Rev. Fr Francis Bonnici is publishing this website.  Pius XII Square, 3 - 00120 Rome e-mail address: fransbonnici@libero.it Tel : +39 069884315 -  Fax : +39 069884172 - Mob: +39 339 347 2163 I am happy to greet you and offer my services, support and prayers for your pastoral   service in favour of priestly vocations. I appreciate if you can send a report about your activities that are organized in your parish or diocese and centre for vocations.  Thanks and blessing. Welcome, hello!    what's new on my desk !... 4 February: Sorry, I have not abandoned you; I am taken up with collecting resource material for the website. I have gone into the Pope's speeches delivered in 2011 to see where and when he spoke about vocations: in many instances Benedict XVI had nice things to say about the vocation to the priesthood.  Now I will set the special paragraphs in different categories and you will find them ready to quote. 8 January: See the Message of the Holy Father for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations - 29 April 2012      3 January 2012         GOOD NEWS: THIS WEEK i WILL  PUBLISH THE MESSAGE FOR THE          WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS IN ALL LANGUAGES         JUST WAIT AND SEE.      23 December 2011          Hopefully this is not the last time that I am writing to you          this year! I have just noticed the good news coming from           Cambodia: "The apostolic Vicar recalls, finally, the last          three pieces of 'good news' - the 'night of prayer for          vocations to the priesthood and religious life', which           involved the whole community; the start of the diuocesan          process of beatification of 19 Cambodian martyrs,          such as Mgr. Salas Chmar, first Bishop of Cambodia, and his         companions; the 10th anniversary of the ordination of         4 Cambodian priests.         And the belated news of the Ordination of five new priests for         the diocese of Imus where H.E. Msgr. Luis Antonio Tagle is the         Bishop and Rector of the Good Shepherd Seminary.         It is Jesus who gives so many gifts to the Church.     19 December           Over the weekend, I came to know about the 2 ordinations to the priesthood            in the Diocese of Wollongong in Australia and 8 ordinations in Lomé, Togo            Sat 17 December 2011. This is the love of God for the Church and             for humanity. Let us pray for the gift of more vocations to the priesthood            and to the consecrated life in these days of Christimas.     13 December           With the article about the Convention published in Die Tagespost          I am happy to announce that all the material is now on the web site.          It is free to publish it in your news letter.  If you wrote some          article about the Convention, please send it to vocation@cec.va          7 December         Sorry for keeping you so long waiting.         Happy feast for the Immaculate Conception, Mary         looks at the Church and hears our prayer for more         priests for the Church and for her mission of evangelization.          See the newsletter in different languages under News.        23 November        It is not a black day. I have updated all the statistics       of all continents of the world, but not the Middle and       the Near East. Tomorrow.       All the speeches of the Convention are on line.      United in the prayer to the Lord of the harvest.        21 November: The Church celebrates the Presentation        of Mary in the temple. But us ask Mary to give the grace        to many young people to present themselves to God        offering all their life to serve Him in the Church        as priests and consecrated persons.        19 November 2011        It was quite a hard time publishing the speeches of the          Convention. However there they are. Not all working         perfectly. However, next week, I will amend.        Let us all bow to Christ the King of the Universe and        raise up to Him a prayer for vocations to the Priesthood         and the consecrated life.       18 November 2011        Pray for me. I am entering the documents of the Congress        held from 3-5Nov. 2011 to commemorate the foundation        of the Pontifical Pastoral Ministry for Priestly Vocations.       14 November 2011        Good morning. I have just finished updating the statistics        for Oceania (Pacific Ocean) and I noted in most islands       there has been an increase in ordinations in 2009.        That is a good sign and hopefully that the number has        been increasing also in the years after. It is a question       of prayer to the Lord of the harvest.     9 November 2011           Today is the feast of the Lateran Basilica in Rome,           the Mother of the Churches in Rome and in all the           world. "Let us rejoice and be glad in it".           May it always has the priests that are necessary           for its mission of evangelization.        8 November 2011           So much time has passed! However, it was for            your own good. Since last June, the Office and staff           was preparing for the Convention to celebrate the           Seventy Anniversary of the Pontifical Pastoral Ministry           for Priestly Vocations. On 4th November 1941, Pope           Pius XII published the Motu Proprio Cum nobis with           which He instituted the PPMPV. More about the            Convention and the texts of the speeches will be found           under CONVENTION.           In the mean time, there had been an updating of the           statistics for Africa, Latin America and North America          and Asia.       25 June 2011           Uniti nella preghiera al Padrone della messe.           United in the prayer to the Lord of the harvest           Unidos en la oración al Dueño de la mies           Unidos com vocês em orações, subscrevo-me          Unis dans la prière au Maître de la moisson           see circular letter in the NEWS.    13June 2011       May I inform all our European colleagues that       all the countires of Europe have their statistics       about vocations, updated to 2009.       Have you all applied to participate       in the Congress which will be held       3-5 November 2011 to commemorate      the foundation of the Piontifical pastoral      ministry for vocations!      8 June 2011      Incriptions for the Convention are in-coming from       all over the world, in small numbers up to now!       Hopefully they will increase by time. Many are        Bishops. Let us pray for vocations to the priesthood.       If you see the statistics - only Europe is updated for       2009 - you see that there were lesser vocations in       many countries. But Romania is splendid for the       number of vocations.             31st May 2011           The Feast of the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth,           her cousin. The children were really happy when          they transmitted their love for one another           through their mothers.          I wish to thank all those, between 30 and 50          people who are meeting me on the website daily.          