In Brief: Catholic Charities marks 75 years, World Day of Prayer for Vocations set for April 22
March 20, 2018
Catholic Charities marks a “happy” 75 years
HOUSTON — Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston is celebrating its 75th anniversary with “Happy: A Spirit of Charity Celebration” gala event on May 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the Marriott Marquis Houston, located at 1777 Walker Street.
The landmark event will celebrate 75 years of providing help and creating hope to those in need and honor Trini Mendenhall for her support of Catholic Charities. Honorary chairs include Daniel Cardinal DiNardo and Mrs. Raye G. White with event co-chairs Cheryl and Guy Malden and Joe Hafner.
Proceeds from benefit individuals and families in the Greater Houston region. Catholic Charities, a nonprofit agency, provides a comprehensive network of social services to the local community aimed at facilitating self-sufficiency and alleviating poverty. The group serves people from all walks of life and from any cultural or religious background.
For more information, contact Naibi Rivera at nrivera@catholiccharities.org or 713-874-6629.
April 22 is World Day of Prayer for Vocations
HOUSTON — The Office of Vocations invites the faithful to pray from 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on April 22 “for a generous response to God’s call to all vocations especially to priesthood and religious life” to observe the World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
2018 marks the 55th anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
The Office of Vocations will host 3 p.m. livestream prayer service on their Facebook page online at www.facebook.com/houstonvocations.
According to the USCCB, the purpose of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations is to publically fulfill the Lord’s instruction to, “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest (Mt 9:38; Lk 10:2). As a climax to a prayer that is continually offered throughout the Church, it affirms the primacy of faith and grace in all that concerns vocations to the priesthood and to the consecrated life.
In his message for the 2018 World Day of Vocations, Pope Francis said, “Today the Lord continues to call others to follow him. We should not wait to be perfect in order to respond with our generous ‘yes,’ nor be fearful of our limitations and sins, but instead open our hearts to the voice of the Lord. To listen to that voice, to discern our personal mission in the Church and the world, and at last to live it in the today that God gives us.”
While appreciating all vocations, the Church concentrates its attention this day on vocations to the ordained ministries (priesthood and diaconate), to the Religious life in all its forms (male and female, contemplative and apostolic), to societies of apostolic life, to secular institutes in their diversity of services and membership, and to the missionary life, in the particular sense of mission “ad gentes.”