June 1, 2009
Retreat attendees talk with Paulists Father Paul Robichaud (far right) and Father Dave Farnum, C.S.P.
Vocations director Father Dave Farnum, C.S.P.How do you know you want to be a Paulist? Spend a weekend with Paulists.
This is the guiding principle behind the Vocation Discernment Retreats hosted by the Paulist Fathers Vocation Office. For some years now the Paulists have invited men to spend a weekend getting to know Paulists at the North American Paulist Center in Washington, D.C.
What happens on these weekends? The experience is designed to bring together men who are considering a call to the priesthood with Paulist priests, theology students and novices. Together they pray, ask questions, break bread, recreate and talk late into the night.
Men travel from all over the country by plane, car, train and bus to our nation’s capital. The novices arrange to greet the retreatants at local area train stations, bus stations or airports, drive them back to St. Paul’s College, and show them to their guest rooms. Friday evening’s schedule includes Mass in the house chapel, dinner with the Paulist community, evening prayer, and a night tour of the Washington monuments.
Saturday begins early with morning prayer and breakfast, followed by a series of presentations by Paulist priests. The topics of these talks include: What brought you here? Hopes and expectations; What is the Paulist mission? What does the formation process entail? Discernment and prayer; The life of Hecker; The life of St. Paul; and a theology student’s story.
Reflecting on these presentations, one young man said, “It really helps me learn more about the [Paulist] community and understand what it might be like to be a Paulist. It also helps me understand the work the Paulists do and the potential variety of ministries in which I might serve.”
The retreatants also enjoy plenty of free time, taking the opportunity to visit the Newman Catholic Bookstore, National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land.
A real benefit of weekends like this is the opportunity for these men to meet like-minded seekers.
One recent retreatant said, “The best part of my experience was talking with other men going through the discernment process (which I don’t get to do) and speaking with the students and novices.”
The retreat ends on Sunday afternoon with a tour of the Paulist Archives and a closing prayer service. The men are then free to return home for work or school on Monday, or if they wish, then can stay longer as a house guest.
Looking back over one recent retreat, a young man reflected, “I was surprised how different each Paulist was, in personality, but more surprising was the diversity of mission.”
Another commented, “It was a very relaxing weekend. The down-to-earth demeanor of many of the retreatants, students, novices and Paulists helped me to better reflect on the retreat’s meaning.”
In recent years discernment retreats have been held each year in February and October. I invite you to join me in praying for many more men to follow the Lord Jesus with the fervor of St. Paul and Father Hecker in the Paulist way of life.
The Paulist Office for Vocations can be reached at 212-757-4260 or [email protected] . Visit the Paulist vocations Web site at www.paulist.org/vocation.
