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Vocations

Summer with our Seminarians

Our seminarians, Bruce, Greg, Morgan and Nathan share their gifts and gain some hands on pastoral experience in various areas of our Archdiocese.  As we’ve mentioned  over the last couple of weeks three will be working at the Catholic Diocesan Centre while the fourth is completed a Clinical Pastoral Education Unit in Ontario.

Bruce will be completing a Clinical Pastoral Education Unit at a hospital in London, ON. Greg returns to the Catholic Diocesan Centre this summer and will support the ministry of our team in the Catholic Cemeteries of Halifax Office. Morgan will spend the summer serving at Saint Mary’s Cathedral Basilica and will be the Cathedral Tour guide. Nathan joins the team in the Office of Pastoral Life and New Evangelization with a number of initiatives and projects, most notably our annual youth conference Steubenville Atlantic.

Last week we shared with you an update from Nathan. This week we offer a glimpse of how Greg spent this year of his formation.

Greg Vess 
Home Parish: Stella Maris 
Studying at St. Augustine’s Seminary, Toronto, ON

This May marks the completion of my second year of seminary formation. All things considered, it was a great year, and I thank God for all the blessings and graces that came to me through it! There were several notable differences between this year of seminary and the previous one. Firstly, I began a two-year course of studies in philosophy at St. Philip’s Seminary, the seminary of the Toronto Oratory. The classes were highly engaging and satisfying, and I would even go so far as to say life-changing. Within the classes we studied subjects such as metaphysics, natural philosophy, natural theology, ancient and medieval philosophy, and philosophy of science, to name a few. While studying at St. Philp’s Seminary, I remained in the formation program at St. Augustine’s Seminary, which leads me to the second notable difference: this year I resided at Serra House, another house of formation under the aegis of St. Augustine’s. Serra House is located in downtown Toronto, and this afforded many unique and exciting experiences! Finally, we continued the Sunday parish placement program as we did last year, but at new parishes. This year, I was assigned to St. Mary Immaculate parish in Richmond Hill, ON. It was great to be exposed to another corner of the Archdiocese of Toronto, and to meet so many new parishioners! Now that the academic year has drawn to a close and I have returned to Halifax for the summer, I am excited to be working within Catholic Cemeteries of Halifax and serving at St. Mary’s Cathedral on Sundays.

  • * Prayer to Know One's Vocation

    Lord, my God and my loving Father, you have made me to know you,
    to love you, to serve you, and thereby to find and to fulfill myself.
    I know that you are in all things, and that every path can lead me to you.
    But of them all, there is one especially by which you want me to come to you.
    Since I will do what you want of me, I pray you, send your Holy Spirit to me:
    into my mind, to show me what you want of me; into my heart,
    to give me the determination to do it, and to do it with all my love,
    with all my mind, and with all my strength right to the end.

    Amen

  • * Heavenly Father

     

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    Saint John Vianney


    Almighty and Eternal God, You have poured out on your priests the blessing of the Holy Spirit
    as they share in the priesthood of Christ your Son. We praise You for giving this gift to Your Church.

    Through Your priests, Your people are sanctified and invited into the mysteries of Christ. We thank You for their generous service. Grant to your priests the gift of joy in ministry and life.
    Renew them each day in their consecrationfor the salvation of the world.

    Lord, hear our prayers for those You are calling into Your service now.
    Bless them with an openness to Your will and a love for Your holy people.

    May all your priests be renewed in holiness through the example of your servant St. John Vianney.
    Filled with the fire of your love, may they do all for your greater glory.

    We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

    Amen.

  • * Discernment Community Application

    University Chaplains pic lightened

     
    "A place where people gather to freely discern their vocation to holiness and mission."

    Holy Cross Chaplaincy exists to live lifelong community, giving students an experience of relationship that lays deep roots for their whole life long. The Household Program is more than a place to live; it is a way of life meant to form young people into lifelong relationship and fulfilling vocation. It’s the heart of our community and the primary place we live out our “why.” Participants in the household program commit to three ideals:

    1. Deep relationship with God
    2. Healthy community life with each other and the outside community
    3. Vocational discernment

    These three things, lived well, hopefully help to form program participants into activated parish leaders, fulfilled in their vocations.

    Discernment Community Application (fillable PDF)
    email the Application back to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
    www.hcchaplaincy.ca

     

  • * Vocation to the Priesthood

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     “The priesthood is not a career, it is way of being.
    It is a life of sacrifice and service because it is the life of our Lord.“
    Vocations Centre Sydney

     

    • Every Catholic man, at one point in his life should consider a Vocation to the Priesthood, even if he is not intending to become a priest.
    • Many men today, do not have a clear understanding of what a Priest is, and what it means to be a Priest.
    • Being a Priest means devoting yourself to the people of God, to be their Shepherd at all points of their life.
    • Please see the link below to learn more: www.vocationcentre.org.au/home/what-is-a-vocation/priesthood