If you write an e-mail, vocation@cec.va I will answer          you. We can meet on the internet and work hand          in hand in this endeavour for vocations to the          priesthood and the consecrated life.     27th May 2011          How are you all. This week I worked on           the statistics for 2009 - latest available.          Nations in alphabetical order - from          Albania to Great Britain - have been updated.          In the coming weeks all the nations will have          the new numbers. Keep watch.                23rd May 2011 Good morning.         The Pontifical Pastoral Ministry for Priestly         Vocations is organizing a Convention to         celebrate the 70th anniversary of its foundation -         4th November 1941.         The invitations have been sent to the Apostolic Nuncios         around the world and they will send special letters         to the Presidents of the Bishops' Conferences and         to the Directors of the National Centres for Vocations.          The information about the Convention and         the application forms can be seen under the Category         CONVENTION.       12th May 2011          Have you seen the letter in the News' Category regarding          the World Day of Prayer for Vocations and the Congress          which will be organized from 3 to 5 November 2011 to          celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Pontifical Pastoral           Ministry for Vocations! Those who are linked-up with this          Office will receive an offical letter by post.    9th May 2011          Next Sunday is Vocation day.           The Church will celebrate the World Sunday          of Prayer for Vocation.           For instance, in Scotland, the Serra          International Club is organizing the Vigil for          Vocations on Thursday 12th May in St James.          ... all we need is God's people to attend and           pray for more priests and religious,        says Alex Duncan.       7th May 2011         The Servant of God, Father Giustino Maria Russolillo,         the founder of the Vocationist order, priests and sisters,         will be beatified today. Soon, his story will be published         on this website.        2nd May 2011            Almost a month passed since I wrote my last note!            However, Spanish and French speaking vocation            promoters will find what Benedict XVI said about             vocations and the pastoral ministry for vocations            in the last six years in the category Benedict XVI             Vocation promoter.             Countdown to the World Day of Prayer for Vocations:            15 May 2011.    7th April 2011             How do new vocations to the priesthood and              to the consecrated life blossom and grow?             Have a look at what the Holy Father             Benedict XVI said regarding this subject,             under the heading Benedict XVI Vocation             Promoter.                2nd April 2011             Now you have a number of texts wherein              Benedict XVI  gives the Church his teaching             regarding how to go about the lack of vocations             and guide-lines about the pastoral ministry for             priestly and consecrated life vocations.       1st April 2011             A new month. A new challenge! Yes, I have begun             updating (long due, sorry to say) what the Holy Father            has said regarding different aspects of the vocation            to the priesthood and the consecrated life. These             aspects are found under the heading Benedict XVI            Promoter of vocations.       29 March 2011!             Mind you! I did not stay idle! I was entering the             articles about the vocation to the priesthood              that were published in the review Seminarium             of the Congregation for Catholic Education             from 2004 to 2010. You may have a look at them             and note who the authors were!             More entries lie ahead.              27  March: Have a nice day. Yesterday and today I              included in the web-site the Messages of the Holy             Father for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations             which are available on the Vatican web-site. I hope             I will find more translations in languages other             than Italian. My idea is that these Messages will be             used as a catechism about vocations to the priesthood             and the consecrated life. An index will help.    15 March: Good morning. Monday and Tuesday I was             working on the Messages of the Holy Father for the             World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Quite a number             of the first Messages (PaulVI's and the earliest of              John Paul II) are only in Italian. I will try to find their             translations in the Archive of the Pontifical Ministry.             Have a good day in the Lord who loves us.    12 March: I am sending a circular letter to those           linked by eletronic mail with the Pontifical            Ministery for Priestly Vocations. It regards           prayer for vocations reflecting on the third           part of the Holy Father's Message for the World           day of prayer for vocations 2010.    11 March 2011:I entered the statistics for Asia          and Oceania. Thank God for so many vocations           to the priesthood and the consecrated life.     10 March 2011:I entered the statistics for the          continent of America today.    3 March 2011: Just a note regarding the latest          statistics made available by the Holy See:           since 1999 there was never such a good year           for vocations like 2009:          an increase of 809 priests over the previous year!          Surely, God is hearing our prayers.          Let us continue praying together with Jesus          in our midst, with one mind and one heart.  22 February 2011   A young man from Costa Rica who participated in   the Latin American Congress for Vocations,    has informed me that last week he joined the seminary    to begin his formation for the priesthood!    Thanks be to God and congratulations   to the Church in Costa Rica.    31 January 2011     One sign of a thriving Church is an abundance of vocations     to the religious life, says Benedict XVI - Latin American     Vocational Congress - Costa Rica (31 Jan.-5 Feb.) -     Pope's Message    25 January 2011    Pope's Message for the 48th World Day of Prayer for Vocations    15th May 2011 -    "Proposing Vocations in the Local Church"   14 January 2011    Maria Selma Regis from Porto Alegre in Brazil was a vocation    promoter to the children selling icecreams on the streets    encouraging them to count on her when others did not believe     in their vocation. At her death bed one of these children    told her to hold his stole in her hands together with her    rosary beads because he told her that 99% of his vocation     was due to her merit.

ANNUS SACERDOTALIS FOR EVER

Annus Sacerdotalis 19 June 2009-2010