By John Rohlf, The Message assistant editor
Registration is now open for the Diocese of Evansville’s first MADE Vocations Conference.
MADE: A Vocations Encounter, will be held Nov. 8. Sponsored by Savio and Siena, the conference is for youth in grades 8-12. The conference will feature witnesses from men and women living married life, religious life and priesthood.
“Many catechists, youth ministers, religion teachers and others ask about getting speakers into their classrooms or religion classes to talk about vocations during National Vocations Awareness week,” Diocesan Director of Vocations Father Tyler Tenbarge said in June. “We can’t always get excellent, engaging and relevant witnesses into every campus, but we can bring teenagers together for a dynamic encounter with powerful speakers.”
MADE Director Landon Wagner said the idea for the conference came from Father Tenbarge, who wanted to have a conference style event that brought together witnesses from different vocations to share their stories and inspire young people to begin asking themselves what plan God has for their lives.
Keynote speakers will include Father Clint Johnson, parochial vicar of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Vincennes and St. Philip Neri Parish in Bicknell, who will deliver the priest witness; Benedictine Father Simon Herrmann, director of monastic vocations at St. Meinrad, will deliver the Brother witness; Diocesan Director of Stewardship Joe Paul Hayden and his wife, Ellen, will give the marriage witness; and two Nashville Dominican Sisters will give the Sister witness.
“It is important to have this range so as to provide a glimpse into the life of as many distinct vocations as possible,” Wagner said. “Hopefully, every attendee will be able to resonate with at least one speaker and be inspired by the joy in their life.”
Wagner said participants can expect a day filled with testimonies, worship, prayer, recreation and fellowship. The hope is for this event to become a staple in the efforts of building a culture of vocations in the diocese and emboldening the next generation to follow God in their lives without reservation. They hope to provide an intentional space for prayerful discernment that will hopefully be a catalyst for some and strengthen the resolve of those already prayerfully considering their next steps in life, Wagner said.
“We hope that each individual would encounter a cohort of their peers that share in their curiosity of God’s plan for their life, encounter speakers who beautifully capture the reality of living out their vocation and above all, encounter Jesus in a powerful and clarifying way.
The MADE Vocations Conference will be held at Reitz Memorial High School, 1500 Lincoln Ave., Evansville, IN 47714. The conference is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. CDT. Doors open at 9 a.m. The cost to register is $25, which includes admission, a t-shirt and lunch. For more information, visit https://www.evansvillevocations.org/made. To register, visit https://www.osvhub.com/evdio/forms/made-a-vocations-encounter.