Vocations wants you for the ‘Memorare Army’

Maura Baker

Staff Writer

In the Diocese of Covington, the Vocations Office encourages prayer for vocations to the priesthood — and all vocations — in a simple way. It starts with a simple prayer most Catholics know — the “Memorare,” Latin for “remember.”

The inspiration for encouraging prayer for vocations through the Memorare was inspired by similar campaigns throughout the Church, according to Father Conor Kunath, director of the Vocations Office, who coined those praying the Memorare for vocations within the diocese the “Memorare Army.”

“We liked that it gave the people who prayed for vocations a name,” Father Kunath said, referencing the “army” of prayerful faithful, “but it also serves as a call to action. We need people on the front lines praying for and promoting vocations. And an army evokes that sense of urgency and cooperation so well.”

The Memorare, as a prayer, was chosen for many reasons — its practicality and accessibility as a common household prayer is one. “We wanted to make praying for vocations as easy and convenient as possible and having a prayer that everyone already knows be the prayer for vocations made a lot of sense,” Father Kunath said.

“On a spiritual level,” he continued, “we chose the prayer because Mary has the title ‘Mother of Priests’ and she is a tremendous help to so many priests in their vocations, but she also very often plays a major part in helping so many young men hear the call of her son to the priesthood.”

While not an organized army, the idea of the Memorare Army encourages the importance of praying intentionally for the discernment of vocations.

“Throughout the Gospels Jesus tells us that, ‘The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers to his harvest,’” Father Kunath said. “Jesus makes it clear that if we want laborers for the abundant harvest of souls then we must ask God the Father to send out those laborers and we do that especially through prayer. This is the reason that prayer for vocations is so critical.”

“Persevering in a vocation or just in holiness is not easy,” he said. “It truly takes the support of the whole community to nourish and build up any vocation, but especially vocations to the priesthood.”