May 21, 2010

On Sunday, April 25, World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Fr. Christopher Wyvill, Vocation Director, preached at the two morning Masses at St. Mary of the Assumption church in Upper Marlboro. Fr. Christopher grew up in that parish where his great grandfather, his grandfather and great uncles had built the church. He was welcomed by the pastor, Fr. William Foley, who concelebrated and whom he taught when Fr. Foley attended St. Anselm’s Abbey School. Fr. Christopher was also celebrating his fiftieth year in vowed life as a Benedictine monk, and forty-fifth year of ordination. Acknowledging in his homily the sad scandals, the church’s human side, that were hurting many and turning some away, he pointed to the attrraction of the beauty of holiness and heroic love, the divine side, revealed in Jesus, Mary and the saints, that still have the power to bring men and women to offer themselves for consecrated service to the church. He urged the parishioners to pray together that at least one boy and one girl in every class in the parish school would try at some time their vocation as a religious or an ordained minister.