Third orders secular offer laity alternative to religious life

People who have a strong attraction to the charism of a particular religious community but feel that religious life is not for them might want to investigate whether belonging to a “third order secular” is part of their vocation.

Samuel Group helps young adults discern God’s call

Young adults who are trying to figure out what they are called to can get some help from a discernment program of the Vocations Office of the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Children learn faith at Totus Tuus camp

Children react as Totus Tuus team members sing songs with children attending the program at St. Hubert Church in Hoffman Estates on July 2, 2021.

Vicariate vocation directors hope to foster discernment connections closer to home parishes

Young men who are discerning whether they are called to the priesthood should be able to find help closer to home with the addition of three vicariate vocation directors to the archdiocesan Vocation Office. The hope is that the new additions to the vocations team can help reach out to parishes, high schools and colleges and invite young men to consider the priesthood, said Father Timothy Monahan, vocations director.

Consecrated Life Day: Religious men, women answer questions from Catholic school students

During the archdiocese’s annual Day for Consecrated Life on Feb. 8 at Our Lady Mother of the Church, 8747 W. Lawrence Ave., we asked several men and women religious to answer questions from students at two of this year’s Blue Ribbon schools — Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Lemont and St. Benedict Prep, 3900 N. Leavitt St.

Young missionaries bring the Gospel to Chicagoland parishes

On a July afternoon, a young Totus Tuus missionary acted out the story of St. Michael the Archangel, jumping around and waving his arms wildly, in front of about 25 kids sitting on the floor in St. Anastasia School in Waukegan.

Helping young people find fulfillment in life

Father Timothy Monahan is in his ninth year of priesthood and seventh month as vocation director for the Archdiocese of Chicago. In that amount of time he has noticed that many young people aren’t happy or don’t feel fulfilled. They have done what families, teachers and society have told them to do — go to college, get a “good” job, live on your own — but there is something missing.

Fund helps those with loan debt enter religious life

When Christina Chavez knew God was calling her to join the Congregation of Divine Providence in San Antonio, Texas she faced one big hurdle: student loan debt.

Thank you for your service

With this issue, Chicago Catholic salutes and thanks the religious men and women who have devoted their lives to serving the people of God.

Renew My Church and vocations

In planning the Renew My Church process, we identified seven markers of parish vitality. One of them is the promotion of vocations to the priesthood and vowed life. Historically, vocation recruitment was left to the religious orders and the archdiocese. Yet studies show that the most effective vocation programs are parish-based and benefit from the active involvement of priests
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