While students are aware of each of these vocations, it is not an everyday experience for them to interact with people living out these vocational calls. Focus 11, a yearly four-day event organized by the Office of Vocations, helps to provide these opportunities to sixth-grade students across our diocese and encourage them to consider God’s plan for their lives.

Participants rotate through a series of sessions to help them encounter the Lord and learn about vocations in different ways. They hear a talk from a seminarian, play a fun game of Church trivia, participate in a panel discussion, pray Lectio Divina, and conclude by attending Mass together.

Each of these experiences provide tools, knowledge, and encouragement to assist students in beginning to discern the vocation that God may be calling them to and placing in their heart.

During the panel discussion, students listen to the vocation story of each panelist and then ask questions ranging from “What’s your favorite color?” and “Who is your favorite saint?” to deeper questions about vocations. On the first day of Focus 11, many of the students expressed a desire to understand God’s will and follow it.  

“One of the students asked, ‘How do you know where God is calling you?’ Pretty much every person on the panel ended up turning that question toward prayer, because prayer is listening to God,” shared Sister Jazmin Rangel, a Salesian Sister and panelist that day.

During the Lectio Divina portion of the day, many students deeply encountered the Lord in Sacred Scripture, some in a way they hadn’t before. One student shared their profound reflection on reading about the Wedding at Cana and the words “Do whatever he tells you.”

“It shows me and reminds me to trust in Jesus,” reflected this student.

Throughout the week, emphasis is placed on encountering the Lord in prayer and listening to what God has to say.

“God calls us and speaks to us, but we are so distracted by the world, by the internet, by the games, by all these things, that sometimes we don’t take a moment to listen,” said Father Xavy Castro, director of vocations for the Diocese of Saint Petersburg, in his homily on the first day. 

“Our duty is to listen to God. The Lord speaks to the heart in prayer. I’m able to actually take time to just be with Jesus and say, ‘Lord, what do you want from me? What do you desire for me?’ It’s important to take that time and talk to Him daily. If He’s calling you to a particular vocation, you will hear it from Him, but we have to make that time to listen.”

Students at Focus 11 are inspired by the priests, religious, and consecrated around them to consider their vocation and where God may be calling them.

“I liked getting to learn about what monks and sisters do. I thought a lot more about becoming a priest or a monk today so I think this experience can help me find my path,” shared Oliver, a sixth-grade student at Blessed Sacrament Catholic School. He has considered a possible vocation to priesthood in the past but Focus 11 gave him even more to reflect on.

Kaylee, a sixth-grade student at Sacred Heart Catholic School had a similar experience.  

“My favorite part was the panel discussion. I found being a sister very fun and nice,” she shared. “Focus 11 teaches us about sisterhood, priesthood, and other vocations. It will help someone recognize that calling from God.”

When asked if she had any advice for how parents who think their child may have a vocation to priesthood or religious life can support their children, Sister Jazmin Rangel offered practical encouragement.

In addition to prayer, which is the most necessary part, she said, “If a parent feels like ‘Oh, my child might be called to religious life,’ I ask, “What does your child like to do? Find [a community] who likes to do those things. There are so many different congregations, which is the richness of our Church. Maybe they’ll actually find a fit,” she explained. “If you want to be a priest, spend time with Father.”

Focus 11 is an incredible opportunity for our sixth-grade Catholic school students to encounter the Lord and learn about the many ways God may be speaking to and calling them. This event plants seeds in the hearts of our young people and allows the Lord to bear fruit as they choose to listen in prayer.

Father Castro concluded his homily, “Always remain open to the call. Always remain listening in your hearts and in prayer, recognizing God wants to speak to you right now.”

For more information about vocations in the Diocese of Saint Petersburg, click here.

To view photos from Focus 11, click the arrows below.

Focus 11 and the Office of Vocations is funded in part by the Catholic Ministry Appeal. For more information about the Catholic Ministry Appeal, click here.