SAN ANTONIO • “Life Awareness,” a successful vocation program aimed at helping young adults consider a call to life as a religious brother or sister, made its debut in the archdiocese the first weekend in June at Our Lady of the Lake University’s Providence Hall.
    The event, targeted to adults 18-50 years of age, brought 41 participants together with priests, brothers and sisters for a weekend of lectures, community building activities, small group discussions, private consultations and prayer to help participants develop a realistic view of what a religious vocation can be in today’s world. Address topics included, “Invitation, Call Response,” “Discernment,” “Religious Life — What’s it Like,” “Formation Process,” and “Is it Really for Me?,” as well as an Emmaus Walk.

    Sister Gloria Ann Fiedler, CDP, one of the program directors who has been involved with Life Awareness in Houston, has seen the positive impact the program makes and understands the value it provides for adults discerning religious life.

    “Life Awareness gives participants the opportunity to meet, talk and share their thoughts, feelings and concerns with other people called to religious life. The event is a reflective weekend retreat; therefore, participants stay overnight for two evenings to make the most of the gathering space and time,” Sister Fiedler said. “In Houston alone, the attendance has been more than 1,000 single adults since 1983. Since its inception there, 145 people entered religious vocations,” she added.

    Congregations represented at the event included the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters, the Boerne Benedictine sisters, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the School Sisters of Notre Dame, the Conventual Franciscan Friars, the Daughters of St. Paul, the Daughters of Mary Immaculate, the Congregation of Divine Providence, the Society of St. Teresa of Jesus, the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Felician Sisters, the Missionaries of the Holy Family, the Society of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, the Salesian Sisters, the Marianists, the Holy Spirit Sisters, the Ursuline Sisters, and the Associates of the Congregation of Divine Providence.

    Spending quality time with religious men and women has proven to be the answer for a lot of adults interested in becoming a Catholic priest, brother or sister. Life Awareness provides that opportunity so others can decide if they might have a vocation to religious life. Life Awareness also helps interested adults learn how to respond to that calling. Questions for discussion included:
    • How do you feel about God’s awesome invitation to proclaim the Good News?
    • How can you be faithful in sharing the call God is giving you?
    • What do you think are the most important elements in order to be faithful in responding to the call?
    Though the focus of the weekend event is vocations, no one who attends this weekend retreat is asked to make any kind of commitment.

    The archdiocese supports Life Awareness because it provides an opportunity for adults to at least look into a way of life that can be rewarding. Archbishop José H. Gomez addressed Life Awareness participants at morning Mass on June 3 and at the lunch following.

In his Holy Trinity Sunday homily, the archbishop told those assembled at Sacred Heart Chapel that the day’s solemnity was a call for all to be more aware of God’s presence in their lives. “It is God himself who is calling you,” Archbishop Gomez emphasized. “He takes his time and comes to look for us in a personal way.”

    The archbishop explained to listeners that it is easy to get distanced from God due to distractions such as the economy, family, friends and work. “There is no time for God unless we specifically make time for him,” he stressed. “Try to make the effort to always be in the presence of God.”
Lastly, Archbishop Gomez urged everyone to remember that, “This God who is looking for us is a wonderful God.”

    The retreat was sponsored by the San Antonio archdiocesan Vocation Office, the Vocation Committee of San Antonio and the Congregation of Divine Providence. Directors for Life Awareness are Sister Fiedler, Sister Maria Luisa Aldape, STJ and Sister Christine Garcia, SSND.