Father Joseph Lopez, JCL, the new full-time vocation director for the diocese looks on as Bishop Mulvey tells participants at Project Andrew Dinner the importance of vocations to the diocese at this time in its history. Alfredo Cardenas, South Texas Catholic

With vocations a crucial part of the development of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, Bishop Wm. Michael Mulvey has named Father Joseph Lopez, JCL as full-time Vocation Director. Father Lopez had been serving as a part-time director for the last year, while at the same time serving as Chancellor.

“I am so dedicated to promoting vocations in our diocese that I’ve asked Father Lopez to take this job full-time. He has already begun preparing some exciting ideas and programs, which gives me the confidence that we have a bright future for vocations ahead of us,” Bishop Mulvey said.

One such undertaking is Project Andrew. Father Lopez explained that Project Andrew is named after the Apostle Andrew who recruited his brother Peter to be a follower of Jesus. (Mt 4:18-20, Jn 1:35-42) ) In a similar way, pastors invite young men to come see if they might have an interest in a priestly vocation.

Pastors invite young men that may have an interest in a priestly vocation to participate in an informal dinner where they can meet the bishop, other priests and other young men like themselves that are also considering a possible call to the priesthood. Thirty young men attended such a dinner at St. Pius X on Friday, Jan. 18.

The pastors and young men came from a number of parishes in the diocese, including St. Elizabeth and St. Joseph in Alice, the St. Thomas Aquinas Center at Texas A&M-Kingsville, Immaculate Conception in Taft and Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. Patrick in Corpus Christi.

After Vespers and a dinner, Bishop Mulvey presented a talk on the various elements of discernment. He explained that the word vocations means calling, which is usually a “subtle kind of thing.”

Sometimes it can be like a bolt of lightening, Bishop Mulvey said, but in many cases it is an almost imperceptible evolving reality. So, how does one begin to discern or figure out if he has a call, the bishop asked?

“First, you must realize that it’s Jesus that calls,” Bishop Mulvey said. “We need to spend time with Jesus because it is he who is calling you.”

Prayer is the first element of discernment, the bishop said.  He urged the young men present to spend time with Jesus, “in your own room, in front of the crucifix or in Adoration.” He urged them to learn to spend time with Jesus.

The second element in the discernment process is to “share your interest with someone,” your parents, a priest or a nun. Sharing is extremely important, the bishop said.

“A spiritual director can help you map out the events of your life; its an objective voice to help you understand your thoughts,” the bishop said.

The Eucharist is at the very core of our life, it gives us meaning, Bishop Mulvey said. Spending time in Eucharist is the third element of discernment. He urged anyone thinking about a vocation to go to Mass more regularly, not just on Sunday.

The fourth element is to know the Word of God, the Scriptures. “You must have a deep love for the Gospels, for what Jesus said, what Jesus did,” Bishop Mulvey said.

The fifth element in discernment is to be silent. “That’s where it all comes together. Its in silence that we hear Jesus speaking to us,” the bishop said.

The more vocations to the priesthood that are realized the bishop said, the better we can serve the Church. He said the diocese has a great need for priests, pointing out many priests are reaching retirement age and there needs to be somebody there to pick up their work.

He explained to the young men at the dinner that the primary need is in parishes but priestly ministries are also needed in hospitals, the military, prisons and as teachers in seminaries and schools.

Father Richard Libby, at left front, and Msgr. Leonard Pivonka, JCD second from left, share in a humorous moment with invitees from Alice at the Project Andrew Dinner. Alfredo Cardenas, South Texas Catholic

Priests are needed to bring people together. A parish priest today needs to know how to live on the cross, Bishop Mulvey said. “Its not easy, but it’s the most beautiful life-giving ministry we can have,” he said.

It is hard sometimes to find the time needed for careful discernment, but Bishop Mulvey encouraged the young men to find the time; “do this in overtime,” he said.

The more priests we have the more we can expand the ministries in the diocese.
“That is primarily Father Lopez’s mission,” Bishop Mulvey said.

It was the element of time that led Bishop Mulvey to make the decision to ask Father Lopez to take on the vocations office on a full-time basis. Father Lopez’s time was split doing two full-time jobs so the bishop asked him to focus on the work of vocations director.

“He accepted very generously. He will continue to help me as my canonical advisor,” Bishop Mulvey said.

The bishop said Father Lopez has many great ideas to promote vocations. In addition to Project Andrew, Father Lopez has also initiated The Melchizedek Project, a discernment group for high school seniors and above. The group meetings are not meant to convince anyone that the priesthood is their vocation, but as a Catholic man at some point you have to ask yourself whether or not God is calling you to be a priest, Father Lopez said.

“Every Catholic man should at least consider priesthood as an option.  Hopefully someone at some point in your life has asked you in these or similar words, ‘Is Jesus calling you to be a priest?’  It’s not an easy question to answer.  It takes prayer and study to discover your true vocation,” Father Lopez said.

With the help of Father Peter Stanley and Father John Chavarria who serve as associate vocation directors, Father Lopez is working with parishes to set up vocations committees made up of persons dedicated to keeping the parish informed about ways of supporting the vocation work of the Church.

“The aim of such a committee is to encourage prayer for priestly and religious vocations, and to create an awareness of vocations to the priesthood and religious life through programs and materials. Every parish should maintain a vivid awareness of the need to encourage and promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life,” Father Lopez said.