From Nov. 19-21, about 20 young men, open to the possibility of a call to the priesthood, gathered at Camp Abbey in Covington, Louisiana to learn more about discernment, at Quo Vadis II retreat. The event was a big success!

This series of retreats that we are offering as a diocese are opportunities for young men to build community with others who take their faith seriously. After having a diocese-only event this past summer at Our Lady of Hope in Chatawa, this latest event included youth and young adults as well as leadership from our diocese and the Diocese of Baton Rouge. Father Josh Johnson, Vocation Director for Baton Rouge, contacted me over the summer about the possibility of collaborating, and I was very excited to do so.

The weekend included talks on vocations, prayer, and discernment by yours truly, as well as Father Josh and some of the seminarians from each diocese. The participants also were able to have a Q&A session with all the seminarians of Jackson and Baton Rouge.

As usual, however, the most important time was spent having fun and praying as a community of believers and seekers. I thought that it really helped having another diocese participate as it increased the number of participants and also brought new ideas and talents to the forefront in planning and executing the weekend.

I was also grateful that Father Aaron Williams and several youth ministers from our diocese joined me in leading our young men through the weekend. We had a beautiful Sunday Mass for Christ the King along with a Eucharistic procession which kicked off the Year of the Eucharist in moving fashion. I left that weekend with some ideas about how to continue helping young people discern throughout the year. I know that those who participated would jump at the chance to build community and pray together on a more regular basis, and not just on retreat every few months, and so this Advent is an opportunity for me to prepare for more regular offerings in the New Year.

Even during a year of pandemic, we have been able to offer our young church discernment opportunities that have invigorated their faith and helped them understand the importance of following the Lord’s will for their life. I trust that eventually this will bear fruit in priestly vocations and vocations to religious life. As always please keep this intention in mind when you pray and thank you for your support of the Department of Vocations.

The culture of vocations continues to grow. As I asked young men around the diocese if they wanted to attend our upcoming Quo Vadis discernment retreat, I was really encouraged about two things: 1) most of them really wanted to attend, even if for some reason they couldn’t, because 2) they had either heard about our first QV in the summer from their friends or they had attended it and really enjoyed building community during those few days. So as of last check about 10 guys are going to attend our next retreat which will be held the weekend before Thanksgiving. The momentum is building, and we are able to offer these events free of charge because of the generosity that you have shown over the past year.

            When you gave to the 2nd Collection for Vocations back in August, you helped me offer this retreat in November. When you donated to the Homegrown Harvest Festival in October you helped foot the bill for our six current seminarians as they continue their priestly formation. Every time you give to this cause, however much it is, it pushes me to keep going. It helps me to remember that my job is not just to find anyone, but to encourage young men who are being called to answer that call to serve you. Your generosity has helped me to purchase a boatload of books that I plan to distribute to all of our deaneries in the coming year. I got some good ideas from other Vocation Directors of rural dioceses, and I hope to equip our pastors and parish leaders with some good resources to help them cultivate vocations so they can send them my way.

            I’ve been getting inspiration these last few weeks from the book Priests for the Third Millennium. The book is a collection of conferences delivered by Cardinal Timothy Dolan when he was Rector of the North American College in Rome. The talks encourage his seminarians to build up many different priestly virtues in order to serve their people well. These virtues include humility, fidelity, obedience, courtesy, integrity, patience and joy. I have been taking some of our discerners through parts of this book as a way to help them discover whether God is calling them to serve as diocesan priests. If we are not forming men with these virtues, they will not serve you the way you need to be served, and so I ask for your prayers for me, that I have the insight and courage that I need to give our discerners and seminarians the tools they need to serve you the way you deserve, to honor the generous support you have given them by serving you with true, priestly virtue.

            As Thanksgiving Day nears, I will be sure to give thanks to God for all of you. Thank you for caring so deeply about the future of the church. I do not take your support for granted, and neither do our seminarians and discerners. If you have any questions or concerns that you would like to bring to my attention, you can always contact me via email at nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org. Happy Thanksgiving!

