Strengthening the call: A renewed focus on vocations
By Beth Parsons
Priests of the Diocese of Knoxville met for their annual spring convocation June 3–5, a time set aside for prayer, fraternity, and reflection.
This year’s gathering, the first under the leadership of Bishop Mark Beckman, placed special emphasis on nurturing vocations within parish life and across the diocese. Through keynote presentations, small-group discussions, and shared witness, the convocation became a moment of renewal in the Church’s mission to inspire and support vocations to the priesthood, religious life, and holy matrimony.
“We have vocations in this diocese growing in all kinds of ways. Many people are becoming Catholic, so there is the fundamental vocation of being a Christian, the growth in baptisms, the growth in Christian marriages. In religious life, we have a variety of beautiful religious communities in the diocese, and we have six men thinking about entering seminary this fall. And a growing number of deacons are becoming incardinated in the diocese as well as studying to become deacons,” Bishop Beckman said.
The convocation was thoughtfully planned and organized by Father Michael Cummins, diocesan vicar for priests, who this year is marking his 30th anniversary as a priest.
Father Cummins organized the Knoxville convocation in collaboration with Father Michael Maples, who previously served as co-chair of the diocesan Priestly Life and Ministry Committee. Their shared vision was to offer priests a time of spiritual renewal, fraternal support, and ongoing formation while also addressing some of the most pressing pastoral priorities in the life of the diocese, among them, the promotion of vocations.
Drawing from their experience in priestly ministry and leadership, both priests helped shape a program that balanced prayer, teaching, personal witness, and practical resources to equip clergy with the tools and inspiration needed to guide their parishes in responding to God’s call.
The priests were also blessed by the hospitality of Immaculate Conception Parish, which hosted daily Mass and welcomed the priests to a special barbecue dinner on the second evening, a joyful occasion that fostered fellowship among the clergy.
Rhonda Gruenewald, founder of Vocation Ministry, spoke to Diocese of Knoxville priests at their convocation.
A vocation specialist’s opinion
The main presenter at the convocation was Rhonda Gruenewald, founder of Vocation Ministry, a nationwide apostolate that helps dioceses in vocation promotion.
“I was very impressed with the record of results that Vocation Ministry has with the many dioceses they have assisted in promoting vocations,” Bishop Beckman shared. “One of the most important things for a growing Church like ours is the sacramental life of the Church, especially the celebration of the Eucharist. The liturgy is the summit and source of our life as Christians, and the ministry of priests is essential to sacraments.”
Vocation Ministry, now in its 10th year since its founding, has visited and partnered with 75 dioceses around the United States.
“We unite with dioceses to train, equip, and encourage vocation directors, priests, and laity. Together, we cultivate and nurture vocations to the priesthood, consecrated life, and sacramental marriage, fostering a response that yields a hundredfold harvest,” Vocation Ministry’s mission statement says.
“I was inspired by Bishop Beckman, in particular, who has such a heart for vocations and a vision of youth and young adults eagerly seeking the Lord’s will in their lives,” Mrs. Gruenewald added.
Mrs. Gruenewald’s keynote presentations provided a compelling overview of the current state of vocations, both nationally and within the Diocese of Knoxville. She emphasized the urgent need to cultivate a culture of vocations through intentional promotion and support at the parish level.
Her message highlighted practical strategies for fostering vocations, including prayer initiatives, educational programs, and community involvement that can inspire young people to consider a call to the priesthood or religious life. Drawing from both national data and diocesan statistics, Mrs. Gruenewald noted a striking reality: in order to adequately serve the rapidly growing Catholic population of East Tennessee, the Diocese of Knoxville would need to add approximately eight new seminarians each year.
This data underscores the importance of every parish playing an active role in encouraging vocations, as the future of the Church in East Tennessee depends on a collective response to this need.
“In this Jubilee Year of Hope and with our new American Pope Leo XIV, it is easy to see the wonderful possibilities that can come to the Diocese of Knoxville. Vocation Ministry’s 2025 State of Priestly Vocations Report notes that smaller dioceses with fewer Catholics per priest (like Knoxville, with roughly 1,000 Catholics per priest) tend to have better vocation outcomes due to stronger personal connections,” Mrs. Gruenewald answered when asked what signs of hope she saw in the Diocese of Knoxville.
“If the priests and laity tend and fertilize the soil in the parishes so that the Holy Spirit has plenty of opportunities to call forth more holy priests, religious Sisters and Brothers, and married couples, the diocese will see a hundredfold yield,” she continued.
Father Renzo Alvarado Suarez celebrates one of his first Masses after his ordination to the priesthood on June 7 at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga. (Photo courtesy of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul)
One valuable resource Mrs. Gruenewald shared with the priests during the presentation was her book Hundredfold: A Guide to Parish Vocation Ministry. This comprehensive guide equips parishes with a wide range of practical tools and ideas to promote vocations at every level of parish life.
