Trusting in a Yield of a Hundredfold Harvest:  Seventeen parishes participate in Vocation Workshop for Lay People

By: Jennifer Waroway – Consecrated to a Life of Perpetual Virginity, 2008

During the morning of December 7, 2024, seventeen parishes accepted the invitation to be part of the largest coordinated effort in the history of the Archdiocese of Winnipeg to promote and create an authentic culture of vocations. An initiative of the Archdiocesan Synod, the Hundredfold Virtual Workshop for Lay People was led by Leticia Ramirez of Vocation Ministry (vocationministry.com). Founded by Rhonda Gruenewald in her Houston, Texas parish, Vocation Ministry responds to the Baptismal call we share to build God’s church: A Vocation-Producing parish creates an environment which “encourages and allows men and women to easily say “Yes” to God’s call in their lives to the priesthood, consecrated life, or marriage” (Vocation Ministry Vision).

During the December workshop, Leticia Ramirez emphasized the importance of intentionality and elaborated on the four categories of Vocation Ministry activities: prayer for vocations; awareness and education; focus on youth as future vocations; and affirmation of those who have said “yes” to God’s calling. Being most familiar with the needs specific to their community, each parish is invited to consider how to nurture the vocational seeds within their spiritual families.

When elaborating further on the importance of intentionality, Fr. Peter Nemcek, Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Winnipeg, explains how prayerful listening and discernment enables us to cooperate with the grace of God in giving direction to our lives:

After a time of prayerful listening and discernment, from the options available to me, I choose the one I perceive is God’s will for my life. This involves gathering information about all the possible vocations in life that build on our fundamental Baptismal vocation or call to holiness. Then I take the time to prayerfully discern this by going through each vocation while considering the movements in my heart in response: priesthood; deacon; religious life; consecrated life; or married life. Then I make a discerned decision to choose, pursue, and wholeheartedly apply myself to what I received in prayer. While faithful to my decision, I continue to remain open and listen to the still, small voice guiding me along the journey.

To illustrate this journey, Fr. Peter suggests the intercession of Jesus, the Good Shepherd: To be intentional, we need to “plant a stick in the river of our life, watch what is happening, listen to God, and then act. From all the competing voices, I recognize who is ‘speaking’ and follow the voice of the Good Shepherd.”

Archbishop Richard Gagnon participated in the virtual workshop and shared his thoughts regarding the anticipated fruitfulness of Vocation Ministry within the Archdiocese:

I was glad I attended the online workshop for the development of local vocation committees in parishes. The presenter, Leticia Ramirez, a wife and mother of two priests, offered us her enthusiasm for vocation work and many practical suggestions on how to start a group in the parish, and she shared with us her confidence that the Lord will most certainly help us in this vocational work. The response by the laity in the Archdiocese was very positive, and a good number of people joined us that day. I pray that we will all answer, through our efforts, the call from the Lord of the Harvest to send labourers into his harvest!

Implementation of Vocation Ministry within the Archdiocese of Winnipeg was initiated by Fr. Peter Nemcek, Director of Vocations. Fr. Peter first learned of Vocation Ministry in September 2018 when attending the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors (NCDVD) convention in Scottsdale, Arizona. During the convention, Fr. Peter spoke with the founder, Rhonda Grunwald about the possibility of having the workshop in the Archdiocese of Winnipeg. In 2019, Fr. Peter gathered references from other vocation directors who shared positive experiences and fruitfulness from Vocation Ministry implementation. With the support of Archbishop Richard Gagnon, and as part of the Synod implementation process, Rhonda virtually led workshops for diocesan priests and laity during Priests’ Study Days in September 2024. 

Fr. Peter emphasizes the goal of Vocation Ministries is to create a culture of vocation in the parishes and diocese which involves all the baptized – clergy and people of God. This includes vocations to the priesthood but the same can be said for women considering consecrated life and those discerning married life. 

As Director of Vocations, Fr. Peter explains how perspective can help overcome some of the challenges regarding the low numbers reflected in the call to vocations:

The majority of people and clergy in our Archdiocese don’t think they can contribute to creating a culture of vocations. Or, some simply want to delegate the responsibility to the Director of Vocations. To create a culture of vocations, we want parishioners to accompany and build relationships which will encourage and nurture vocations. As a people of God, this includes the pastor, family and relatives, as well as community members such as teachers. Our youth and young adults do not hear the concept of vocations in the secular context of media or school. They get very little exposure; especially to the vocations like priesthood, religious life, and even a true living out of sacramental marriage. The Vocation Ministry provides an awareness of different vocations from early years. 

As parishes continue to pray, organize, plan, and implement Vocation Ministry activities, trusting God will provide a yield of a hundredfold harvest is a reflection of our faithfulness and fidelity to God’s will. Fr. Peter explains the success of Vocation Ministry is in God’s hands:

We are part of God’s work as grace builds on nature. We participate and cooperate in His work to the best of our ability but we know that the success of it is in His hands. I have confidence in this because this initiative came from God. He is faithful and will look after it. We only need to say yes to him and rejoice that we can do this with Him. 

Our parishes form the interdependent branches of the Archdiocese of Winnipeg. As one holy catholic and apostolic Church, we prepare the rich soil God has entrusted to us. Inspired by the Holy Spirit and nourished through prayerful intentionality, may the fruitfulness of our Vocation Ministry reflect God’s abundant generosity. We pray for the desire to respond to the grace God showers upon His people, the Church, as we joyfully trust and anticipate a hundredfold harvest.