Yes, you are the one I am calling!

Today the Archdiocese of Toronto invites you to say a prayer for vocations. A vocation is a call to dedicate your life to something; today we pray that men and women will hear the call to the religious life.

In May 1965, Pope Paul VI said,

"By vocations, in this context, we mean the free and privileged invitations to serve Christ completely and to love Him with a love of preference in positions specifically determined by Holy Church. They are vocations to the priesthood and to the religious life, in which it is clearly manifest that Christ is inviting, that He has implanted this desire, that He is waiting for a reply. For it is indeed Christ who is calling. As He did to the Apostles whom He Himself chose and formed, Jesus still repeats in this our day: "Come, follow me." It is the Shepherd who engages in a personal, and intimate, conversation that may well startle and even convince, for "He calls each one by name, nominatim:" Yes, you are the one I am calling! ...

"Let each one pause to consider that he has received the grace, the very great privilege of belonging to the Church, of being one of those who have been called; that he has his Christian vocation. And let each one of those who, realizing that he has received this sublime call, a call common to all, hear a more direct invitation, a deeper, a more exacting and more intimate call ... Vocation... is something which, today as in the past, may be a grace that is extended to many; to many souls who are aspiring for the better things of life, for perfection; to those who have an ardent desire for the salvation of their brothers; to many hearts who, no matter how humble, no matter how timid, feel within themselves that strength which renders all things not only possible, but easy. ...

"Let us pray that this may come to pass. Perhaps there are some who, listening to Our humble voice with their ears, hear within their hearts the voice of Christ the King who is calling to them. Let us pray that this may be so. We bestow a special blessing on all those who "hear the word of God and keep it." (Archbishop Pocock Fonds, PO CL26.35a)

If you need some extra inspiration for prayers, here are a few that Archbishop Pocock saved:

"A Prayer For Vocations by His Holiness, Pope Paul VI

O Jesus, Divine Shepherd of souls, who called the Apostles to become fishers of men, now call the ardent and generous hearts of our youth to make them Your followers and ministers. Let them share Your thirst for that universal redemption for which You daily renew Your Sacrifice upon the altar. O Lord Jesus, "always living to make intercession for us", extend our horizons to the entire world, where so many brethren make silent supplication for the light of truth and the warmth of love, so that answering Your call, many young men may prolong here Your mission, edify Your Mystical Body, the Church, and become "the salt of the earth and the light of the world".

"Extend, O Lord, Your loving call to many pure and generous-hearted young women, that they may grow in their desire for evangelical perfection and may dedicate themselves to the service of the Church and their neighbors who so desperately need such assistance and charity. Amen.

"(This prayer was composed by Pope Paul VI and is recommended to be said on Good Shepherd Sunday - World Day of Prayer for Vocations - and throughout the year.)"

1965

PO CL26.35b

Archbishop Pocock Fonds

  

"Prayer for Vocations

"O God, Who wouldst have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of Thy truth: send, we beseech Thee, laborers into Thy harvest, and grant them grace with all boldness to speak Thy Word; so that Thy Word may run and be glorified, and all nations may know Thee the only God and Him Whom Thou hast sent, Jesus Christ Thy Son, our Lord. Who liveth and reigneth world without end. Amen"

1934

PO SU52.06
Archbishop Pocock Fonds

"O My God, Thou who art the God of wisdom and of counsel, Thou who readest in my heart the sincere will to please Thee alone, and to govern myself with a regard to my choice of a state of life, entirely in conformity with Thy most Holy desire, grant me, by the intercession of the most Blessed Virgin, my Mother, and of my holy patrons, specially of St. Joseph and St. Aloysius, the grace to know what state I ought to choose, and when known to embrace it, so that in it I may be able to pursue and increase Thy glory, work out my salvation, and merit that heavenly reward which Thou hast promised to those who do Thy holy will. Amen."

1929

PO SU52.07

Archbishop Pocock Fonds

And a poem!

"The Call of Christ

"So many others I might ask, 

Yet I am calling thee;

And wilt thou hesitate, My child,

To come and follow Me?

