Rome: International Vocation conference

In honour of the 2015 Year of Consecrated Life, the Chicago-based National Religious Vocation Conference is hosting an unprecedented gathering in Rome from February 23-27 of select national vocation and religious leaders from the developed world.

The goals of the gathering, funded by a grant from the Conrad N Hilton Foundation, are to share vocation-related information, identify common needs and challenges, and explore future areas for worldwide collaboration in promoting vocations to consecrated life.

“The Year of Consecrated Life is the perfect opportunity to explore how Catholic vocation conferences can work together to promote and strengthen religious life on a global level,” said Holy Cross Brother Paul Bednarczyk, CSC, Executive Director of the National Religious Vocation Conference and host of the international gathering.

The conference will be held at the lstituto Maria Santissima Bambina (on the Via Paolo VI, No. 21) located just outside St Peter's Square.

Sister Gemma Simmonds, CJ, director of the Religious Life Institute at Heythrop College in London will facilitate the meetings and Father Gerard Whelan, SJ, Associate Professor at Pontifical Gregorian University will serve as theological reflector.

Confirmed participants are:

Sister Viviana M. Ballarin, O.P., Vice-President of the Union of the European Conferences of Major Superiors, Brussels

Sister Nathalie Becquart, Xavière, Director, National Service for the Evangelization of Youth and for Vocations, Bishops’ Conference of France, Paris

Brother Paul Bednarczyk, CSC, NRVC Executive Director, Chicago

Sister Deborah M. Borneman, SSCM, NRVC Director of Member Relations and Services, Chicago

Father Anthony Cox, SSC, Executive Officer, Catholic Vocations Ministry Australia (CVMA), Willoughby, NSW, Australia

Sister Nanise Degei, SDN, Board Member, Religious Leadership Conference, South Pacific Islands, Fiji

Sister Gabrielle Farrell, OLA, Executive, Vocations Ireland, Dublin

Father David Kinnear Glenday, MCCJ, General Secretary, Union of Superiors General (USG), Rome

Brother Ronald Hingle, S.C., NRVC Executive Board Chair, New Orleans

Father Christopher Jamison, O.S.B., Director, National Office for Vocation, Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, London

Father Hank Lemoncelli, O.M.I., Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, Vatican City

Sister Patricia Murray, IBVM, General Secretary, International Union of Superiors General (UISG), Rome

Mr. Brad Myers, Senior Program Officer, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Aurora Hills, California, USA.

Sister Lusiana Raratini, DOLC, Board Member, Congregational Leaders Conference, Aotearoa-New Zealand (CLCANZ), Wellington

Sister Mary Rowell, CSJ, President, National Association of Vocation and Formation Directors, Toronto

Sister Katharina Kluitmann, OSF, Provincial Minister, board member of Religious Leadership Conference, committee member of German Bishops’ Conference for Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Laity, Münster, Germany