“When we pray for vocations, as we always do, God calls his people and we (in turn) see many Priests, we see many Religious, many Consecrated people but also is our duty to accompany these people on their journey of formation,” Sr. Stella Maris says, and explains that the essence of World Day of prayer for Vocations is the prayer and financial support.
The member of the Missionary Sisters of St. Peter Claver further explains that whatever is collected on the day will be sent to the Vatican where other contributions from other countries across the world will be put together in a “Universal Solidarity Fund.”
“It is from this fund that the Holy Father will dish out to the needy children,” Sr. Stella Maris says, and adds, “The Holy Father will look around and see the Church that has the most needs. You know here in Uganda we are among the neediest children of the Church because we are a growing Church.”
“We are what is referred to as the Mission church in the Mission lands,” she says, adding that the Church in Uganda relies on St. Peter’s kitty to run its projects, especially in Seminaries and other formation houses.
Apart from supporting Seminarians and Novices in their one-year Canonical year of formation, the funds also go into buildings and renovations of Seminary structures and others houses of formation.
In her prayer for vocations ahead of the April 25 event, the Ugandan Nun quotes the Holy Father, saying, “I pray that you will experience this same joy dear brothers and sisters who have generously laid God the dream of Serving Him in your brothers and sisters through a fidelity that is a powerful Testimony in an age of short-lived choices and emotions that bring more lasting joy. May St. Joseph the protector of vocations, accompany you with his fatherly heart.”
Meanwhile, Fr. Kaweesa has invited the people of God in Uganda to reflect upon the message of Pope Francis on the 8th World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
The Ugandan Cleric says that he finds it especially a blessing that Vocations Sunday this year coincides with the celebration of the 150 years since St. Joseph was declared the Universal patron of the Universal Church.
“The Holy Father Pope Francis has given us ‘Saint Joseph: The Dream of Vocation’ as a theme for this year’s vocation Sunday,” Fr. Kaweesa says, and adds, “The Pope says St. Joseph is so close to our human experiences just as he was there as a father to the Holy family.”
The PMS official says that St. Joseph did not do extraordinary things but ordinary things that became extraordinary because he responded to the call, to the dream that God inspired him to have.