"I will repay each sacrifice:

The great ones and the small,

None shall be lost in heaven,

Where I am Judge of all.

"Come, I will make the burden light;

My yoke, a bondage sweet,

That shall bring gladness to they heart

And swiftness to thy feet.

"Come, give thy will and all to Me,

And live forevermore;

Each sacrifice thou makest now,

Within My Heart I'll store.

"And when life's pilgrimage is done,

With thee I'll keep My tryst;

In heaven's court thou shalt be called

The chosen friend of Christ.

-Anon"

1938

PO SU52.01

Archbishop Pocock Fonds

For more information about vocations to religious life, check the website of the Archdiocese of Toronto's Office of Vocations, and the website of the National Association of Vocation and Formation Directors. If you'd like to spend time promoting vocations, check out the website of Serra Canada.

The Year of Consecrated Life: Franciscan Orders

This week, we are highlighting the many Franciscan orders that have been present in the Archdiocese of Toronto throughout its history.

St. Francis of Assisi is one of the most popular and well known saints. The orders that follow the example of St. Francis demonstrate a shared commitment to the values of poverty, simplicity, and self-denial. They live the Gospel in joy and hope and walk in the footsteps of Jesus with humility and charity.

Franciscan friars and religious are especially noticeable due to their distinctive habit or robes. They typically wear a brown, black or gray habit with a simple three-knotted cord which represents their vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

TX.56: Complete black/brown Franciscan habit. Includes: a) cassock; b) hood; and c) cincture. 

In researching for this post we discovered anew some Vocations posters and literature distributed by the Felician Sisters of Mississauga and the Capuchins of Mount Alverno in Orangeville. Although the items are from several decades ago, the message remains relevant.

Religious Orders fonds: Franciscan Felician Sisters (C.S.S.F.): Publications: Vocations Posters

Religious Orders fonds: Capuchins (O.F.M. Cap.): Capuchins of Central Ontario - Orangeville, Ont.: History

The following is a list of Franciscan orders who are currently sharing or have shared their missions and ministries with the Archdiocese of Toronto:

Capuchin Friars (O.F.M. Cap.)

Conventual Franciscans (O.F.M. Conv.)

Felician Franciscan Sisters (C.S.S.F.)

Franciscan Alcantarine Sisters

Franciscan Friars (O.F.M.)

Franciscan Friars of the Atonement (S.A.)

Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (F.M.M.)

Religious Orders fonds: Franciscans (O.F.M.): Publications
from: The Franciscan Fathers of the Immaculate Conception Province: Silver Jubilee Commemoration at Saint Agnes Church Grace and Dundas Streets Toronto, Canada. 1959.

The Year of Consecrated Life: Celebrating the Loretto Sisters

The Year of Consecrated Life began at the end of November 2014 and will conclude on February 2, 2016.  The objectives for the Year of Consecrated Life are: gratefully remembering; and embracing the future with hope. To support these objectives we will post one blog per month featuring a religious order currently present in the Archdiocese of Toronto throughout the Year of Consecrated Life.

We begin the celebration by focusing on the first female religious order to establish itself in Toronto, the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (I.B.V.M.), commonly known as the Loretto Sisters.

In 1847, Bishop Michael Power, the first bishop of the still new Diocese of Toronto used an ad limina visit to Rome to conduct a recruitment drive for priests and religious in Europe. On June 1, 1847 he visited Mother Teresa Ball at Rathfarnham, Ireland and the two agreed that sisters would be sent to establish schools in Toronto.

Five sisters arrived in Toronto on September 16, 1847 amid the typhus epidemic. No one greeted them upon their arrival as Bishop Power had not yet received the letter (below) detailing their travel plans. Despite the circumstances, they had set up their first residence on what is now Adelaide Street within a week and opened a school.

Religious Orders fonds: Sisters of Loretto (I.B.V.M.): General Correspondence, 1816-1849, July 20, 1847.

