A Time with Benedictine Vocation
Directors
On
Monday, October 2nd, our Vocation
Director, Fr. Gregory-David Jones traveled
to Minnesota to attend the National
Benedictine Vocation Director’s Conference
at St. John’s Abbey in
Collegeville. Attendees
representing men’s and women’s Benedictine
communities from around the country were
present to learn and share ideas about
attracting, promoting and preparing
candidates for religious formation in our
Benedictine monasteries and abbeys.
The theme of the conference was “Listening
with the Ear of Your Heart Throughout the
Generations”. The speakers for the
event were Mrs. Becky Van Ness, an adjunct
faculty member at Saint John's University
where she serves as the Director of the
Spiritual Program and is an oblate of
Saint Benedict's Monastery (in St. Joseph,
Minnesota), and Mrs. Kathleen A. Cahalan,
a professor of practical theology at Saint
John University School of Theology and
Seminary. The information and
insights of the speakers as well as the
interactions with the other Vocation
Directors gave Fr. Gregory-David many
practical ideas and methods that he will
immediately use in his ministry.
Above all, Father found that the prayers
and Liturgical celebrations with the
attendees as well as the monks of St.
John’s Abbey a source of spiritual renewal
in his commitment to help men discern
God’s call in their lives. For last week's news story, click here.