The Pope said this Saturday in an address to participants in the four-day annual meeting of the European Vocations Service, which ended today in Rome. The meeting had the theme “Sowers of the Gospel of Vocation: A Word That Calls and Sends.”

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“The numerical scarcity of priestly ordinations in some countries should not discourage, but instead should motivate a multiplication of opportunities for silence and listening to the Word, and better attention to spiritual direction and the sacrament of confession, so that the voice of God, who always continues calling and confirming, can be heard and promptly followed by many youth.”

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 —  — - PRESS RELEASE —  — 

UTRECHT, THE NETHERLANDS – On Friday, June 19, Dutch Archbishop Eijk of Utrecht asked the world to join in prayer for vocations to the priesthood – using Twitter. Using one of the computers of the archdiocesan seminary in Utrecht, the bishop launched a ‘Global Twitter Campaign for Vocations’ by posting a call for prayer on the fast-growing social network. In his message, he invites his Twitter-followers to spread the initiative around the world.

“The world is in dire need of priests to celebrate the Eucharist, the heart and the source of our faith,” the archbishop said. “We want to join the Holy Father at the start of this ‘Year of the Priest’ by answering Jesus’ call to pray for workers to bring in the harvest (Luke 10:2). Twitter is one of the fastest growing social networks in the world, so it’s a great medium to get many people involved in this prayer-campaign.”

Like in many other dioceses around the world, the need for priests is great in the Dutch Archdiocese of Utrecht. Projections show that five years from now, only 50 priests will still be active. They will work in 48 large parishes with over 300 churches.

“In our diocese alone, we need another 100 new priests,” the bishop said Friday. “However, quality is even more important than quantity. It’s not easy to be a priest in our world today, so we need men who are ready to follow Christ with total dedication.”

Archbishop Eijk hopes that Catholics will use Twitter every day during the Year of the Priest to remind their friends to pray for vocations. An international website, www.futurepriests.com, offers participants in the campaign a place to meet with seminarians, priests and young men discerning their vocation.

 —  — - END OF PRESS RELEASE —  — 

More high-resolution pictures of the event can be downloaded here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24201714@N06/sets/72157619882309723/

A letter from Cardinal Cláudio Hummes, prefect of the congregation, expressed the hope that “this may be a time of grace that will produce great apostolic fruit, especially of fidelity and intense renewal in the work of the ministry.”

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Thanks, and God bless!

Archbishop Dr. W.J. Eijk (twitter.com/Eijk)

P.S.: get updates about the campaign by following twitter.com/futurepriests

LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI PROCLAIMING A YEAR FOR PRIESTS ON THE 150th ANNIVERSARY OF THE “DIES NATALIS” OF THE CURÉ OF ARS

Post a Tweet with #futurepriests in the message, and you will find an instant community that will pray to support you during your discernment process!