"Loretto AbbeyRathfarnhamDublin20th July 1847

Most Honored Lord,

"I was gratified with your Lordship's letter, dated from Toronto, 25th of last June.  I wrote today to inform Dr. O'Connell P.P. of Sts. Michael and John's Chapel that five of our Nuns will be prepared to sail from Kingstown to Liverpool 2nd August to proceed by the Packet, which will sail 3rd August for Boston U.S.

"The sixth Religious selected to complete the number desired by your Lordship exchanged this life, we trust, for heaven 5th of last July: possibly a candidate for Religious life may offer at Toronto and be trained to supply the place of one, who we hope, will intercede for the little colony, who go to propagate the holy faith under the auspices of the sacred hearts of Jesus and Mary and under the patronage of our glorious protector St. Michael. 

"No Titles[?] can be more appropriate for the numbers of our Institute, than that of the Diocese.It will not be easy to supply the places vacated by our Sisters, who volunteer for Canada we wish to send steady persons, who will be creditable abroad, as they have been edifying in their native country.

"Since writing the above Dr. O'Connell P.P. called and will be ready for our five to sail from Kingstown 10th August and from Liverpool to New York U.S. 11th August by the "Garrick". Passages for each from Liverpool to New York 25 pounds[?]."...

Religious Orders fonds: Sisters of Loretto (I.B.V.M.): General Correspondence, 1816-1849, July 20, 1847.

..."We have chosen Mrs. Anne Hutchinson for Reverend Mother she is 30 years of age; her religious appellation is Mary Joseph Loyola.

"Her assistant will be Mrs. Fleming, called Mary Gertrude she is aged 27 years.Mrs. Dease in religion Mary Teresa is well educated and intimate with Mrs. Phelan known to us, by the name of Mary Bonaventura and prized.

"The fifth is Sister to Reverend Mother, we style her Mary Valentina, she was educated in our school.All enjoy health and are are amiably disposed.If it meet your Lordship's wishes I can have a person with a religious vocation trained in the model school Dublin who can forward free schools in Canada by introducing the most approved plans for conveying knowledge.

"Two were already benefited, a third is to join a class in the Model School next month.

This is the 14th anniversary of our first filiation from this Abbey. Toronto will be the 10th Foundation from Loretto, Dublin. May it be equally prosperous with the preceding establishments.

"Since I received the honor of your Lordship's visit, a very beautiful demesne superior to Rathfarnham has been added to our acquisitions: a fine house too on it.

"All our Sisters enjoy their usual health.Soliciting the benefit of your Lordship's prayers,

"With esteem and respect,

Your humble servant in Jesus Christ

Frances Teresa Ball

"To Right Rev. Dr. Power"

Within a month Bishop Power had died of typhus. By March 1851, three of the five original sisters had died and were buried in St. Michael’s Cathedral crypt. Another had returned to Ireland. This left Teresa Dease as superior.  She took up the mantle of leadership and spent nearly four decades shaping the growth of the I.B.V.M. in North America.

First page of the entry entitled, "Sisters of Loretto"
 PH 31P/228AL, Religious Orders of the Archdiocese of Toronto Album believed to have been created in the 1960s.

In 2009, the Lorettos celebrated 400 years since their foundation by Mary Ward. A display celebrating this milestone was erected in the Pastoral Centre lobby:

ARCAT staff photo.

The Loretto Sisters currently work in education, the promotion of justice, and ministries of spirituality and pastoral care. They are truly contemplatives in action responding to the needs of the time.  For further information on the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (I.B.V.M.) please see their website.

For further historical information please contact the Institute Archives of the Canadian Province.

For information on vocations please contact: Sr. Lynn Cira, IBVM, Loretto College, 70 St. Mary Street, Toronto, ON Canada M58 1J3; Phone: 416-925-2833 ext. 5231; E-mail: lorettovocations@bell.net

For general information on vocations please contact the Archdiocese of Toronto's Office of Vocations.

For further information on The Year of Consecrated Life, please see the November 28, 2014 post on the Archdiocese of Toronto blog.