World Day of Prayer for Vocations
Sunday, May 11, 2025
On this 62nd anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, also liturgically known as Good Shepherd Sunday, we are invited to pray for and promote all vocations. Initiated by Saint Paul VI during the Second Vatican Council in 1964, the purpose of this day is to help all of us respond to God’s call and to support in prayer all those who are discerning how to best respond to the needs of today in the vocation God calls them to be.
Participating in parish life is a way individuals can discern their vocation and receive prayerful support from parishioners. Matter of fact, people in parishes are more likely to encourage someone to discern their vocation than their own family members!
Many parishes and religious institutes commemorate this day by praying for vocations and supporting vocation promotion events. Considering that 73 percent of women and men professing final vows participated in one or more parish activities and 88 percent served in one or more parish ministries before entering religious life, presence and participation in activities that mark this special day are essential.
~ National Religious Vocations Conference website (NRVC)