Kudos to Bishop Lucas

Writing in his weekly column in the Catholic Times, "Grace and Mercy," the Most Rev. George J. Lucas, Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, has both strong and encouraging words for the faithful.

There should always be "the expectation that some students in every school, in every religious education program and in every youth group are being called to the priesthood or religious life," he said.

Bishop Lucas gathered with his seminarians last week just a few days before he joined the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George as ten young women were either received into the novitiate or made their first profession.

Reflecting on these experiences, Bishop Lucas asks:

How many men and women in our diocese are being called by God to the priesthood and the religious life, do you suppose? It is difficult to know for sure, but I see no reason to think small. Given our rich history of faith, and given the need for the light of the Gospel to be offered in a clear and visible way, I believe that God is offering many vocations in our diocesan church. Our challenge is to both learn and teach an openness to God's plan.

His Excellency further said that every Catholic grade school and high school in the Diocese "should be first and foremost a 'vocation school.'"

The focus of every teacher, not only religion teachers, should be to help our students understand that God has a life-giving plan for each of them. If our schools are not explicitly teaching our young people to know God, to express love for God and to determine how to serve God with their lives, then the schools are not fulfilling their mission.

He also reminded parents that they "have the primary responsibility to educate their children in the ways of faith." He suggested that parents speak often with their children "about their hopes for their children to fulfil God's loving plan in their own lives."

But he also noted that many parents neglect this sacred duty. "Unfortunately these days," he said, "the hopes of parents do not often explicitly include the possibility of priesthood or religious life for their children."

Even so, the Bishop of Springfield in Illinois is not without hope.

Reminding the faithful that the Director of the Office for Vocations, the Rev. Christopher House, is "anxious to help parishes and schools integrate an attentiveness to the call of God," Bishop Lucas expressed hope that "many will take advantage of his desire to assist in this essential work for the life of the church.