Vocationcast

Matt Maher

This weekend saw the launch of the first Vocationcast – the podcast to help you discover the kind of person you want to be – produced, edited and recorded by seminarians from the dioceses of England and Wales.

Podcasts include interviews with Mgr John Armitage, Mgr Mark Crisp, Sr Roseann Reddy (founder of the Sisters of the Gospel of Life) and Fr Paul Moss. There is also music from Crossbeam and Matt Maher. Deacons Marc and John talk about their time in seminary and their feelings as they head towards priestly ordination, Sr Mary Elizabeth; a Carmelite Sister and Cardinal Keith O’Brien gives words of encouragement to those who might have received a few knock-backs as they try to discover who God is calling them to be.

“I was knocked back twice when I was a young boy hoping to go to junior seminary in Glasgow,” said Cardinal O’Brien, “and then when I was finishing secondary school hoping to go to senior seminary in Edinburgh and the two archbishops knocked me back in turn because of my health condition; I have a heart murmur... I was still (convinced of) my vocation; that what I wanted to do is to find Christ in the priesthood and live out the priesthood as best as I could and hand on Christ to others who were seeking him as well.”

Sr Mary Anne, FCJ, similarly didn’t get to where she felt God was calling her straight away: “I’m an e-vocation. I was working with the Jesuits in Malta for quite a long time and I wanted to be a Jesuit but they wouldn’t have me which was very distressing. After a bit of prayer and soul searching, it was still Ignatian prayer and spirituality that I was interested in and attracted to. ...I went on the internet as you do and I looked for Ignatian women and I found the FCJ website and I realised that they were exactly what I was looking for....

“A year later, I visited England; it wasn’t the nearest geographically, but I could speak English, more than Italian. I met the sisters, from the first moment that I walked in, the last jigsaw of my life had fitted in and I knew that I was home.”

Vocationcast was the brainchild of seminarians Frankie Mulgrew and Daniel Fitzpatrick, both studying at Oscott College, Birmingham. Frankie says: “I guess as seminarians we are in a good vantage point to help others discern – because we’ve been asking these searching questions ourselves in order to discover our own vocation!
"Sometimes when you’re trying to discern your own unique vocation…its good to have the opportunity to do it in a quiet, no pressure, reflective way… before you start to take the major steps – Vocationcast is a simple way to start the journey, a few small steps at a time. It’s good to hear true stories and be inspired by those that have gone before you, or are in a similar position of trying to find their own unique calling in the life of God’s Church!”

Vocationcast has the full backing and support of the National Office for Vocation. Director of the National Office for Vocation, Fr Christopher Jamison says: “It’s good to see those who have entered seminary using social media to enable other people to discover their vocation.”

To visit Vocationcast go to: www.vocationcast.org