This March, the third annual National Vocation Summit, held at the Legion of Christ Seminary in Cheshire, Connecticut, drew over 100 people from all over the United States and Canada who gathered to learn from expert speakers and from each other how to collaborate in building a vocation culture in their own families, school, and parishes. Participants included lay people and representatives from nine different religious congregations interested in, or already active in, supporting the promotion of vocations and encouraging young people to respond generously to God’s call. There were also two locality Regnum Christi directors in attendance: Tony Frese, from Atlanta, Georgia, and Jane Nagel from Columbus, Ohio.

The theme of this year’s National Vocations Summit was “Casting a Wider Net.” Summit speakers included Dr. Andrew Lichtenwalner, director of the Office of Evangelization and Discipleship in the Archdiocese of Atlanta; Jackie Couture-Gonzales, national director of Vocation Action Network; Fr. John VanDorpe, LC, regional vocation director for the Legionaries of Christ in Atlanta, Georgia; Fr. Martin Connor, LC, national vocation director of the Legionaries of Christ; and Fr. Shawn Aaron, LC, the North American territorial director.

The summit also included panels, workshops, Eucharistic adoration for vocations, and Mass celebrated by Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt, Auxiliary Biship for the Archdiocese of Hartford.

The keynote address, titled “An Experience of Building a Vocation Culture,” was given by Stephen D. Minnis, president of Benedictine College. Several years ago, while putting together the strategic plan at Benedictine, the question was asked: ‘What concerns people the most about America?’ The answer, shares Minnis, was the culture, one of loneliness, hopelessness, faithlessness, and truthlessness, which has permeated the youth of today in an impactful way. The response of Benedictine College, and the mission of the National Vocation Summit, is to work to form leaders, educators, and members of diocesan and religious communities to begin to transform that culture into a culture of vocations, in which all people can recognize and answer God’s call in their own lives.

In his talk titled “The Universal Call to Holiness,” Dr. Andrew Lichtenwalner highlighted the importance of discernment, particularly in today’s culture:

“Pope Francis has urged us constantly in his pontificate to new and greater discernment, to really surrender to the Lord, and he situates it as a gift we must implore the Lord for. He’s really calling the Church to beg for that gift of discernment, which is an urgent need, especially in this culture where we are flitting between all sorts of screens and technology. Without the wisdom of discernment, we can easily become prey to every passing trend.” 

Crafted to respond to this urgent need for an attitude of discernment and the work of the Holy Spirit in one’s life, and with a mission inspired by the charism of Regnum Christi, the National Vocation Summit gathers Christian leaders with a heart for vocations and a desire to help the next generation become vocation apostles. Rooted in the holy Eucharist, the summit seeks to build a true vocation culture by sending participants out as champions of vocations, with a greater dependence on the Lord of the harvest (cf. Luke 10:2), a renewed love for the Church, zeal for a common mission, and an ever deeper hope in Christ and his grace.

The National Vocation Summit strives to send out priests, consecrated, and lay vocation apostles to impact culture in five specific areas:

1. Focusing every form of vocational discernment on Eucharistic adoration and an authentic sacramental life.
2. Elevating the gravitas of the universal call to holiness for all baptized (cf. Lumen Gentium Ch. 4:39-41).
3. Making the topic of one’s vocation a mainstream conversation.
4. Accompanying and equipping leaders to help young men and women to discern and fulfill God’s plan in their lives.
5. Bringing greater unity in vocation work across all sectors of Church life, resulting in a vocational plenitude of holy Catholic priests, consecrated, and marriages.

The summit joins leaders from all walks of life – married, single, religious, and clergy – for a transformative event focused on discernment, strategic planning, and becoming a vocation apostle for Christ, ultimately building a true vocation culture in what may be considered an anti-vocational world. Events like the National Vocation Summit are particularly critical in this time of vocation crisis to counteract the loneliness that can often be a part of vocation ministry, and to refresh and awaken the vision of hope in the participants and all whom they encounter.