Amid scandal, a fresh look at vocations. (signs of the times).

Pope John Paul II convened two major conferences in late April dealing with vocations in North America. Two years ago he called for the Third Continental Congress on Vocations to the Ordained Ministry and Consecrated Life in North America to take place in Montreal from April 18-21. The second was his impromptu gathering with U.S. cardinals to discuss the clergy sex abuse scandal. Though less noticed by most news media, the congress was by far the more hopeful meeting of the two.

While surely aware of the climate the scandals created, "Participants weren't hiding their heads in shame," said Sister Cathy Bertrand, S.S.N.D., executive director of the National Religious Vocation Conference. "Instead they were excited about the healthiness and goodness of these life choices." Perhaps the most far-reaching effect of this conversation was the wide range of partners invited into the discussion. "More than 10,000 people had already been involved in the preparation process before the meeting even began," said Bertrand, speaking of the 220 diocesan and regional dialogues leading up to the congress. Delegates included vocation directors, youth ministers, young adults, educators, parents, Catholic associations, members of secular institutes, and many more. It was a typically North American approach to the challenge and spoke volumes to representatives from Rome who are used to a more top-down style of management.

One goal of the congress was to foster a culture of vocations for the North American church. "If we're going to actually accomplish that," says Bertrand, "we have to do more than launch another program, project, or national campaign. We need to foster a conversion, a change of heart within individuals and within the church itself. This may sound ethereal, but the participants at the congress were very busy making it practical."

One group making it practical were the 130 young adult participants. They took the opportunity to gather on their own, politely dis-inviting all those vocation directors who were eager to listen in. After a spirited discussion, the group wrote a policy statement, declaring, "We desire a covenant relationship with our church. Everything we ask of the church we will offer in return. We will remain faithful to Christ and the church by living out our vocations, promoting a culture of life and joy, while living in hope and love. We strive to be saints of today, and come to cultivate saints of the next generation."

Recommendations from the congress will be developed into a pastoral plan for the U.S. and Canada. Texts from the presentations are available at www.vocations2002.org.