The Office of Church Vocations has partnered with Vocation Ministry to begin forming Vocation Promotion & Ministry Committees in each Parish of the Diocese.
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Called by Name is a prayerful vocation initiative that invites parishioners to name individuals they recognize as living lives of faith, generosity, and leadership. By simply writing down a name, parishioners affirm the gifts they see in others and help them become more attentive to God’s call—whether to priesthood, religious life, or marriage. The participation of every parish is essential to the success of this effort.
The Called by Name weekend took place on Saturday, January 24 and Sunday, January 25, 2026. Do not hesitate to contact Fr. Chad Johnson or Fr. Will Wainio with any questions or needs—we are happy to assist: vocations@youngstowndiocese.org. Here is a Google Drive folder with publicity materials for print and online. Here’s what to expect over the next few weeks:
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1. Parish Invitation-COMPLETE
Parishes are asked to announce the Called by Name initiative at all Masses the weekend of January 24-25. We encourage our priests to consider sharing their own vocation story as part of their homily. Likewise, parishioners should be encouraged to pray and reflect on individuals they believe may be open to God’s call to priesthood.
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2. Nomination Cards & Online Form-COMPLETE
As we are piloting this program, a handful of parishes will receive nomination cards to be made available to parishioners. If you would like and are able to print your own version of these nominating cards, please see the attachment below. All parishes, however, have access to the online nominating form. Parishioners are invited to submit the name and basic contact information of individuals they believe may have the qualities for a vocation. Self-nominations are also welcome.
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3. Review-COMPLETE
For those parishes with physical cards, all submitted names should be first reviewed by the pastor. For the online forms, information will be relayed back to each pastor for his help and assessment. This step ensures appropriate pastoral discretion, protects confidentiality, and allows the pastor to make any serious pastoral concerns known.
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4. Invitation to Andrew/Miriam Discernment Dinner-Mailed
After this review period, all those nominated will receive a letter from the bishop acknowledging the nomination, inviting them to pray and continue to discern their vocation. Bishop Bonnar will send a letter to those nominated and reviewed from the Called by Name weekend inviting them to pray and continue to discern their vocation. Young men will be invited to join one of two Saint Andrew Dinners on April 13 or 15 to ask questions and generally explore. This dinner, while more formal, is not a commitment event—we won’t be greeting people with applications. More information regarding the Dinners will be provided at a later date.
In the meantime, the Office of Church Vocations will continue to keep in contact with our nominees and respondents as we continue to pray for an increase in vocations for our diocese.
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If you know of any young man or woman discerning how God may be inviting him or her, please have them contact the Vocations Office for more information: vocations@youngstowndiocese.org.
