Pope Paul has issued a call for religious vocations in which he also emphasised the ministries available to the laity. including women and married men.
Ile directed his message to Catholics in general for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, to be celebrated on Sunday.
"You know that in the Church exists a unity of mission," the Pope said, "hut its offices, its ministries, its services are diverse." He praised the priestly vocation as "a prodigious and perennial adventure of evangelisation."
Afterwards he added that deacons "occupied a special
place . serving the People of God in communion with bishops and priests, particularly In the ministry of the divine word, teaching, exhorting, preaching."
The Vatican has in recent years reinstated the permanent diaconate, a ministry which, unlike the priesthood, is open to married men. The Pope also asked for new commitment to missionary orders, "a most noble task available In all, men and women, without distinction."
Catholic Herald readers joining Archbishop Ryan of Dublin and Archbishop Winning of Glasgow for the 41st International Eucharistic Congress in Philadelphia are going to be spared some of the problems facing those going independently or booking at the last minute. Herald readers have their accommodation assured.
We are running a tour from July 28 to August 12 which costs from £389, with stay-over options until mid-September, for those who hook early enough. (See page 5 for details),
"Our most difficult task," Spencer E. Gautney housing coordinator for the Congress says, "is meeting a potentially unlimited demand For accommodation with a limited supply of housing."
So far 92,000 people have booked rooms, 35 per cent from other countries.'