April 21, 2024

Young men take vocations ‘Come and See’ trip to DC

REGIONAL
By Carolee McGrath

SPRINGFIELD – Father Jonathan Reardon, the director of recruiting for the Office of Vocations, accompanied three young men and their chaperone to Washington, D.C. for a vocations “Come and See” trip. The group spent time with men in formation, learning about seminary life.

“It’s an opportunity for guys who are considering the priesthood to see what seminary life is like, to experience the regiment of school, prayer and fellowship,” said Father Reardon. Joseph Mendes, Donovan Theriault, Lucas Morganelli, and his father Nick Morganelli, traveled down to Washington, D.C., Sunday, April 14 with Father Reardon. They stayed the first two nights at St. John Paul II Seminary, attending classes, and participating in morning and evening prayer, Eucharistic adoration and Mass. They visited the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and spent time with Matthew Rona, a seminarian for the Diocese of Springfield.

On the third day, the group traveled to Emmitsburg, Md., where they visited Mount St. Mary’s Seminary. There they learned about the seminarians’ work on a farm.

“The seminarians assist a professor on this land growing vegetables, caring for animals, sheep and chickens, and learning best practices. It gets them out of the world of academics and doing manual labor,” he said.

Father Reardon and Father David Darcy, the pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Belchertown, are assisting Springfield Bishop William D. Byrne, who directs the Vocations Office. There are currently three seminarians for the Diocese of Springfield, with two more in application.

Sunday, April 21, is World Day of Prayer for Vocations. It also falls on Good Shepherd Sunday. Father Reardon encourages all families to pray for more vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

“We want our young people to be who God intended them to be and each of us has a mission, a purpose in life,” said Father Reardon. “We can’t do that mission without being grounded in Christ, the Good Shepherd, who is our model of what it means to serve.”

To learn more, go to http://myvocation.com