Now, more than ever, the Church is in need of young men and women eager to commit their lives to joyfully serving Christ through the priesthood and consecrated life. As you know, this cannot be accomplished without prayer. In 2001, the Office of Vocations developed the Vocation Prayer Chalice Program designed to encourage families to pray together for an increase of vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.

With the help of the Serra Club of St. Louis, St. Gerard Majella parish participates in this program to help cultivate a positive environment dedicated to fostering future vocations within the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The Vocation Prayer Chalice Program, through a series of reflections, encourages families to participate in regular prayerful discussions about the priesthood and consecrated life.

Each Saturday/Sunday at Mass, a parish family will accept the responsibility of praying for vocations at home with their family. The priest will call the family to the altar after communion to receive the Chalice and prayers. The family takes the Chalice home and displays it in a prominent place of honor for all members to see during the week. At a special time each day, perhaps after dinner or before bed, the family will come together to pray for and concentrate on vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and consecrated life and at the same time, explain and prompt young children and teenagers to consider how God is calling them into a deeper relationship with Him. The chalice is then returned to the round table in the Narthex at St. Gerard Majella on Saturday prior to 5pm Mass to be passed onto the next family.

Signup online to bring the Vocation Chalice home to your family for a week.