Madam, - The tragedy about the "Year of Vocations", is that while Father Church seems determined to replicate the priesthood of the past, perhaps the Holy Spirit in Her wisdom is calling both men and women to what might be very different kinds of ministry.
I do not wish to demean our bishops and priests, who often do Trojan work with very little thanks, but rather to recall to their minds Our Lord's words on blindness and to ask them to open their eyes to the vocations growing all around them.
Perhaps then they might encourage and nourish these - and also galvanise those members of the laity who think it is enough to sit like suet puddings, waiting for the clergy to pour spiritual custard over them. - Yours, etc,
Mrs ELIZABETH RODDY,
Corcullen,
Galway.