A challenge for the next ten years

the New Diocesan Youth Centre at London Colney. A very important side-effect of all this activity was that it created a very happy 'and friendly relationship between all the priests 'and Religious involved.
The parish approach is based oil the following quote from the Vatican Council. "The task of encouraging vocations belongs to the whole Christian cornmunity, which discharges it principally by the fully Christian life it leads. The greatest contribution is made by families and by vigorous parishes in whose activities the young people play their part." In other words every single member of the parish has a part to play in encouraging vocations to the priesthood and Religious life that the Church needs, both the Church. at home and the Church abroad.
Quite frankly, most people are not really aware of the grow ing needs the • Church for vocations, neither do they feel any personal responsibility to do something about (his. Therefore, as a first step to make people aware of the situation a meeting was held in every deanery in this diocese at the beginning of this year.
At each deanery meeting there were two or three lay people from each parish. The high point of this meeting was a large dchart listing the parishes of the deanery. Fixed to this chart were cardboard model priests. The chart showed the present situation which looked quite healthy, i.e. every parish had its full quota of priests.
Then the clock was moved Forward ten years and every priest who would be over the age of 65 in 1984 was taken off the chart. In this way an apparently healthy situation disintegrated before • their' very eyes. In spite of qualifications, i.e. priests don't all retire at 65, it takes no account of current vocations, the message got through to the lay people at all these deanery meetings that something must now be done if we are to ensure the future vocations the Church needs.
The point was made that although the .parish clergy were used in this visual aid, the same situation holds true for Religious Orders.
%Vila( is to be done'? 1 believe the answer is very simple, and is based on the fact that if the people of God seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they get it. Therefore, with the help of the lay people and religious who attended the deanery meetings, efforts were made in April to make more and more people aware of the situation, and of the need to do something. They \ re urged to take part, together with the whole Church, in the World Day of Prayer for Vocations on Sunday.
They are being urged, not to pray tor vocations, hut tO pray For guidance in encouraging the vocations we need, I believe that if people pray for guidance, they get it. ,
Arrangements are being made to collect the opinions of people who have prayed, and to coordinate the next step which will emerge from this campaign of prayer.
As a practical. task, each parish has been asked to aim at Just one vocation (priest, sister, brother) in the decade 19741984, Every parish is praying for guidance on Sunday about how to achieve their target.
I believe that if the whole people of God pray for this guidance, and try honestly to respond with faith to the subsequent promptings of the Holy Spirit, in a co-ordinated way, then Westminster will produce whatever vocations God wills it to produce.
Fr Hegarty has recently been appointed chaplain to London t niversity in succession to Mgr Bruce Kent.