Vocations update Dec. 2025

Last month’s Vocation Awareness Week was filled with many opportunities to promote and celebrate the vocational call God has placed in each person’s heart. As part of this week, the vocation office joined with the Sisters of the Precious Blood in talking with students at St. Christopher School in Vandalia, responding to questions they had prepared about priesthood, brotherhood, and sisterhood.   

On Nov. 8, St. Charles Center hosted the 13th annual Knights of Columbus 5K Run for Vocations. Our own Br. Nick Renner and Fr. Mark Hoying participated in the run, along with many people of all ages from the surrounding parishes. Archbishop Casey was present for the race, offering a prayer for the event. Anthony and Patricia from the Vocation Office supported the runners and offered materials for spiritual growth.  

While the runners were actively supporting vocation awareness outside St. Charles Center, a group of men gathered inside for a weekend discernment retreat. Six men participated as Inquirers along with our four men in formation. The theme of the retreat highlighted “thresholds,” a theme used during our recent General Assembly. Fr. Angelo noted that thresholds offer us an opportunity to reflect upon who we were, who we are, and who we might become.    

The retreat also offered a reflection from Fr. Barry Fischer as he spoke about Precious Blood spirituality as a lived spirituality. His stories highlighted that fact that throughout all our life we are discerning the fullest way to respond to God’s call to follow Him. Fr. Barry identified several threshold experiences in his life in which he encountered the cry of the blood and the call of the blood, seeing them as two sides of the same coin.   

Br. Matthew Schaefer offered a reflection on contemplative prayer. One of the books he recommended was “Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation,” by Martin Laird. In contemplation, we seek to uncover the core identity of who God created us to be, a key element in vocational discernment.   

Along with the reflections, the retreatants had many opportunities to interact with our members living at St. Charles through meals, hallway chats, and an evening social. The Holy Spirit works in many beautiful ways! Please continue to pray for all those discerning their call from the Lord.  

Fr. Angelo Anthony 
Director of Vocations