Dear Parish Family, I’m writing to you about Na-
tional Vocations Awareness Week which is Novem-
ber 5-12, 2022. It is so important for all of us to be
aware about this crucial subject, especially for our
Church. We all must promote vocations to the Priest-
hood, Religious Life, Lay Ecclesial Ministries, Mar-
ried Life and Single Life. Everyone must promote
this awareness for all ages to know they can discern
a vocation to one of these ways of life, especially the
Priesthood and Religious Life. This is due to the crit-
ical shortage of vocations to the Priesthood and Re-
ligious Life. I am sharing this letter from our Voca-
tion Director, Rev. Chad Johnson. It is our respon-
sibility to promote vocations in all of these ways of
life, not just during this week but every day!! My
love and prayers always, ~~Fr. Steve
30 October 2022
Dear Brothers and Co-Workers in the Vineyard,
Grace and Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with
you! As October gives way to November and Au-
tumn is upon us, National Vocation Awareness
Week is once more around the corner. As you may
know, the Church in the United States celebrates
National Vocation Awareness Week every year in
order to bring to the fore the necessity of the whole
Church to engage in the ministry of promoting voca-
tions to the Priesthood and Consecrated Religious
Life. This year, the Church celebrates this important
ministry the week of November 5-12, 2022. As such,
I encourage you all to incorporate the Church’s un-
derstanding of vocation and discerning the will of
God in all of our lives into your ministry and activi-
ties this week. This can include lessons, homilies, or
sharing your own vocation story with your parish-
ioners, students, and colleagues. I am also attaching
a flyer that can be posted to boards at your parish or
your school and included in your parish bulletin for
this week. Thank you for your continued witness
and ministry with the People of God in the Church
of Youngstown. If there is anything that I can do,
please do not hesitate to reach out. Know of my
prayers for you. I remain gratefully yours,
In Christ,
The Rev. Chad Johnson Director,
Office of Vocations
144 W. Wood Street
Youngstown, OH
cjohnon@youngstowndiocese.org