As National Vocation Awareness Week begins, USCCB spotlights the beauty of responding to God’s call
The week is marked by events and resources provided by dioceses and schools to support those discerning a vocation to priesthood or consecrated life.
The Catholic Church in the U.S. is set to observe National Vocation Awareness Week Nov. 1-7, inviting young people to intentionally consider and pray about where God may be calling them.
The week is observed annually by dioceses, schools, parishes, and Catholic organizations that host vocations-focused events and provide resources for those discerning, according to an Oct. 29 press release from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
“As we draw near the busiest time of the year, a season marked by thanksgiving and joy, National Vocation Awareness Week reminds us of the beautiful witness of those who have responded to God’s call to serve in ordained ministry as priests and deacons, and men and women who serve in consecrated life,” Archbishop Ronald Hicks, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, commented in the release.
As Zeale News reported, between 2024 and 2025, more U.S. Latin-rite dioceses gained seminarians than lost them, according to an analysis from Catholic World Report. While several dioceses’ numbers indicated struggles in attracting priestly vocations, in total 3,035 diocesan seminarians were preparing for ordination in 2025, marking almost a 2% increase from 2024.
The USCCB’s Oct. 29 release pointed the faithful to its webpage about vocation resources, which includes a prayer for vocations, vocational discernment tips, and links to sources for finding a vocation director.
“This National Vocation Awareness Week, we thank God for all vocations and pray for a deepened spirit of joy in marriages, in the priesthood and diaconate, and in all forms of consecrated life,” Archbishop Hicks said in the release. “Your witness to a joy-filled vocation inspires young people to follow God’s call with courage.”
Archbishop Hicks, who was ordained a priest in 1994, now serves as the spiritual shepherd of New York. In the neighboring diocese of Brooklyn, Bishop Robert Brennan recently met with more than 30 young men discerning a vocation to the priesthood, according to an Oct. 30 diocesan statement. Dioceses, such as Arlington, Virginia, have worked to cultivate and support vocations with parish events and initiatives.
The USCCB also highlighted Pope Leo XIV’s message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations, observed April 26.
“A vocation entails an intimate dialogue with the One who calls and invites us to respond, despite the deafening noise of the world, with true joy and generosity,” the Pontiff said.
He also emphasized that vocations are a gift to the Church and those who embrace their callings.
“Through the intimacy of his friendship, you will discover how to give of yourselves, whether through marriage, the priesthood, the permanent diaconate, or consecrated life,” he said. “Every vocation is an immeasurable gift for the Church and for those who receive it with joy.”
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