VOCATION to the priesthood and religious life maybe declining in other countries particularly in Europe but not in the Philippines, a Catholic bishop said.

Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara of Pasig City—at a recent press conference during the celebration of the 5th Directors for Vocation in the Philippines-National Capital Region (DVP-NCR) held at St. Paul College in Pasig—said that the Philippines is considered the seedbed of vocation in Asia, the main reason why there is no crisis of vocation in the country.

But he is saddened that because of secularism, many young people are turning a deaf ear to the call to priesthood and religious life.

“But the declining of vocation in Europe and the Americas can be viewed as a positive aspect. If they lack priests and nuns in the other side of the globe, we from Asia can provide them and will send them. That is why we are sending them missionaries that can help them in strengthening back the vocation that they currently need,” Vergara said.

He emphasized that even if there is a problem of lack of vocation, it can still be seen as a positive aspect because of the need to encourage the young to respond to the call of serving God through priesthood or religious life.

Vergara also shared that during the 50th Eucharistic Congress in Dublin, Ireland last June, he met a young priest from Europe and asked him questions about his priestly vocation.

I asked him, “you came from this part of the world, what happened?” He replied was, “I felt empty in my life even if I worked in a corporate world, I cannot find what I am looking for. Then when I saw a priest, I told myself, why not try to enter the seminary. I passed the entrance exam and now I am a priest.”

“That story makes us think clearly that even if there is secularism, there are still young people in that
specific part of the world who respond to God’s call,” he furthered.

He also encouraged young people to develop an intimate relationship with God and to pray for the gift of vocation.

Commitment matters most in vocation
Meanwhile, for Sr. Mary Paul, OSB, quality is more important than quantity when it comes to religious and priestly vocation. The commitment of the person being called is what counts in a vocation, according to the Benedictine nun who is a vocation promoter of the Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing.

When asked about the decreasing numbers of those responding to priesthood or religious life vocation, the nun thinks it is a very important thing to consider not the number but the quality of commitment from those who want to enter the priesthood or religious life.

The nun was one of the many religious sisters and clergy who participated in the recent vocation festival.