Creating and sustaining a culture of vocations -

By Father Tyler Tenbarge

Special to The Message

It has been another fruitful and encouraging fall for vocations in our diocese. Our decades-high brotherhood of 16 seminarians are wrapping up their fall semesters at Saint Meinrad Seminary, Bishop Simon Bruté Seminary, Kenrick-Glennon Seminary and the North American College. We hope you have enjoyed reading their stories about the Eucharist in The Message and on our “Evansville Vocations” Facebook Page these past few months.

The Father Deydier House of Discernment’s chapel has become a daily refuge of peace – and a source of clarity – for house residents and other young-adult discerners. Here, residents and a guest make an evening Holy Hour in November before the Blessed Sacrament. Photo courtesy of Father Tyler Tenbarge, special to The Message

Our Savio community, now in its fifth year of forming disciples and facilitating discernment for teenage guys, saw its largest gathering ever in August: 135 young men from more than a third of our parishes. Hosting that many guys in one house is not easy, though. So, we have temporarily limited attendance at Sunday Night gatherings to eighth through 12th grade guys. Faith formation topics this fall included marriage, the Pro-Life movement and natural law.

The House of Discernment welcomed the parents and siblings of house residents Nov. 23 for a Thanksgiving meal. The Serra Club of the Diocese of Evansville cooked and served the meal. Photo by Serra Club member Terri Barnes, special to The Message

The Dubois County site for Savio also continues to grow. Twice this fall, more than two dozen teenagers from the greater East Deanery gathered for pizza, football, basketball and hanging out – followed by faith formation and prayer at Saint Joseph Parish in Jasper.

“Siena,” launched this summer, is a sisterhood for teenage girls. They also have held monthly gatherings from July until now. Modeled after the diocesan “Savio” brotherhood, these girls have been gathering at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Daylight for prayer, formation and community. More information can be obtained by signing up for email updates at www.EvansvilleVocations.org/Siena.

The Diocesan Serra Club serves to support creating and sustaining a culture of vocations across our 12 counties. This fall, in addition to their huge annual banquet for eighth graders, the Serra Club assisted in hosting a Thanksgiving meal for House of Discernment residents and their families on Nov. 23 at the House. If you are interested in supporting, creating and sustaining a culture of vocations with the Serrans, please email us ([email protected]).

Father Tyler, left, stands with members of Boy Scout Troop 399 of the Westside of Evansville, in front of the Christmas tree the troop donated and set up for the House of Discernment. Troop 399 hosts its annual Christmas-tree-lot fundraiser at the Sacred Heart Church Campus of St. Boniface Parish. This is the fifth year that the scouts and troop leaders have donated a tree to the House of Discernment in gratitude for sharing the yard during the Christmas season. Photo by Rick Velotta, Troop 399, special to The Message

Finally, continue to join us for our regular Monday Night Holy Hour and Mass for Vocations at Sacred Heart Church on Evansville’s west side. Adoration and Confession starts at 6:30 p.m. CST. Mass follows at 7:30 p.m. CST. If you know of someone interested in the House or discernment in general, please contact me, Director of Vocations Father Tyler Tenbarge, by visiting www.EvansvilleVocations.org.

Father Tyler is Diocesan Director of Vocations, and Chaplain and Director of the Father Deydier House of Discernment.