Holy Hour for vocations to priesthood and religious life

We are often asked to pray for vocations to priesthood and religious life, but how? Certainly we should do so in our daily intentions as well as at Mass. Sometimes, though, holding a special Holy Hour for Vocations provides a more intensive focus for our intercession: as we join in adoration of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, we earnestly ask him to send more laborers into the harvest. 

Blessed John Paul II said, “Considering that the Eucharist is the greatest gift Our Lord gives to his church, we must ask for priests…We must ask insistently for this gift. We must ask for it on our knees.”

Planning the Holy Hour

To hold a Holy Hour for vocations in your parish, it is essential to have the participation of your parish priest. Work with him to choose an appropriate date. There is no bad time to pray a Holy Hour, but some dates may work better than others, such as May 15, “World Day of Prayer for Vocations”.

Most often it is useful to have a small group plan the Holy Hour, such as the Parish Vocation Awareness Committee; this helps to spread the work among more people, and also ensures better attendance. Sometimes a cluster of nearby parishes can work together to plan one single area-wide Holy Hour for Vocations to priesthood and religious life.

Promotion is key

Even when only two or three are gathered in Jesus’ name, a Holy Hour can be a powerful event—but it sure is nice to have more people. Promoting your Holy Hour, then, becomes critical. Here is one rule of thumb: you must do far more than place a notice in the bulletin.

Sometimes, to boost attendance, the Holy Hour can be planned in conjunction with another event, such as immediately before the Knights of Columbus Fish Fry, or as part of a youth group event. Similarly, you may want to include other groups in the Holy Hour planning process, so it is a “multi-ministry” event, in conjunction with the Boy Scouts, the Ladies’ Guild, a Bible Study, the RCIA group, etc.

With your pastor’s cooperation, try to make it a parish-wide event, promoted widely via pulpit announcements, displays outside of Mass, email, parish Web site, Facebook, Twitter, FlockNotes, etc.—even automated phone calls have been known to increase attendance. If Holy Hours are not common in your parish, make sure you explain what is involved and why they are so important.

Holy Hour format

There is a standard format for Holy Hours that can be adapted for different purposes. Most follow a basic outline: an opening hymn while the Blessed Sacrament is placed in the monstrance, scripture readings, time for silent prayer, devotions such as the rosary or litany of saints, then Benediction and a closing hymn. Remember that the format of your Holy Hour needs to be approved by the priest who leads it.

Here are some very useful resources for structuring your Holy Hour:

•  Holy Hour for Vocations from the U.S. Bishops

•  Booklet about Praying for Vocations

•  Serra Club Holy Hour

Is it worth the effort?

Yes! Sure, it takes some work—coordination, creativity, and leadership—to plan your Holy Hour for Vocations to priesthood and religious life. But what better way to ask God for vocations than directly before Him in the Eucharist? At a time when our church so badly needs more priests, it is worth the effort to do our part.