Bishop O’Connell’s 2024 Vocation Message
God made you for a unique purpose. Even before you were born, He knew your vocation, your mission in life. And if you are a faithful Catholic man, God may be calling you for a higher purpose — to become a Catholic Priest.
Priests have a critical mission: to bring people to Jesus and Jesus to people. They are spiritual fathers to thousands of Catholics. They preach the Gospel and offer the sacrifice of the Mass. In short, priests are living witnesses of Christ in the world — men of strong character who stand out in our secular culture.
If you are discerning a vocation to the priesthood, join us for our Vocations BBQ, hosted at our Diocesan Co-Cathedral of St. Robert Bellarmine in Freehold, on June 11th, 2024, 4 pm Mass and 5 pm dinner and fellowship. Reach out to Fr. Chris Colavito, Vocations Director, Diocese of Trenton,
Questions…contact our Vocations Office at 609-406-7448 or Vocations@DioceseofTrenton.org
Deacon Ordination Saturday, May 18, 2024
We congratulate the 13 men who will be ordained Deacons on Saturday, May 18th, at St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral in Trenton at 10:00 AM. Livestream on Diocese of Trenton YouTube page.
Priestly Ordination 2024
Father Wynne Kerridge and Father Brian Meinders.
National Vocation Awareness Week, November 3-9, 2024
Please ask Our Lord for more dedicated, holy priests, deacons and consecrated men and women. May they be inspired by Jesus Christ, supported by their families and our faith community, and respond generously to God’s gift of a vocation.
Praying for vocations is the most powerful way to support vocations. A vocation is a call from the Holy Spirit, a gift from God that is nurtured in prayer. When we pray for vocations, we lift up to our Father those men and women whom He is calling to follow Him in a very special way.
PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio
Lord of the Harvest, we petition you as you have instructed us
to ask for more laborers to serve in the vineyard of Your Church.
You have told us that the harvest is rich and laborers
are few and we experience this great need in the face
of the challenge of the New Evangelization.
We ask the Holy Spirit to inspire young men to seriously consider
vocations to the priesthood. Help all of us to be effective instruments
to encourage and support those whom you are calling
to serve and lead the Church in the future.
Lord, you told the Apostles to put out into the deep.
We ask for the grace and courage to accept your call
as we pray and work for an increase in vocations to the priesthood.
We ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest, Amen.
If you are discerning a possible calling to the priesthood, diaconate or religious life, please feel free to speak to one of our priests or deacons, their extensions can be found on the Contact Us -Staff Page of our website.
Diocese of Trenton Office of Vocations
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Links
Holy Orders
Our Lady of Good Council – Vocations from our Parish
Father James Smith is from Our Lady of Good Council Parish prior to ordination he served in Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony, Hamilton, during his year as a transitional Deacon. His first priestly assignment was St. Aloysius Parish, Jackson. Father Jim was installed as the Pastor of St. Isaac Jogues Parish, Marlton by Bishop David O’Connell on June 30, 2024.
Father Jim was ordained on June 2, 2018. His first Mass was celebrated at Our Lady of Good Counsel on June 3, 2018.
Priestly Ordinations – June 2018 – Keepsake Publication – ‘Gift and Mystery’