The book is thoughtfully organized into sections featuring activities tailored for youth groups, Catholic-school classrooms, families, and parish-wide initiatives, making it accessible and adaptable to a variety of settings. Whether a parish is just beginning to develop a vocation ministry or looking to expand existing efforts, Hundredfold offers step-by-step guidance, sample materials, and inspiring success stories from other parishes.
As a gesture of support and encouragement, each priest in attendance received a copy of Hundredfold through an anonymous donation to take back to his parish and begin, or continue, building a culture of vocations.
“Each priest has the incredible opportunity, along with the laity, to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to invite and encourage the next generation of holy priests, Sisters, and married couples,” Mrs. Gruenewald noted, underscoring the collaborative nature of vocation promotion.
Mrs. Gruenewald encouraged priests to incorporate vocations into the life of the Church, not by adding entirely new programs but by enriching the events and activities that are already part of parish life. She offered practical and accessible ways to weave a vocation-focused message into familiar settings, such as holy hours, the rosary, and eucharistic adoration, by offering these devotions for the intention of vocations and inviting parishioners to pray specifically for young people discerning God’s call.
In faith formation classes and sacramental preparation, catechists can highlight the beauty and importance of each vocation: marriage, priesthood, religious life, and consecrated single life, planting seeds in the hearts of children and teens.
Mrs. Gruenewald also emphasized the importance of celebrating vocations in joyful moments, such as incorporating a focus on the vocation of marriage during wedding anniversaries or the renewal of vows, thereby affirming the call to holiness in everyday life.
Her message was clear: with just a shift in intention and focus, existing parish events can become powerful opportunities to inspire and support future vocations.
“Within the parish, one main avenue to affect change is the priest sprinkling vocations onto what they already do at a parish. They are already giving homilies, so why not speak about vocations and the need for families to encourage their child to discern God’s will?” Mrs. Gruenewald shared.
“Another avenue is creating the support structure so that vocations become a part of the culture of the parish. Each parish should have a vocation committee or ministry composed of laypeople who will create a culture of vocations at their parish. We make this easier by all the resources we offer at www.vocationministry.com; no one has to start from scratch. This very important work needs attention and intention from all Catholics,” she added.
Father Mark Schuster, director of vocations for the Diocese of Knoxville and pastor of St. John Neumann Parish in Farragut, presented a clear and actionable three-step plan designed to help each parish actively and prayerfully promote vocations. Rooted in both spiritual and practical support, this plan offers a path forward for building a culture where vocations to the priesthood, religious life, and holy marriage are regularly encouraged and nurtured.
The first step of the plan is for every parish in the diocese to establish a dedicated vocation ministry. This team of parishioners, guided by prayer and supported with resources, will work alongside their pastor to promote and sustain vocation awareness throughout the year. To support this important initiative, the national apostolate Vocation Ministry will return to the diocese this fall. On Saturday, Sept. 20, a diocesan-wide workshop will be hosted at All Saints Parish in Knoxville. This event will equip parish representatives with the tools, training, and encouragement they need to launch or strengthen Vocation Ministries in their own parishes.
The second step involves fostering a prayerful parish culture through a monthly holy hour for vocations. Each parish is encouraged to offer a time of eucharistic adoration specifically dedicated to praying for young people to hear and respond to God’s call, whether to the priesthood, religious life, or the vocation of holy matrimony. These Holy Hours not only deepen the parish’s communal prayer life but also create sacred space for discernment and spiritual reflection.
By gathering monthly to lift up vocations in prayer, the parish community becomes an active participant in calling forth future leaders of the Church.
Father Michael Willey, associate pastor at All Saints Parish in Knoxville, celebrates the sacrament of confirmation during Mass on July 13. Father Willey was ordained in June 2024. Assisting Father Willey is Deacon Bob Hunt and seminarian Daniel Cooper. (Photo Bill Brewer)
The third and final step in this diocesan effort is the implementation of “Called by Name,” which will take place on Jan. 18. On this special day, priests across the diocese will preach on the beauty and importance of vocations and invite the faithful to take part in identifying individuals in their parish who may be called to the priesthood or consecrated life.
Parishioners will be asked to prayerfully submit the names of young men and women who show signs of a possible vocation, individuals who, with encouragement and support, might one day serve the Church in a profound way. These names will then be shared with the diocesan Vocation Office for follow-up and invitation to further discernment opportunities.
Together, these three steps: establishing a parish vocation ministry, committing to monthly holy hours for vocations, and participating in “Called by Name,” form a unified, diocesan-wide approach to fostering a culture of vocations. With God’s grace and the collaboration of clergy and laity, the Diocese of Knoxville hopes to raise up a new generation of faithful priests, religious, and holy spouses who will serve the Church with joy and dedication.
