St. John Paul II Monstrance travels through diocese ahead of Vocation Awareness Program

Vocation Monstrance blessed by Pope St. John Paul II displayed at outdoor.

FORT WORTH — Father Nghia Nguyen, vocations liaison for the Diocese of Fort Worth, believes it’s important to “create a culture in the diocese where we all pray for vocations.”

That is what the planners of the Vocational Awareness Program (VAP) had in mind when they requested the Pope St. John Paul II Vocation Monstrance.

Since 2014, the vocation offices of the Fort Worth and Dallas dioceses have requested the traveling monstrance to prepare for and to pray for the VAP weekend, calling it a Pilgrimage of Prayer. Both dioceses and seven area Serra Clubs sponsor the weekend, which will be June 8-10 at the University of Dallas (UD) in Irving.

The monstrance is one of six blessed by Pope John Paul II in 2004, the Year of the Eucharist, to promote prayer for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. The pontiff presented a monstrance to bishops on six different continents.

This year, the monstrance arrived April 19 in the Diocese of Fort Worth for six weeks and is traveling to 21 parishes, Texas Christian University, the University Catholic Center at the University of Texas at Arlington, the Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity in Arlington, and Nolan Catholic High School.

Ron Thompson, vocations vice-president of the Fort Worth Serra Club, said the St. John Paul II Monstrance will proceed to the Chapel of the Incarnation at UD on June 8 and remain there for the duration of the VAP.

Thompson said those praying for VAP during Eucharistic Adoration “are delighted to have that opportunity to adore the Lord in this monstrance that was touched personally by a saint. That makes it a third-class relic.”

More information on the VAP weekend and other discernment events can be found here