Six Habits of Highly Effective Dioceses

The 28 January- 3 February 2007 issue of the National Catholic Register has a very interesting article about what makes an excellent Catholic Diocese. While it focuses on the success in attracting vocations to the priesthood, the habits also point to a diocese who's bishop stands up for the orthodox teachings of the Catholic Church. In otherwords, a shepherd who takes his responsibilities, & his faith, seriously.

Here are the habits & some excerpts from the article:

1. Is the Eucharist the center of vocation efforts?

"Eucharistic adoration is especially effective because it draws sharp attention to the great gift that makes the priesthood so extraordinary and so needed — we have the priesthood to thank for God’s real presence in the Blessed Sacrament. And the dynamic of silent Eucharistic adoration inevitably leads to the question, 'What do you want me to do, Lord?' "

2. Is the diocese unabashed about personally inviting men to be priests?

"A U.S. bishops survey found that 78% of those being ordained said they were initially invited by a priest to consider the priesthood. Very few men were drawn to the priesthood by ads alone."

3. Is the seminary faithful to the magisterium of the Church?

"The seminaries that are booming, like Mount St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg, Md., St. Vincent in Latrobe, Pa., and St. Gregory the Great in Seward, Neb., are ones with a reputation for being faithful to the magisterium."

4. Are there many strong and faithful families to draw from?

"There are beautiful exceptions, but the rule is that priests come from committed Catholic families in which the father is an active player in the family’s faith.

These families are most common, we found, in places like the South and the Midwest, where the faith is relatively new and isn’t taken for granted, or is actually under attack. "

5. Do young men know and interact with priests?

"The priest’s life is largely a mystery to young men. Unless they meet and interact with priests — at parish functions, but also at dinner with their families — it may never occur to many young men that the priesthood is a life that would appeal to them. . . . .

For many priests, serving at the altar was the first place they first came to know men who had been called and understood what the call entailed. Parishes should make sure that boys feel welcome at the altar, and that altar serving isn’t, in effect, girls-only."

6. Did young people in the area go to World Youth Day?

"The World Youth Day factor is very real. Many men in seminary trace their enthusiasm back to a World Youth Day. These events give young people with high ideals a chance to see that the Church will allow them to have a big, positive impact on the world — one that lasts for eternity."

1 of the things mentioned in the part about Eucharistic Adoration is a website, Vocation.com, an apostolate of the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi at the service of vocations for the Universal Church. They are promoting a "traveling monstrance". This monstrance is 1 of 6 blessed on 24 November 2004. 1 monstrance was sent to each of the 6 inhabited continents (Antarctica was onviously exempted) to "be used to promote the Adoration for Vocations effort worldwide."

It is important for each of us to pray for vocations to the priesthood, deaconate & religious life. It is also important that each of us prays daily for the Pope & our own bishop as well as our priests, deacons & religious.

Six Habits of Highly Effective Dioceses