BRIDGEPORT—St. Charles Borromeo parish continues to make history. It is one of the oldest parishes in the city of Bridgeport and one of the largest. In its early years, it was pastored by two of Blessed Father Michael McGivney’s brothers.
On March 26, St. Charles Borromeo Parish made history again by hosting and participating in a Parish Vocation Ministry workshop, the first of its kind to be held, not only in the diocese but in the entire Archdiocese. The workshop is designed to provide parishioners with a framework within which to create a sustainable vocation ministry in their parish. J. Abelardo Vasquez, the pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Parish, agreed to host the workshop which was organized by Father Chris Ford, vocations director for the diocese. This workshop was focused on serving the Spanish-speaking community and was well attended by parishioners from St. Charles Borromeo, Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. George, who have a hunger to encourage and inspire vocations in their parishes.
The workshop was facilitated by Adam and Betty Lara, from Austin, Texas, who are leaders within Serra International, a global ministry whose sole purpose is to encourage vocations to the priesthood, religious life, and the permanent diaconate and help its members develop their spiritual life. The Serra Ministry of the Diocese of Bridgeport provided logistical support for the event.
Serra International’s role in this workshop had its genesis nearly five years ago when the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors (NCDVD) asked Serra to help solve the challenge of forming, maintaining, and sustaining vocation ministries in parishes within a diocese. Serra’s answer to the NCDVD’s challenge was the development of Serra IGNITE, a workshop that helps a parish’s clergy and its lay leaders take the first step towards building that vocation barque, so to speak, giving them the tools for defining goals, objectives, and activities that will fit their parish for encouraging and supporting those who are exploring a vocation and those who have already committed. After the workshop, Serra provides each parish team with mentorship while it forms the ministry, begins engaging in its planned activities, and builds membership.
The efforts of these committed and faithful parishioners will help ignite a vocation in the hearts of young men and women in their parishes, helping Bishop Caggiano realize his vision of one vocation from each parish each year. The workshop hosted by St. Charles is only the first that will be held in the diocese. Father Ford is already hard at work planning the next workshop for the diocese.
If you would like to know more about Serra or are interested in setting up a vocation ministry workshop you can contact Mike Roberts at corefous@me.com.
By Deacon David Flynn