While this is officially “Vocations Awareness Week,” here in the Diocese of Jackson we are dedicated to the fact that all of us should be open to the will of God in our lives, and rooted in prayer and relationship with the Lord, we seek to live out whatever the call ends up being. We are vocationally aware every day.

            Kathleen McMullin is a shining example of that. I remind you that Kathleen entered the community of the Franciscan Sisters of the Martyr St. George (Alton, Illinois) in early September. The call to consecrated life and the dedication to living out the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience is a call to live like Christ in a radical way.

Kathleen is discerning a call that in many ways provides her with more temporal challenges than the call to diocesan priesthood. As a diocesan priest, I can own things. If I want to go to the store, or to get some take-out, I can, and I can drive my own car there to boot. For Kathleen and vowed religious, everything they have is shared in common.

At the Benedictine monastery where I attended seminary it was always funny to see the monks fully habited driving back onto campus in random “community” vehicles that had to be “checked out” from their superior. This call to radical poverty is a path to freedom, however, and it gives Kathleen and her brothers and sisters the power to witness to a materialistic world that there is more to life than what we own. She has discerned that her call is to be in that community because she is confident in God’s love for her and she knows that no matter what happens, God will bring forth greater fulfillment in her life than anything else the world has to offer. She trusts that God has asked her to live and discern in that community for a reason, and I am so excited to see what the Lord has in store for her.

            Kathleen is in her late-20s, and she has been “vocationally aware,” for a very long time. She stayed open to God’s will while she graduated from high school, and college, and was trained as an occupational therapist, and finally she received the “go ahead” from the Lord to go deeper, to take a leap, and to trust him more fully. She was, and is, supported by a community of believers who inspire her and who are inspired by her. The fact that she remained open to this call and she was eventually able to respond to the Lord in such a beautiful way is a testament to the “Vocation Awareness” that is present in our diocese.

The greatest way we can remain “aware” is to pray for more vocations, and to pray for specific people in our community who we know are either thinking about priesthood or religious life or would make excellent priests and religious. Thank you for remaining vigilant and for continuing to beg the Lord of the harvest to send out more laborers into the field.

                                                                                       – Father Nick Adam

If you are interested in learning more about religious orders or vocations to the priesthood and religious life, please email Father Nick Adam at nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org.

In mid-October, I spent a couple of eventful days at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. On Wednesday, Oct. 13 Ryan Stoer and Tristan Stovall were instituted to the order of acolyte. Acolyte institution is the final step before ordination to Holy Orders as a deacon. Men who are instituted to this order are given the opportunity to serve the Mass and even purify the vessels following Mass. Prior to acolyte institution candidates for the priesthood are instituted as lectors. Ryan and Tristan have been joy-filled witnesses to the formation process from the beginning of their time in the seminary. Please keep them and their families in your prayers.

The day after that joyous occasion I was surprised by some monumental news in the life of Notre Dame Seminary. The longtime rector of NDS, Father Jim Wehner, had already announced that this would be his 10th and final year leading the community as he would return to serve in his home diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and on Oct. 14 NDS announced that Father Josh Rodrigue would succeed Father Wehner in that post. I was very pleased to hear this news. Father Wehner has been an incredible leader at the seminary, and I believe that Father Rodrigue will be able to keep the momentum going in New Orleans. Father Josh taught me during part of my time in the seminary, and he has been a great support to many men who have been recently ordained to the priesthood.

My time at the seminary was a time of great joy and being back for a couple of days was a great reminder that while this is no longer my home it remains a great one for the men who are seeking to know whether they are called to be priests. In the coming days I plan on visiting the other seminary that serves our priestly candidates, St. Joseph Seminary College in Covington, and I look forward to checking in on our two youngest seminarians, Will Foggo and Grayson Foley. Thank you as always for your support of our vocations department. Our final fundraising total from the Homegrown Harvest Festival was $81,177. All of these funds will go toward the education of our future priests as well as programs and events to help others discern whether they are called to the seminary or religious community to follow God’s call to Holy Orders or religious life.

