May 2005

A message from Bishop Joseph E. Kurtz

It is with great joy that we include the first-ever vocations insert in this edition of The East Tennessee Catholic. The gift of vocations to the religious life, to the diaconate, and to the priesthood is a great treasure to the church and to the world. As we honor those who are jubilarians, we hold up in thanksgiving all those men and women who have dedicated their lives in service to the church. I also acknowledge the families of East Tennessee from whom vocations to the priesthood and the religious life have come forth. Truly the love of God and the desire to serve others are essential ingredients learned in faith-filled families.

You can download the special vocations section as an Adobe Acrobat file. You must have free Adobe Acrobat Reader software on your computer in order to view the file. To download the software, visit the Adobe website's Reader download page.

• The priests of 2005: Those to be ordained this year tend to be older and better educated than in years past, and more are foreign-born.
• Priests celebrate—from 5 years to 60: Anniversary priests talk about their greatest challenges, who inspired their vocation, and more.
• ‘I made a decision and never looked back’: The diocese has 43 men and women religious, seven of whom are celebrating significant anniversaries in 2005.
• Six ways anyone can encourage vocations
• Pope Benedict speaks to youth
• Vocations: a formation perspective: Men who say yes to the priesthood begin ‘an adventure in God that embraces the whole of humanity.’
• Why become a priest or religious?: A number of factors can influence a decision in today’s vocation climate.
• Meet our seminarians
• A salute to priests and religious serving outside the diocese
• When parents ‘just say no’: Parents often have reservations when their children show interest in a religious calling.
• Courage in the face of fear: In the words of the pope, ‘Christ takes away nothing and gives you everything.’
• Sustaining the call: Spending time with God in prayer is the key to effective ministry.
• ‘Put out into the deep’: Here is Pope John Paul II’s message for the 2005 World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
• Talking about vocations: Just bringing up the topic helps young people begin the process of discernment.
• Vocations on the Web

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