Answering the Call to VocationsThe call to vocations has often been referred to as listening to

the quiet whisper from God. The following are stories from just a few in the Diocese of Palm Beach who heard that whisper and answered a call to vocations, which might be discerning a call to religious life or to more than one vocation.

Answering the CAll: the PAth to PriesthoodOnce the call to priesthood has been answered, a young

man leaves behind his previous life and career and enters into a new full-time position, that of a seminarian. Seminarians spend 50-60 hours a week preparing for priesthood. Aside from attending classes and studying, there’s communal and liturgical morning prayer, daily Mass, evening prayer, spiritual direction, weekly formation meetings, and a house job at the seminary. However, the best preparation may be the ministry and pastoral work.

“The pastoral and ministry work help the seminarians put theory into practice,” said Father Louis Guerin, the dean of formation at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach. He said the support the seminarians receive from the Diocese of Palm Beach community is crucial.

“When they can put theory into practice we may be giving them the best learning environment. It affirms them in a way we can’t at the seminary. Giving them an ‘A’ on class papers is nice, but when they are out in the parish, people are moved by what the seminarians are doing. In turn, the seminarians come back glowing and feel affirmed,” Father Guerin said.

Seminarian Scott Adams is in his first year of theology at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary. Prior to this, he completed two years at St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami. Adams agrees with Father Guerin’s idea of putting theory into practice.

“The things we experience we take back to the seminary and it becomes part of our formation. We bring that into our academic setting and it’s a chance to discuss. We find areas for personal growth. We benefit when we get a chance at ministry life. There’s only so much we can get from a case study,” Adams said.

While in Miami, Adams’ ministry work included working at a center for those struggling with drug and alcohol abuse. Now his pastoral work involves working one day a week with the homeless at St. Ann’s Place in West Palm Beach.

“Pastoral work gets us out to see the real need and gives us a better understanding of how we interact with different people we’ll eventually minister to. We don’t get to choose who we

minister to or what hospital we go to for ministry. The interaction with different people is good for us,” Adams said.

Visits to parishes are another important part of a seminarian’s formation because it gives them a taste of ministry life, which Adams described as a “large part of the priesthood.”

“We are privileged to go out to be the hands and feet of Christ and hopefully we recognize Christ in others,” he added, “The opportunities to visit parishes and to interact with parishioners are overwhelming positive.”

The Diocese of Palm Beach Office of Vocations has a chalice program that more than 20 of our parishes have adopted. Each week an individual, couple or family are asked to take the chalice home and spend 20 minutes a day in prayer for all vocations. The program is one that Adams thinks is great.

“Awareness of vocations is critical in promoting and cultivating vocations. When someone brings the chalice into a home and the vocation prayers are recited in this manner, it is a good time for catechesis. We all have a role to play in the Church,” Adams said.

His role in the Church and his listening to the “whisper” of a priestly vocation was one that took almost eight years, longer if you consider the years before he converted to Catholicism. After his conversion, he became a lector at his home parish, Holy Redeemer in Palm City, started attending daily Mass, and realized it was in the

Catholic Church that he felt most at home.“I knew there was a void and something was missing. I

believe I found it. The past two and a half years have been the best years of my life. Coming from your previous life to life as a seminarian can be a bit of a shock at first. What a comfort it is to know you have the Catholic Church supporting you. There are a lot of adjustments you make. We never feel alone. We have Christ and the people of God. They foster you and after ordination, you foster them,” said Adams.

Answering the CAll: through the eyes of A newly ordAined deACon

Deacon Jim Parrilli is one of the newest deacons in the Diocese of Palm Beach. He was among seven men who were ordained in September of last year.

“I love it,” Deacon Parrilli said. “Every one of the moments is

Diocese of Palm Beach | 2012 Diocesan Services Appeal

Stewards of His Gifts

Contributions to the Diocesan Services Appeal help to fund the Office of Permanent Diaconate, which promotes formation and helps those discerning a call to serve the Church as permanent deacons. In addition, contributions help to

fund the Office of Religious, which provides support for the 120 religious sisters and brothers serving in the Diocese of Palm Beach in various pastoral, health care and educational ministries, and the Office of Vocations, which primarily provides a

human, spiritual, academic and pastoral program to prepare candidates for the priesthood and religious vocations.

Please see BACK PAGE

seminarian scott adams

Diocese of Palm Beach | 2012 Diocesan Services Appeal

Stewards of His Giftsequally fantastic as the other whether I am at a nursing home, performing a baptism, or at Mass standing next to a priest at the altar.”

To become a deacon, candidates must undergo five years of study before they can be ordained, while simultaneously working, raising families a n d m a i n t a i n i n g a “normal” life. Diaconate classes are taught at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach. Not all diaconate candidates have college undergraduate degrees and may find the classes intimidating, but Deacon Parrilli said that shouldn’t deter men from becoming permanent deacons. There’s a support system in place.

“ T h e r e ’ s s u c h a n underlying, large level of support and compassion among the religious and (laity). The teachers want us to understand. They want to give us a foundation,” Deacon Parrilli said. “They know diaconate candidates are going to be on the front line at a parish and we need all the support and knowledge we can get.”

In addition, there’s a support system among existing permanent deacons and diaconate candidates. They help each other in their studies and once ordained, the deacons meet regularly and know they can lean on each other.

Deacon Parrilli said the calling to be a permanent deacon

is a gift and he hopes more men hear the “whisper,” or calling, to the vocation.

“Sometimes they can’t hear the calling because there’s too much noise or they are not really listening,” he said. “Sometimes people think we become deacons because we want to become a priest. We don’t. The diaconate program is a ministry of its own. What we can do is to help the harvest of souls in our

parish and those sitting in the pews. What we can do are things that priests are too busy to do.”

As a deacon, his life is full. On the weekends, he spends his Saturdays at an assisted living facility conducting Liturgy of the Word with Eucharist. Patients who are able and ambulatory, usually about 30-40 people, attend. Sundays are spent at two Masses at his home parish of St. Christopher in Hobe Sound. There are also baptisms and other ministerial duties. All week he helps to fulfill prayer requests, many of which are sent to him via his parish email account.

“The prayer requests I receive are so heartfelt

and some are desperate or filled with concerns. It has made me a better deacon because I constantly include them in my prayer and it helps me especially in my prayer team.”

Like some of his fellow deacons, Deacon Parrilli’s first call to vocation was to marriage and children. He has been married to his wife, June, for 24 years and is a father of three daughters,

ages 11, 13 and 14. He also works during the week in the insurance business. Becoming a deacon was a family decision.

“My family had a tremendous role in my formation. During my years of study, my wife managed everything at home, at times feeling like a single mother. My daughters realized my commitment to the diaconate program would cause me to unfortunately miss some of their soccer or softball games. However, they supported me 100 percent. I think I am a better husband and father because of their support and my studies,” Deacon Parrilli said.

In fact, he said family life is an asset when it comes to the ministry and pastoral work of a permanent deacon.

“We can relate to parishioners on an even keel. Like them, we are making a living. We live in houses in regular neighborhoods. We raise or have raised our children. We can relate to parishioners and that helps us in our pastoral work.”

From FroNT PaGe

as part of their pastoral work, these seminarians from st. Vincent de Paul seminary are part of the prison ministry program.

Deacon Jim Parrilli is one of seven deacons ordained in september.