Each September the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors (NCDVD) convenes for a series of talks and workshops to help priests like me. One presentation that stood out was entitled “The Priests We Need Today,” which was delivered by Dr. Edward Sri.

Dr. Sri is a well-known theologian but, in this presentation, he spoke from his perspective as a husband and a father. He encouraged us as vocation directors to help our seminarians become missionary disciples. We do not need priests who are going to sit behind a desk and lead in abstract ways. Pope Francis is clearly calling priests to “go out,” and encounter those who may find themselves on the “outside looking in.”

 Dr. Sri also reminded us that witnesses are much more effective than teachers in this day and age. We can eloquently explain the faith in a homily, but if we are not living like Jesus none of our words will have any weight. Dr. Sri asked us to train men who “live out of their own encounter with God’s word.” He also asked us to form seminarians who are excellent spiritual fathers because they know their people. He provided the example of Pope John Paul II who spent so much time encountering young people, married couples, and all of his parishioners as a priest and continued to do so as a bishop and finally as pope.

So, how are we going to do this? That’s the question that popped into my head as I listened to Dr. Sri. Well, we are doing some great things already. I’ve told you about our Quo Vadis Young Men’s Retreat this past summer. That was great as our seminarians got to take leadership roles and mentor the men who participated. Several of our seminarians are a part of relief efforts on the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. All of our seminarians are encouraged to take an active role in the seminary communities that they live in. I rejoice when I see our seminarians cultivating meaningful relationships with parishioners and families that they meet on their summer assignments and at other times as they visit parishes and get to know the diocese, and I believe that this is where our formation program needs to continue to grow. I am working with Bishop Kopacz, the Chancery staff and priests in our parishes to help give our seminarians more opportunities to know you and to minister to you. The only way they can discern whether or not they are called to be a missionary priest in this missionary diocese is to get practice, and so this is what I need to facilitate as vocation director.

  Thank you for your continued support of our men. I hope you are able to attend our 2nd Annual Homegrown Harvest Festival which will be held on Oct. 2, 2021. All proceeds from this event will go toward helping our seminarians become the missionary disciples the church needs and toward finding more men and women who desire to follow the Lord’s call to priesthood and religious life. You can log onto one.bidpal.net/homegrownharvest2021 to sponsor the event or buy individual tickets. Or call me at (601) 969-4020 if you have any questions. God bless you all for your commitment to your faith and to the church.

A priest once told me that Vocation ministry is like watching a tree grow minute by minute; you don’t see immediate results, but that doesn’t mean the growth isn’t happening. That priest was Fr. Mark Shoffner, and he told me that just a couple of weeks ago!

I appreciated that agricultural analogy very much and have been reflecting on it ever since because it mirrors my experience as I look back on the last year of vocation promotion. We just sent out our new poster to parishes and schools in the diocese featuring the faces of our six seminarians, and while there are no new additions this year, there has certainly been growth in our program. I have been so appreciative of the prayers and support of people that I run into across the diocese who know what we are doing and are offering their support in whatever way they can. I look forward to reaching out in new ways in the coming weeks and months to these stakeholders. The awareness of our need for good men from our soil and the excitement that is building among our people is palpable, and I know that growth, though sometimes silent, is occurring.

We also do have our first candidate for women’s religious life from our diocese in quite some time entering formation right now! Ms. Kathleen McMullin has just departed to begin her formation with the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George in Alton, Illinois. The mission of this order is to “make the merciful love of Christ visible.” They do this through working in healthcare and education across the world. Kathleen continues to be a great light in our diocese even though she is now a few hours away. Bishop Kopacz and I were honored to attend a “going-away” party hosted by some friends of the McMullins in the Jackson area, and it was really inspiring to see how much love and support she has as she witnesses to the call of Christ to religious life.

