"It does make sense to become a priest: the world needs priests, pastors, today, tomorrow and always, until the end of time," Pope Benedict said, speaking from his heart, to seminarians throughout the church in an open letter on Oct. 18, 2010.

Sister Mary Anselm Till, IWBS celebrated 75 years of profession of vows on Feb. 25 as a Sister of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament. “Sister Anselm exemplifies the happiness and commitment of someone ready to follow Jesus and serve others,” Sister Mary Juliane Kuntscher, IWBS, Secretary General for the order, said.

We are often asked to pray for vocations to priesthood and religious life, but how? Certainly we should do so in our daily intentions as well as at Mass. Sometimes, though, holding a special Holy Hour for Vocations provides a more intensive focus for our intercession: as we join in adoration of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, we earnestly ask him to send more laborers into the harvest.

A vocation to the priesthood, consecrated life or marriage is a call to center one’s life on Christ and build up his kingdom, Pope Francis said.

I think Michael may have a vocation,” one Catholic mother said to another.

Sister Kathleen McDonagh, IWBS first knew she wanted to become a nun at just nine years old, when a cousin visited her home in Ireland regaling her family with fascinating details about her life as a sister of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament.

I’m my own man! I’m self-made, and I alone should determine my destiny! I will let nothing stand in the way of what I want. There is no other road to happiness!

Besides tens of thousands of teenagers, 216 representatives of 62 religious communities in the United States also participated in the National Catholic Youth Conference Nov. 21-23 in the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium.

When Saint Joseph Seminary College began a new school year in the fall of 1978, the student body included some 120 seminarians.

What is the best way to promote vocations? Is it by directly talking with specific young people? Is it by handing out pamphlets and books? Or maybe by helping young people have a conversion experience at a high-powered retreat or Youth Spectacular?

Sister Mary Anne Pagano observed her 25th anniversary in religious life on Jan. 23, 1988 when she made her first profession of vows. On Oct. 17, 1992 she made her perpetual profession of vows.

Did you know there are two kinds of priests? There are diocesan priests and religious priests, and it is important to know the differences between them when we interact with young men discerning the priesthood.

Modern media is a great tool, and the Church has taught us that it should be embraced and used wisely as a tool for the salvation of souls.

I was nine years old when I first experienced the desire to serve the Lord. While all of my friends were collecting pictures of Elvis Presley, I was fascinated in collecting holy cards and pictures of nuns.

Sister Michelle Marie Kuntscher, IWBS, baptized Elizabeth Ann, was born Nov. 14, 1942, to Frank John Kuntscher and Margaret Marie Remlinger Kuntscher in Riviera, Texas. 

Perhaps priesthood has crossed your mind, but fear pushes the idea away.

Imagine that you ask your son–or grandson–what he wants to be when he grows up, and he answers, “I want to be a priest!”

Sister Maria Raquel Newman entered the Congregation of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament on Feb. 11, 1986, desiring to fulfill a life of total giving of herself to God and to the service of the people of God.

As you contemplate what to do with your life, be confident that God has a specific plan for you, and that you can discover it through prayer.

On June 25, 2012, the Vatican released a set of guidelines to help bishops and church communities promote, recruit and educate a new generation of men for the priesthood. These guidelines were an effort to respond to a “clear and pressing” need for priests.