Sister Manuela Oliveira, a Missionary Carmelite of the Sacred Heart, presented a reflection of service to promote vocations for the first three days of the conference. She has worked for more than thirty years as a vocational promoter and animator in different regions of Brazil.
Oliveira directly addressed the issue of vocational culture using various magisterial documents from the Second Vatican Council until now. She particularly emphasized the documents elaborated by the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops (CNBB), including documents both the international congresses of vocational promoters and vocational animators in Itaici, Brazil (1995) and Cartago, Costa Rica (2011). She also used the last document of the V conference of Latin America Episcopal Conference and the Caribbean (2007).
The 28 Augustinian Recollects who attended the vocational encounter analyzed the content of the Pastoral Vocational Plan of the Order (2004). Also, they studied, point by point, the promotional program of the Order made in October 2011 with the purpose of improving its content. The vocational animators committed themselves to take on the responsibility for developing more materials that will help make the vocational program work more effectively.
Work for all
The Prior General, Miguel Miró Miró, reminded all who were present that the vocation promotion is today a big challenge, but “should not spread discouragement, instead should bring joy at the challenge and rekindle the imagination and creativity to get all the religious involved in this task which is everyone’s responsibility.
A Marist Bother, Eder D’ Artegnan Ferreira, presented the last two sessions. He emphasized the need to have vocational accompaniment. The vocational promoters were asked to carry out an interactive work to recognize the places, presences and contacts areas that the religious have with the youth.
Finally, Brother Eder finalized his presentation by helping the participants to interpret the questions that are often made to the vocation promoters and to find possible ways to bring about solutions that may arise in the future in the promotion of vocations.