This diocesan-wide effort is not solely the responsibility of clergy or vocation directors, it requires the wholehearted participation of the entire Catholic community. Bishop Beckman affirmed this shared mission and urged the laity to take an active role in fostering a culture of vocations, stating, “Encouraging young people to respond freely and generously to God’s call in their life, whether to priesthood, religious life, or marriage, is really everyone’s job! We need the whole people of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, to enable a great flourishing of Christian vocations in our time.”
Seminarians’ perspective
During the convocation, an impromptu request was made to hear firsthand what seminary life currently looks like. In response, three of the diocese’s seminarians were invited to share about the newly implemented stages of priestly formation now being used in seminaries across the United States.
Eli Holt spoke about the Propaedeutic Stage, a foundational year focused on prayer, personal development, and deepening one’s relationship with Christ. This stage precedes formal academic study and is designed to help men build a strong spiritual and human foundation for the journey ahead. Mr. Holt, who is currently studying at Conception Seminary, is now in the Discipleship Stage, which introduces academic study, primarily in philosophy, while also continuing to shape the seminarian into a committed disciple of Jesus through intentional growth in prayer, virtue, and community life.
Daniel Cooper, who is currently in the Configuration Stage at St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology, explained that this stage typically lasts at least three years. During this term, the seminarian continues academic formation in theology and engages in hands-on pastoral experiences, such as serving in parishes, caring for the poor, and learning to preach and administer the sacraments. The focus of this stage is on configuring the seminarian’s life more closely to that of Christ the priest.
Finally, Father A.J. Houston, who at the time was just days away from his June 7 ordination to the priesthood, described the Vocational Synthesis Stage. This final period, lasting at least six months prior to ordination, involves living and serving in a parish full-time. It is a time of deep spiritual reflection and pastoral preparation, intended to confirm the seminarian’s readiness to embrace the priesthood joyfully and faithfully.
These four stages of priestly formation, developed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Clergy and officially promulgated in June 2022, represent a significant shift in seminary formation in the United States. Because these changes are still relatively recent, many priests are just now becoming familiar with the new structure.
Hearing directly from the seminarians who are currently living out these stages provided a valuable and concrete insight into what the new model looks like in practice. Their testimonies offered not only information but also inspiration, as they shared how each stage is shaping their spiritual, pastoral, and human formation.
Pastoral response
Feedback from the priests in attendance reflected a strong appreciation for the workshop and its content. Many highlighted specific aspects they found particularly beneficial. Several priests noted that gaining awareness of the current statistics and trends in vocations, both nationally and within the diocese, helped underscore the urgency and importance of intentional vocation promotion.
Others appreciated the focus on practical, actionable steps that could be implemented at the parish level to foster a culture of vocations. A number of priests also expressed how valuable it was to hear directly from the seminarians, who shared personal reflections on their formation journey within the newly implemented Program of Priestly Formation, Sixth Edition. Their firsthand experiences brought the new stages to life and offered insights into how it is shaping the next generation of priests.
“I think the two things [to promote/grow vocations] are one, the families, that families be places of prayer, because prayer is the soil for good vocations. God is calling, but it’s a matter of hearing God’s call and responding with generosity and freedom, and prayer helps us to do that. And likewise, vibrant parish communities that are flourishing in prayer. People are able to be seen who might be potential candidates for various kinds of vocations in the Church, and they can be encouraged in parish settings,” Bishop Beckman said.
In the days and months ahead, parishioners across the Diocese of Knoxville will begin to notice a renewed and consistent emphasis on vocations. This will be reflected not only in homilies but also in the prayers of the faithful, parish events, youth gatherings, and moments of catechesis, all designed to invite the faithful to reflect on their call and to support others in discerning theirs. Priests will be intentionally weaving the message of vocation into the fabric of parish life, encouraging openness to God’s call, and cultivating a culture where vocations are nurtured and celebrated.
An example of this renewed focus was evident in Father Michael Willey’s recent homily on the Gospel of the “Mission of the Seventy-Two.” Reflecting on Jesus’ call to send laborers into the harvest, Father Willey, who serves as associate pastor at All Saints Parish, reminded his congregation that the call to priesthood and religious life is still being made today, and it may be heard within their very own parish community.
He preached, “He surely is calling laborers into the harvest, and I fully believe that there are those present here who are so called. But how is that call heard? How is the voice of God heard if we don’t make time for prayer, if we don’t make time to be still and silent? Pray that you know not our wills, but rather the will of the Father be done in the lives of our sons, of our brothers.”
His words served as a powerful reminder that discernment is rooted in prayer and silence—and that the support of the community is essential in helping young people recognize and respond to God’s invitation. As priests like Father Willey continue to encourage and inspire their communities, the groundwork is being laid for more vocations to take root in the heart of the diocese.
A Vocation Parish Workshop will be offered Sept. 20 at All Saints Church in Knoxville. The dynamic, one-day workshop will provide practical tools and inspiration to help promote vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, consecrated life, marriage, and devoted single persons within our parishes. Learn more and register.