Ireland Prays for Vocations and Healing

(25 Apr 10 – RV) As Catholics across the world pray for vocations this Good Shepherd Sunday, in Ireland many will have the opportunity to pray before the relics of one of the patron Saints of priests, St. John Vianney.


The relics of the Curé d'Ars arrived on Irish soil Sunday 25^th, at the express wish of the Irish Bishops, as the island once famed for its ‘Saints and Scholars’ attempts to heal the wounds of a Church lacerated by the scandal of clerical sexual abuse of children.


With regards vocations, Ireland, like many Northern European nations, had experienced a steady decline in candidtates for the priesthood.


However over the past five years, that negative trend has been reversed and the year 2008/2009, to many people’s surprise, saw a modest increase of 20% in the number of men going forward for the priesthood and religious orders.

Bishops Donal Mckeown of Down and Connor in Northern Ireland, is Chair of the Vocations Commission in Ireland.


He says the current crisis in the Irish church is an opportunity that must not be missed to nurture Christ’s challenging call to the young Catholics in Ireland, who can be a force for change.


He also reflects on Pope Benedict XVI’s Letter to the Catholics of Ireland, welcoming the upcoming apostolic visitation of the nations’ two seminaries, saying standards in priestly formation must be improved.