Beginning on July 27, the faithful of the diocese are invited to pray a novena, seeking the intercession of St. John Vianney for all priests, and especially for an increase in vocations to the diocesan priesthood. As the patron of parish priests and the secondary patron of the Diocese of Birmingham, St. John Vianney is the ideal intercessor. The novena will end on Aug. 4, the saint’s feast day.

During this time of eucharistic revival, it is appropriate to note the relationship between the Eucharist and the priesthood. Simply, we can’t have the Eucharist without priests. Sadly, the world is fraught with distraction after distraction, keeping young men from hearing the Lord’s call. However, the faithful, through this novena, can help.

In an article written for the One Voice, Father Kevin Bazzel explained that the faithful must be louder than the calls of the world “in order to help those men who are called to the priesthood in our diocese to hear what the Lord is asking of them.” One way to be louder, he wrote, is seeking the intercession of St. John Vianney during the privileged nine days of prayer, “asking him to open the minds and hearts of those whom the Lord is calling.” Father Bazzel concluded, “May he inspire all the men in our diocese who are called not only to follow his example but also to seek, above all else, the salvation of souls, especially by offering the nourishment which only the Lord can give in His Precious Body and Blood!”

The prayers for the novena are available at bhmdiocese.org and on the diocesan Facebook page. On each day of the novena, the diocesan home page will feature the corresponding novena prayer. For more information about vocations in the diocese, please visit bhmdiocese.org/vocations.