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The St. John Vianney Vocation Society

What is the St. John Vianney Vocation Society?

The society is simply a group of Catholic faithful of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati who desire to obey our Lord's precept to "beg the harvest Master to send out laborers to gather His harvest." There are no dues or meetings, only the promise of prayer. Anyone can join - priests, religious, seminarians, and lay people.

Why do we need a vocation society?

1. We are in great need for many more good and holy priests and religious.
2. A vocation society based on prayer helps remind people that this is what the Lord wants all of us to do: pray fervently for vocations.
3. The power of united prayer should not be forgotten. Remember what Jesus told us: "If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven." (Matthew 18:19)
4. A society such as this helps encourage us to be heroic in our prayers for more vocations. The more effort, sacrifice, and faith we put into our prayers, the more fruitful will be their outcome.
5. The effectiveness of all vocation work is based upon the foundation of prayer. Without the basis of heroic prayer, all other labor in the field of increasing vocations is useless.
6. A vocation society helps ground us in the realistic hope that there will be a future with more preists and religious. Our prayers will go a long way in helping us see this reality.

Who is St. John Vianney?

John Mary Vianney was born of devout farming people on May 8, 1786, in the village of Dardilly, in the French diocese of Lyons. His boyhood was spent in the labors of farm life and because of these obligations, as well as the ravages of the French Revolution, John was able to obtain only a scant amount of formal schooling. At the age of nineteen he left home to begin his studies to become a priest. Due to the lack of formal education, John found his studies to be very difficult; but after imploring God's help and working hard to complete his course in theology, he was finally judged fit to be ordained. John became Father Vianney on August 13, 1815 and became the assistant to his priestly mentor, Father Balley, in the village of Ecully. Two-and-a-half years later Father Vianney received an appointment to be the pastor of the parish of Ars. The Vicar General said to him, "There is not much love for God in that parish; you will bring some into it." For forty-one years he poured himself out, heroically bringing his people to the Faith. St. John Vianney spent as much as sixteen to eighteen hours a day in the confessional, only sleeping a few hours a night. From 1824 to 1858 he endured almost nightly attacks from the devil who once revealed to him that if there were three such men as he alive at one time, the devil's kingdom would be destroyed. The faithful came flocking to Ars, even from distant places, in a holy desire to see him; but this holy priest did not share their high opinion of himself at all, and more than once he tried to slip away to a monastery where he could do penance and "weep for his poor life". Worn out by his labors, he died at the age of seventy-three on August 4, 1859. St. John Vianney was canonized in 1925 and was declared the heavenly patron of all parish priests by Pope Pius XI in 1929.

Why was St. John Vianney chosen as the patron of this vocation society?

The life and ministry of St. John Vianney shows forth the wonders God can do with just one person. Imagine how many lives would not have been changed had St. John Vianney not responded generously to God's call for him to become a priest! As our patron, he reminds us of just how important every vocation is. Thus, by praying for vocations, we can help bring about the conversion of many. W must aslo remember to pray for our present priests and religious so that they may be good instruments in the hands of God. "To bring about the sanctification of one priest is to effect that of thousands of faithful, for the priest is a multiplier." (St. Peter Eymard)

What are my obligations if I become a member?

1. Offer the Daily Prayer for Vocations each day for an increase in good and holy vocations to the priesthood and religious life for the Archdiocese.
2. Offer the Daily Prayer for Holiness each day for an outpouring of grace upon priests and religious (especially those serving in our Archdiocese).
3. Offer the Daily Prayer to St. John Vianney.
4. Make a Eucharistic Holy Hour once a week in church for an increase in holy vocations to the priesthood and religious life for our Archdiocese and for the perseverance of our seminarians studying for the priesthood. If this is not possible, make an hour of prayer in the home using the various prayers in this booklet, especially the Rosary.
5. Frequently offer the Mass you are attending and your Holy Communion (at least once a month) for the same intentions as stated in #4. This obligation is not binding if you are unable to attend Mass.
6. Frequently offer your daily sufferings and trials for the same intentions as stated in #4. You might consider using the prayer, A Daily Offering, for this particular way of praying for more vocations.

Are there any spiritual benefits for the members of the Society?

1. A Mass will be offered on the first Thursday of every month for the personal intentions of all the members.
2. Those same intentions will be remembered in the daily Masses of all the priests who are members of the Society.
3. The personal intentions of the members will also be remembered in the daily prayers (especially the Divine Office) of the priests, religious, and seminarians who are members of the Society.

How do I sign up?

Send your name and address to:

The St. John Vianney Vocation Society
P.O. Box 292884
Dayton, OH 45429-8884

Please indicate if you are a priest, religious or seminarian. Your name will be enrolled as an official member and you will receive occasional updates on the progress of various diocesan vocation programs, etc. With your prayerful support, we look forward to an increase in the numbers and the devotion of those who are willing to dedicate their lives as priests and religious to the service of the Lord and His Church.

Daily Prayer for Vocations

Heavenly Father, Your divine Son taught us to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His vineyard. We earnestly beg You to bless our Archdiocese and our world with many priests and religious men and women who will love You fervently, and gladly and courageously spend their lives in service to Your Son's Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We pray that their lives may always be centered on our Eucharistic Lord; that they be always faithful to the Holy Father; and that they may be devoted sons and daughters of Mary, our Mother, in making You known and loved; and that all may attain Heaven. Bless our families and our children and choose from our homes those whom you desire for this holy work. Amen.