Please continue to pray for vocations and also encourage people who you believe may have a call. Don’t be afraid to tell them that you see gifts in them that could serve the Church well. You’d be surprised how many young people have never been encouraged to think about priesthood or religious life and therefore have never believed they were capable of it. I also remind you to please come to our 2nd Annual Homegrown Harvest Festival on October 2nd at St. Paul’s in Flowood. This event will bring together vocation supporters from across the diocese for a night of music, food and fun with our seminarians! You can buy your tickets or sponsor the event by going to one.bidpal.net/homegrownharvest2021. I appreciate your consideration as we want to give as many excellent resources as possible to our future priests and religious.

Thanks to all the pastors and parish staffs who hosted seminarians this summer. It is vital that our future priests have

positive experiences working with the People of God in our diocese, so thanks to St. Joseph Starkville, St. Paul Vicksburg, St. Peter Jackson, St. Joseph Greenville and Our Lady of Victories Cleveland for hosting our men. Also thanks to Father Scott Thomas, Father Mark Shoffner and the staff at St. Mary Basilica in Natchez as they continue to work with Deacon Andrew Bowden during his internship, which will last until mid-October.

SAVE THE DATE(s)
Our 2nd Annual Homegrown Harvest Festival is set for Oct. 2 at St. Paul in Flowood. This celebration of vocations and seminarians in our diocese will be a great opportunity for the people of the diocese get to know our current seminarians and also learn how they can support vocations in the coming year. Our fundraising goal is $100,000 to go toward our operating budget for the year. I will be sending out a Flocknote with much more information very soon, but if you want to buy tickets or sponsor the event you can go to one.bidpal.net/homegrownharvest2021 – right now!

Deacon Andrew Bowden is scheduled to be ordained to the presbyterate at 10:30 a.m. on May 14, 2022 at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle; Carlisle Beggerly will be ordained to the diaconate in preparation for priesthood at 10:30 a.m. on June 4, 2022 at his home parish – Immaculate Conception in West Point. Please mark these dates on your calendar!

Our Quo Vadis discernment days were such a hit this summer that we are going to be offering another young men’s discernment retreat Friday, Nov. 19 through Sunday, Nov. 21. The Diocese of Baton Rouge will also be taking part. I will be extending invitations to young men that I know may be interested, but if there are young men that you want to invite, please let me know and I will get them all the information!

If you want to know more about becoming a priest or religious brother or sister, please contact Father Nick at 601-969-4020 or nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org. You can also learn more about vocations by visiting to www.jacksonpriests.com.

Follow vocations on Facebook and Instagram: @jacksonpriests

Kathleen McMullin first began thinking about religious life while she was a student at St. Joseph Catholic School in Madison, but she wanted to go to college and pursue a career in medicine. She graduated from Mississippi State and became a certified Occupational Therapist, but she says that Jesus kept calling for something more: “He is patient, but he is persistent.”

McMullin says that as a professional she had begun to struggle with her faith, “it reached a point where I realized that my relationship with the Lord was not where it had been, my faith was not growing, and that I was lost.”

That’s when I met Kathleen. She told me while recording an interview for The Discerning Catholic Podcast that her mother encouraged her to set a meeting with me. At that point I was the parochial vicar at St. Richard in Jackson. Kathleen says that at that point in her life she had seen her brothers get married and start families, and she says, “I wanted [marriage] as well…really religious life was off the table.”

We spoke over Zoom about how I encouraged her to pray and invited her to come on a “nun run” with some parish youth group members as a chaperone. Kathleen says that after these events she “started getting up earlier in the morning and praying with scripture and got to the point where I was craving that time in the morning.”

“Slowly over time the Lord revealed how he made my heart and made me pursue him and the fact that he was pursuing my heart as well. I became more open to at least going down that road of religious life.”

