Vocations 2008: Discerning Your Call

Published: July 19, 2008

Brother David Henley, GHM, greets parishioner Jaime Ochoa at St. Andrew Church in Danville in June. He serves as director of religious education for the parish. See "Glenmary brother worked chicken line to share faith."

Click on a headline below to read selected stories from the special 2008 Vocations section which appeared in the July 19, 2008, issue of Arkansas Catholic.

Following God's will to discover your life's vocation will always bring happiness
Bishop Anthony B. Taylor's own process of discerning a vocation to the priesthood made something clear: "You'll never be happy unless you learn to live for something bigger than yourself," he said. And that means following God's will for your life, whatever that may be.

Religious life is a ‘radical call’ to live for God
The first time I remember thinking about religious life, I was 6 years old and asked my mother how I could help people get to heaven. I don’t remember her answer, but as children we were encouraged to think about being priests or religious. That thought was present in all four of us.

Missionaries of Charity focus on serving “poorest of poor”
The Missionaries of Charity of Calcutta, founded by Blessed Mother Teresa in 1950, recently celebrated their 25th anniversary of serving the "poorest of the poor" in central Arkansas. While they strive to bring works of love to the poorest in body and spirit, they avoid bringing attention to themselves.

Glenmary brother worked chicken line to share faith
Brother David Henley tells people he ran away from the circus to join the Glenmary Home Missioners.

Monasteries welcome inquirers to visit any time
Arkansas religious houses host special discernment events like these, but also welcome inquiries and offer information throughout the year.

Priesthood accomplished through grace, not human ability
One of the symbols for Christ and the Eucharist in the early Church was a pelican feeding her young. On the surface, this symbol might seem an unlikely representation of our Lord until it is understood that if a pelican can’t find food, she will actually rip away pieces of her own flesh to feed her young.

Parents of seminarians feel both pride and fear for sons
Parents have a tremendous influence on their children and are the primary religious educators of them. So, when a son tells his parents he is discerning priesthood, parents experience a wide range of emotions, including fear and worry as well as honor and joy.

Religious orders serve throughout the diocese
Men and women religious serve as priests, brothers and sisters across the Diocese of Little Rock. According to the 2008 Official Catholic Directory, there are 47 religious priests, 32 religious brothers and 211 religious sisters representing a wide variety of orders in Arkansas.

For the complete contents of Arkansas Catholic's July 19 issue, see the print or complete online edition. Subscribe today, so you don't miss an issue!