By Gerardo Perez
On Sunday, June 8th I had the privilege of helping lead the JPII Vocations Holy Hour at St. Alice Parish alongside my brother seminarians, Mauricio Duran and Minh Hoang. It was our first official weekend at the parish, and being able to serve in this way was deeply meaningful.
We gathered in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, exposed in the JPII Vocations monstrance; a beautiful and rare monstrance blessed by Pope Saint John Paul II in 2004. It’s one of only six in the world, each placed on a different continent to inspire prayers for vocations. To be near it, and to help others enter into prayer before our Lord through it, was a blessing.
Minh began the Holy Hour with a simple but powerful opening prayer, inviting all of us to still our hearts and listen for God’s voice. I led a Gratitude Prayer for Priests; thanking God for the men who have responded to His call and served His people with love. Afterward, I felt moved to offer an extemporaneous prayer from the heart, lifting up those discerning their vocations and asking the Holy Spirit to strengthen and guide them.
Mauricio brought the Holy Hour to a close with a reflection on two Scripture passages: Luke 1:46–55, The Canticle of Mary, and Luke 7:17–20, Return of the Seventy-two. His words reminded us of Mary’s bold “yes” to God, and the joy and responsibility that come with being sent out in mission. It was a fitting way to end; a call for each of us to reflect on how God might be inviting us to serve in His Church.
Leading this Holy Hour was a moment of encounter with Christ in the Eucharist, encounter with the people of St. Alice, and an encounter with my own sense of calling, renewed once again by prayer and community. As a seminarian, I’m grateful to everyone who joined us in praying for vocations at this time and at so many parish holy hours like it in the archdiocese. Please continue to ask the Lord to stir hearts across the world to say “yes” to His invitation just as Mary did.
