WYD Rio: Vocations fair

(Vatican Radio) They call it a vocations fair which is fair because that’s exactly what it is. There are bandstands, and hot dog stands, and roundabouts and swings and bungee jumps. Yes, really! And for the more romantically inclined there are even swan-shaped boats on an artificial lake, but most of all there are vocation stands, over a hundred of them spread out across a leafy suburban Rio park, Quinta de Boa Vista, just in case you want to pop over to take a look for yourself. Listen to Seàn Patrick Lovett's report from Rio:

It‘s like a who’s who of religious institutes and ecclesial communities. Everything from the Jesuits, Franciscans and Dominicans, to the Discalced Sisters something, of the something something. Of course it comes as no surprise to see that the biggest crowds are hovering around the section hosted by the Society of Jesus. Or that they are greeted by a large smiling image of the first Jesuit Pope. But judging by the lines of curious questioning young people in front of many of the booths, you don’t have to be an old and established order to attract youthful vocations. You just have to be authentic and enthusiastic about who you are and what you do. According to many of the vocations directors I spoke to, that’s exactly what today’s youth are looking for: they want to see coherence and commitment. They want a challenge. World Youth Day organizers know that. They also know that the inspiration, idealism, and sense of identity engendered by the World Youth Day experience provides a fertile ground in which latent vocations can blossom and grow. That’s why the vocations fair has become a fixture of the last few World Youth Days. And that’s why the initiative is combined with powerful signs of traditional Catholic faith and expression., like the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Eucharistic Adoration. Dozens of makeshift confessionals that look like open white wigwams dot an entire field beneath the trees. Each one is occupied and more young people line up patiently awaiting their turn. After confession they spend time, sometimes a couple of hours, in a nearby tent to pray and meditate before the Blessed Sacrament. Now that’s hardly something you see everyday. But it is what makes World Youth Day what it is.