Vocations News and Events: Enquirers' Night
News from the latest enquirer night in June 2008
Daniel Fitzpatrick wites:
Having just arrived back from the Propaedeutic year in Valladolid, Spain I was overjoyed to be eating proper English food again. Chicken curry, apple pie with cream and red wine was the great meal I shared with all the people at the vocations meeting in June. As I remember from last year, the meals at the meetings are always of top quality and this month was no exception. It was good to be home. To see all the people at the meeting was very encouraging and I was excited to share a little about my time in Spain. Fr. Michael McCoy had asked me to share my experience of the year with the group. So having been to the other side and survived to share my story, I felt obliged to let the group know that there wasn’t much to be scared of, in fact the year in Spain was a fantastic experience and one of the best years I’d ever had.
After praying together I shared what I had experienced in formation at the Royal English College in Valladolid since last September. The group seemed very interested in the College, and the experiences that it offers, from the questions they asked afterwards. I believe that God is always present in our personal experiences and to share these experiences communicates God more effectively than information does. So I pray that sharing my experience of Valladolid gave those at the meeting a greater insight into God and his will for them and us all. Sharing this with the group also helped me to reflect on my year and to give thanks to God for all of his blessings. Next, Marc Lyden-Smith from Ushaw College shared some of his experiences from seminary. I was particularly interested in what he had to say as I start at Ushaw College this September.
It is great that any one thinking or praying about what God may want in their lives can come along to the meeting to pray and socialise with others in the same situation. I certainly found the vocations group a great help a few years ago when I started to seriously discern priesthood. It was a great consolation to me that the lads that go along are normal, some young and some older and that they enjoy a good laugh. I believe that we get a greater sense of God’s will for us when we bring our thoughts to a safe group of people who will pray for us and encourage us in our faith, and this is exactly what the monthly vocation meeting are. Jesus said that when two or three are gathered in his name he will be there, and his presence is truly felt in these meetings, in the prayer time and when we gather around the table and share a meal.
For more information on the year in Valladolid see the Royal English College website at www.valladolid.org.
The next Enquirer Night Meeting will be in September at the House of Hospitality, Our Lady Queen of Peace, Penshaw.