Vocation Boom! Roadshow 2010 - Episode 3

First Guest:  Mario Amore – 22 yr old seminarian

• Discussion of his vocation: he contacted the vocations office on his own initiative at the age of fourteen and told them he wanted to be a priest
• Discussion of the kind of support he received from family and friends
• Discussion of the choice between having a wife and family or entering the priesthood
• Discussion of his commitment to the priesthood

Second Guest: Matthew Hood, first year seminarian

• Discussion of his vocation
• Discuss his family dynamic and friends, support or resistance
• Discuss life as a seminarian, academics, fraternity

Third Guest: Fr. Tim Birney – Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Detroit

• Brief discussion of his priestly vocation unfolded.
• Talk about working directly with young men who are considering following in the footsteps of all the men who have given their lives completely to the service of Christ and his people for over two thousand years.
• Years ago, there seemed to be more of a “feeder system” guiding men into the seminary than we have now – more clergy and religious teaching in schools, larger families, and so on. Talk about where a vocation director looks for qualified candidates today.
• A lot has been written and said in recent years about “priestly identity,” or priests and seminarians needing to rediscover their “priestly character.” Discuss why it’s so important for not only priests, but young men preparing to receive holy orders to understand the whole notion of the priest being in persona Christi.
• Talk about Vocation Crisis

Final segment: Round table discussion with Jerry, Fr. Tim Birney, Mario Amore, and Matthew Hood about the seminary and vocations