Vocation Motivation D Fr. Joseph L. Narog, O.S.A. Director of Vocations
espite the unprecedented circumstances with which we’ve all been dealing, due to the pandemic, vocation ministry remains engaged and has adapted – using tools, such as Zoom chats, to communicate with discerners. In addition, the National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC,) of which we are an active member, has released the most comprehensive study on vocations to religious life, in over ten years. Its key findings confirm much of what we’ve been seeing among those attracted to our Augustinian way of life, especially a desire for authentic community, centered on prayer and a sense of mission. It’s noteworthy, as well, that newer members of religious institutes prefer intergenerational living, often looking to more senior members as mentors and wisdom figures. In turn, senior members, as expressed by many of those in our Province, are energized by their interaction with newer members and discerners. Perhaps the most heartening conclusion of the 2020 NRVC study is that there’s a continuing sense of call, even in the midst of challenging times in our Church and world, and that new entrants to religious life express abundant hope. Please check out nrvc.net for more information on the study and other vocation-related resources.
Reflections
Fr. Jim Wenzel, O.S.A., age 90 and Joe Barowski, a Pre-Novice, age 22, speak about Augustinian religious life and intergenerational living: How did you first come to the Augustinians?
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r. Jim: I simply wanted to be a priest. When I was a kid growing up, I lived next door to a convent. I was a block away from the church; I was an altar boy. I think as most kids in those days, we thought about being a priest. But then I went to a public high school and I didn’t think about being a priest at all. I was very active in high school and engaged in all kinds of activities.
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