Kathleen started to look at different orders. She enjoyed a visit to the Nashville Dominicans, a rapidly growing order whose primary apostolate is teaching, and she says she benefitted greatly from going on a visit during a designated weekend at their mother house.

“A big thing is just interacting with sisters and getting to see their joy and what drew them to this life.”

But she says that through prayer she was drawn to share her professional gifts with the church, she explains, “I knew I wanted to explore an order that had a medical apostolate — that’s the word for their work.”

Through a friend she met in Nashville, Kathleen was pointed toward The Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George, a Franciscan order with a house in Alton, Illinois.

“Their charism — it’s kind of like their mission statement — is to make the merciful love of Christ visible…and there was a little flicker in my heart that was like, ooo, I like that.”

Kathleen contacted the vocation director for the order and says they had a great discussion. She made two separate visits over several months and made the decision to enter postulancy for the community.

Kathleen will enter the community this September, and I will have more from her interview later this summer. Her journey to this point has inspired me to be more confident in the Lord’s plan for myself and those that I serve. And she is not alone in seeking out the Lord’s will through religious life. Sister Kelly Moline, a Springfield Dominican working in our diocese at St. Dominic Hospital, will take her final vows with the community in Springfield, Illinois on the Feast of St. Dominic, Aug. 8. And elsewhere in this issue of Mississippi Catholic you can read about the priestly ordination of Father James Martin Nobles, O.P., a native of McComb and newly ordained for the Southern Province of Dominican Friars.

The church is one big family, and we rejoice that there are those in our midst who are giving themselves over to the Lord with vows of chastity, poverty and obedience. This gift speaks to all of us of the need to have greater confidence in the Lord’s power than our own abilities, and their joy tells us that it is worth it to give everything we have up to the Lord.

If you are interested in learning more about religious orders or vocations to the priesthood and religious life, please email Fr. Nick Adam at nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org

It takes a village to raise a child. It also takes a village to raise priests and religious for our parishes, schools and ministries. I spent some time in Little Rock, Arkansas in early May to discover why the heck they have so many seminarians. They have about 30 seminarians and about 25 of them are from Arkansas. They also have nine men and women who are studying for religious life. This is Little Rock, not New Orleans. This is a diocese that is 5% Catholic and very rural. And they have 30 seminarians and nine men and women studying for religious life! I studied their vocations poster, and it reveals a diverse cast of characters representing many corners of their very large diocese. There are some wonderful missionaries who have come to study for the diocese, but the vast majority come from within.

I left my visit extremely fired up: we can do this! The thing that impressed me most about Little Rock’s program is the culture that has been built over years of collaboration between the Vocation Department, the Bishop’s Office and the Chancery, parish leadership, and the people of God. Everything in that department is geared toward serving the people of God in Arkansas. There is a clear message that God could be calling you to serve, and we are going to support you in that call. It takes a village, and we are that village.

This sort of support is certainly present in communities in our diocese. It took a village for Andrew Bowden to be ordained as Deacon Andrew Bowden on May 15. It took a village for Tristan Stovall to be supported through the RCIA process in Philadelphia and finally to see him off to seminary formation. It took the villages of St. Paul Flowood, St. Richard and St. Joseph Schools and St. Joseph Starkville to inspire Will Foggo to enter the seminary this past year. But we can create a bigger, more cohesive village, and that’s what I learned in Little Rock. This summer I hope our village gets a little bigger as I host our first ever Quo Vadis? Young Men’s Retreat. This fall I hope it gets even bigger with our second annual Homegrown Harvest Seminarian Gala. And I also understand that this village will not be built overnight, and I am not building it alone. If you have ideas or just want to get involved in supporting our seminarians and young men and women who are discerning, please let me know. You can always email me at nick.adam@jacksondiocese.org. There are great things happening in the church, and there are great things happening in our diocese. Please continue to pray for vocations, and live in great hope, because the Lord will respond to these prayers, and we need to support one another as we look to build up our culture of vocations.