Called by Name to Serve the Lord

Called by Name to Serve the Lord

One of the greatest blessings in the life of the Church is witnessing how God continues to call men and women to serve Him in different vocations. Whether through Holy Matrimony, Holy Orders, consecrated life, single life, lay ministry, etc., every Christian vocation is a response to the Lord’s invitation to love and serve. Each vocation builds up the Church and be-comes a sign of God’s presence in the world.

In recent weeks, our Collaborative Parishes have had the privilege of seeing two beautiful examples of vocational discernment and commitment.

Many of you know Kiean Hickey, whose faithful presence at daily Mass and generous volunteer service around our churches during college breaks have been a source of encouragement to many. Kiean has been connected with St. Mary Parish since his Baptism, and he is now preparing to enter the Benedictine Abbey of St. Anselm in Manchester, New Hampshire, where he will begin as a postulant. Because of his longstanding relationship with the monastic community there, he anticipates entering the novitiate before the end of the summer. As Kiean begins this new chapter of religious life, we offer him our prayers and gratitude for saying “yes”. His response to God’s call, like those women called to the Trappistine Abbey in Wrentham, are local reminders to us that the Lord continues to invite young men and women to leave everything behind in order to seek Him more closely in consecrated life as Religious.

As you know, our parishes are also blessed this summer by the ministry of seminarian Samuel Kalu, who is already halfway through his eight-week internship with us. Growing up in Nigeria, he began his formation for the priesthood there, but the Lord called him to America where he is now preparing to be ordained as a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston. During his internship with our Collaborative Parishes, he has assisted at Masses, participated in parish meetings, and accompanied clergy on pastoral visits. Through these experiences, Samuel is learning the joys and responsibilities of priestly ministry while sharing his gifts with our parish family until July 20 (when his real summer break begins!)

In addition to these two men, we are blessed to have two couples who entered into the Sacrament of Matrimony at St. Martha this month (it’s been years since we’ve had two in the same month)! They, along with the women called to be nuns at Mount St. Mary Abbey in Wrentham, and those who recently responded to our need for lay ministers in our parishes - all are reminders that vocations do not arise in isolation. They are nurtured through prayer, family life, parish communities, and faithful friendships. Let us thank God for answering our prayers through the vocations of Kiean, Samuel, Nicholas & Danell, and Emily & Jeffrey, and we pray regularly for more vocations to marriage, priesthood, religious life, and lay ministry, trusting that the Lord continues to call disciples from among us to serve Him and His Church.