Up the smoke

I find myself again rushing off after Mass to catch a train to London. Today it is the meeting of the Archdiocesan Council of Priests at Amigo Hall. This dingy venue is itself the subject of discussion as there are plans to smarten it all up and add a floor so that it can be more welcoming and useful for the various meetings both at Diocesan level and for the Cathedral parish.

The news on priestly vocations is very encouraging. There are 8 new men who have started in formation this year and the outlook is encouraging for the next selection conference. Fr Stephen Langridge (see Southwark Vocations) is organising another round of Holy Hours in as many parishes as possible to pray for vocations. He also spoke of the research done in Italy which showed that 10% of young people had thought about a religious vocation but 70% said that they could not cite a priest or religious with whom they could discuss their calling. (See his original post.)

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