Vocation Day
Each year, beginning in 1992, Saint Christopher Academy enjoys its Annual Vocation Day celebration! We invite many religious guests, including priests, deacons, nuns, seminarians, and religious lay persons, to participate in this special occasion.
The day begins with a school Mass followed by a short brunch for parents and guests. The brunch is a wonderful opportunity for the religious to reconnect with each other again, for teachers and administrators to stop in to say hello, and for parents to meet our visitors. Following brunch, each religious guest is assigned a classroom and given a schedule. Students circulate around the school with their class for the remainder of the morning, attending presentations by different speakers. Some guests talk about their work, others answer questions from the students, and some entertain with visual PowerPoint presentations – all sharing their vocational experiences in some way. In the afternoon, students traditionally participate in a project to commemorate the day.
Organizing Vocation Day is one of many ways that our Faith Outreach Committee helps fulfill the spiritual mission of Saint Christopher Academy. Longtime committee chairperson Donna Noon explains, “[i]t’s a very special day. We appreciate all of the religious for taking the time to come to Saint Chris and enrich our community. This is a remarkable opportunity for our students to celebrate Mass with them and share valuable time together. It is gratifying to witness our religious friends getting to know our students and sharing their faith-filled journeys."
This past year, our 29th Annual Vocation Day was held virtually to accommodate COVID restrictions. Fifteen religious from all walks of life, and some from as far away as California and the United Kingdom, shared their faith with us and inspired our own. All students at the upper and lower campuses met virtually through Zoom with at least two speakers. Highlights included listening to the beautiful singing of our friends from Indiana and learning that our British guests had established their own order! Everyone understands a little more about what it is like to live out our faith as a religious and what it means to take different vows. We are very happy that this important tradition thrived during the pandemic. The past year’s unique experience showed us how easily we can connect with people from across the country and the world at this event. We plan to incorporate these opportunities in our Annual Vocation Day plans going forward!