HOLY NAME OF JESUS PARISH
VOCATIONS
Priesthood
God made you for a unique purpose. Even before you were born, he knew your vocation, your mission in life. And if you are a faithful Catholic man, God may be calling you for a higher purpose – to become a Catholic priest.
Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles is exercised in the Church. It is a special vocation that could not be discerned alone: if you are a parishioner currently discerning or are interested in discerning a vocation to the priesthood, please reach out to our pastor for further direction and conversation. In addition, you can find more information about the priesthood and beginning your discernment journey here in the Archdiocese of Vancouver by visiting the Vocations Office website.
Permanent Diaconate​
In the early Church, some men were called to become deacons: ordained ministers who served the people of God under the direction of the Bishop. As a response to the recommendations of the Second Vatican Council, the Bishops of Canada reactivated the order of permanent deacons in 1969. In February 2011, Archbishop Michael Miller officially restored the permanent diaconate in the Archdiocese of Vancouver.
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If you are interested in discerning a vocation to the permanent diaconate here in the Archdiocese of Vancouver, please contact the director of the Permanent Diaconate Office, Deacon Henk Luyten or visit the Permanent Diaconate website.
Religious Life
A religious is a man or a woman who has given their life to God in the service of others. They live, pray, and work in community according to the rule of their particular order. We commonly call men religious who live in monasteries, monks; and women who live in convents, nuns or sisters.
Making a decision about the religious life is not as complicated as it seems. It is a process of discovering, with the help of the Holy Spirit, what God’s will is for you. Spiritual directors call it 'discernment'. As you work through this process, you will deal with two persons – you and God – and before you have finished, you will begin to know both better. You will also begin to realize that you and God ultimately desire the same thing: your happiness. As you strive to make an intelligent and informed decision, therefore, God is on your side. For more information on religious life, please visit the Vocations Office website.