Our Lord founded the sacred priesthood as an essential part of His continuing work in the world until the end of time. We need priests to celebrate the holy sacrifice of the Mass, to minister the sacraments, and to preach the word of God with authority.

When He saw the crowds “like sheep without a shepherd”, Our Lord had compassion on them and observed that although there was a great “harvest” of souls, there were not enough “labourers” to bring it in. (Matt 9.36-38) His instruction to pray for vocations is also urgent today, especially in developed countries like our own.

The promotion of vocations belongs to all, but is most effective in good families where the sacrament of marriage is lived as a part of the Christian life, and children are nurtured in the faith. Sadly today, there is a shortage of marriages every bit as devastating as the shortage of priestly vocations. Here again, there is an urgent need to pray and to rebuild.