Daily Prayer for Holiness

O Almighty Eternal God, look upon the face of Your Son, and for the love of Him Who is the eternal High Priest, have pity on Your priests. Remember, O most compassionate God, they are but weak and frail human beings. Stir up in them the grace of their vocation, which is in them by the imposition of the bishop's hands. Keep them close to You, lest the enemy privail against them, so that they may never do anything in the slightest degree unworthy of their sublime vocation. May they wholeheartedly devote themselves to prayer and penance; be examples of humility and poverty; shining models of holiness; tireless and powerful preachers of the Word of God; zealous dispensers of God's grace in the sacraments. May their loving devotion to Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament and to Mary His Mother be the twin fountains of fruitfulness for their ministry. Amen.

God our Father, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I ask You to bless and strengthen the spiritual renenwal and vitality of all religious so that Your Church may shine more resplendently and bear witness to You in our world today. Keep them strong in their vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Make them heroic in living the religious life acording to the mind of the Church. May they find their joy in the total offering of their lives to Christ and for the mission of His Church. Amen.

Daily Prayer to St. John Vianney

To you O glorious St. John Vianney, who as a young man greatly desired to become a priest so as to "gain many souls to God," do we have recourse in prayer. Through your intercession pour forth the blessings of Heaven upon this Archdiocese in order that many men and women may be called forth to labor for the salvation of souls as priests and religious.

St. John Vianney, we beg you to intercede in a special way for our diocesan clergy. You labored for many years as a diocesan priest and know the unique role they serve in the Church's mission of salvation. Beseech our High Priest, Jesus Christ, on behalf of our diocesan priests, that they may have the grace necessary to live their sacred calling in holiness and fidelity. Implore God's grace upon our seminarians so that they may persevere through all difficulties and, through your intercession, may many more men give their lives in service to the Church by becoming diocesan priests for our Archdiocese. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Daily Offering

Oh my God, I choose this day to offer You all my works, prayers, joys and sufferings - all that I have, all that I am - for the intention of many more vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Graciously bless our Archdiocese with an abundance of vocations, especially in these difficult times. Whatever may happen to me this day, whether good or ill, expected or unexpected, I offer to You in union with the Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, so that we might be graced with more vocations! Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, grant to those You have called the willingness and generosity in spirit to give of themselves in devoting their lives and their talents to the service of You and Your Church. Increase the faith of all within our Archdiocese, and particularly the faith of those You have called and will continue to call. Amen.

Daily Prayer Intentions

Sunday: That many more men and women will be called to the priesthood and religious life for our Archdiocese.

Monday: That those who are being called to serve God as priests and religious may generously respond.

Tuesday: That those who are being called and are facing obstacles in answering the call may persevere in their commitment.

Wednesday: That the parents of those who are being called (or will be called) may be encouraging in their support of the vocation fo their son or daughter.

Thursday: That our seminarians and those in religious formation may persevere through all difficulties and grow in holiness and fidelity to the Church.

Friday: That Catholic families may seek holiness and fidelity to Christ above all else and thus foster good and holy vocations.

Saturday: That are Blessed Mother may intercede for all priests and religious so that the holiness of their lives may foster many more vocations.

The Four O'Clock Hour Prayer

In the first chapter of St. John's Gospel we read about the calling of the first two Apostles, John and Andrew. Our Lord notices them following Him, and He invites them to "Come and see." This first encounter with our Lord, coupled with His invitation, so moved St. John that when he later wrote his Gospel, even the time of day is recorded when this event occurred. St. John states that it was "about the tenth hour", or about 4 P.M.

Let us pray one Hail Mary each day at 4 P.M. for all those men and women Jesus is calling to follow Him as priests and religious, so that they, like the Blessed Virgin Mary, may say "yes" to our Lord's invitation.

Suggestions for fostering vocations within a family

1. Pray often that your children might come to know God's special will for them in their lives. Offer your children to the will of our heavenly Father.
2. Consecrate your children to Jesus through the maternal intercession of Mary.
3. Let your children know that being a priest or religious is a great option in life. Encourage them to think and pray about it.
4. Share with your children the lives of the saints (books, videos, etc.). This is very, very important.
5. Encourage your children to pray to God and ask Him what He wants them to do in life.
6. Share your faith regularly with your children and have a daily prayer life with them. The more you, as parents, authentically live your faith, the more of an impact it will have on your children.
7. Try to have regular contact with priests and religious so that your children see them as a normal part of life.
8. Teach your children the importance of generosity and self-sacrifice.
9. Pray for an increase in vocations as a family. Let your children see that this is very important.
10. Start early with your children.

Suggestions for fostering and praying for vocations

1. Pray daily!!!
2. Offer God your particular suffering and crosses of the day for more good and holy vocations.
3. Beg our Eucharistic Lord for more vocations (very important). Offer a Holy Hour for vocations. Eucharistic Adoration is very powerful.
4. Fast or make other sacrifices for more vocations.
5. Pray the rosary daily (or at least very frequently) for more vocations.
6. If you know a man or woman whom you think would make a good priest or religious, tell them so. Pray for them. Tell your parish priest.
7. Make a financial contribution specifically to the Vocation Office of the Archdiocese (they are on a very tight budget!)
8. Help form a vocation prayer group in your parish. Pass out these prayer books.
9. Join the St. John Vianney Society.
10. Tell your parish priest, or any priest who is active in promoting vocations, that you are eager to help promote vocations in the parish. There are always many opportunities that you can help with.

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