to follow Jesus, your Son,
on the path he has marked out for us -
the way of charity, service and fulfilment.
May the homes and parishes
of the Archdiocese of Birmingham
be blessed with ever-renewed dedication
to the work of building up your kingdom here on earth.
May those whom you call
to the priesthood, diaconate and religious life
faithfully give themselves
to the service of your Church.
Prompted and strengthened by your Holy Spirit,
may I respond generously to the call
to follow you each day and live out my vocation,
to give you glory, for the good of those around me
and for my own happiness.​
We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
​Amen.
 
The bulletin is now ready to download from the ONLINE ACTIVITES AND BULLETIN page.