Madam, - Angela Hanley (October 9th) tells us of her temptation to scribble "Male, celibate and clericalised" on the Year of Vocation banners and candles currently found in many Catholic churches around the country. What a narrow understanding of vocation.
If Ms Hanley had taken the time to view these materials in more detail she would have noticed that the words "witness", "love" and "service" also appear on them. The message is clear. All people are called to live the Christian life to the full, not just clergy and religious.
Indeed, the aim of this Year of Vocation is to raise awareness about the common vocation that we share through baptism as expressed by our own lives of witness, love and service. This can be done through married life, single life or in religious life and priesthood.
Even though we are promoting the call of all the baptised we are not neglecting the call to priesthood and religious life. It is our hope that a greater number of young people will reflect more deeply on these important vocations as life choices.
Through our baptism we all have a vocation in life. That is the cornerstone of the theology which informs the Year of Vocation project. I hope this helps Ms Hanley to resist the temptation to scribble on our banners and candles. - Yours, etc,
BRENDA DRUMM,
Project Manager,
Year of Vocation,
Columba Centre,
Maynooth, Co Kildare.