MEET THE HANDS OF MARY VOCATION COMMITTEE Bringing Love to the Church
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ithout laborers to take care of the “vineyard” of Our Lord, the vineyard will grow dry, become unfruitful, and eventually die out. Without priests, there will be no Sacrifice of the Mass, and without the Mass, the world will not survive. As St. Padre Pio once said, “It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do without Holy Mass.” Thanks to ministries such as the Hands of Mary Vocation Committee, our vineyards still have a chance at prospering. “The purpose of our ministry is to promote vocations, and we need good priests and nuns now more than ever, especially considering what is going on in the Church and the world,” says Kerri Baunach, who has volunteered with the committee for the past eight years. “We need more holy priests, both locally and on a worldwide scale, because we can't have the Mass without priests.” And by bringing more religious sisters, nuns, monks, and brothers into the Church, the vineyard will be more fruitful than ever. “We really need the prayers of religious nuns and monks, as well as sisters to teach St. Therese of Lisieux's catechism and other subjects,” Kerri says. Prayer for Priests The Hands of Mary Vocation Committee organizes an effort to pray for vocations by O Jesus, eternal Priest, giving people an opportunity to sign up to keep your priests within the shelter of take home a special crucifix for a week, in Your Sacred Heart, order to pray for vocations. where none may touch them. “I have had people tell me they enjoyed taking home the crucifix every time, and Keep unstained their anointed hands, they appreciate it because it is a replica of which daily touch Your Sacred Body. the crucifix at our parish,” Kerri says. Keep unsullied their lips, Those who participate in this ministry daily purpled with Your Precious Blood. find that it is a wonderful way to educate Keep pure and unearthly their hearts, their children about the importance of sealed with the sublime mark of religious and priestly vocations in the the priesthood. Church today. Let Your holy love surround them and “It is a great way to talk about vocations shield them from the world’s contagion. with their children,” Kerri says. “We had one parishioner who would sign up to take Bless their labors with abundant fruit and the crucifix home when her grandchildren's may the souls to whom they minister be birthdays were. My children always their joy and consolation here and in heaven enjoyed having the vocations crucifix in our their beautiful and everlasting crown. continued on back cover
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