Discernment as a Means to Life - My CoC Experience (by Rachel Longoria)

Rachel Longoria is a CoC alumna from the August 2009 conference. Rachel is a sophomore at University of St. Thomas Houston TX, majoring in environmental science.

This summer I attended the Catholics On Call August 2009 Conference, together with other young Catholics ages eighteen to thirty who may feel drawn to a life of service in the Church as a priest, religious or lay minister. Catholics On Call is held on the pleasant grounds of Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, Illinois. I was among fifty-four other participants from across the country, each at a unique stage on their discernment journey. The program aims to assist those in the early discernment process by providing young adults an opportunity to observe the formation, spirituality and service of religious, ecclesial ministers and the ordained. Our small group mentors were ministers themselves—either priestly or lay—and what they shared with the participants did much to expand my appreciation and knowledge of their ministries.

The Catholics On Call experience is both contemplative and very active. The six days of the August session were filled with presentations, travel to ministry sites and opportunities for small group discussion. The presentations were excellent and addressed aspects of the discernment process such as prayer, religious life, human sexuality and the call to service. Some of my favorite speakers included Sister Lisa Buescher, RSCJ, who spoke about religious life; Doctor Kevin McClone, a psychologist with a Master of Divinity who spoke on healthy human sexuality; and the wise Bishop Robert Morneau, whose presentation on the spirituality of Christian service was deeply thought-provoking.

In addition to speakers and discussion time, participants are afforded the opportunity to observe lay ecclesial ministry firsthand. I traveled to Notre Dame Parish, where I observed the work of a pastoral associate, then to a community center on Chicago’s south side that assists women recovering from drug addictions through music therapy. There were other sites to choose from as well, among them a group home for unwed mothers, and a youth center for troubled teens. It was evident from our small group discussions that many of us, including myself, had poignant experiences at the ministry sites that showed us the charitable work of the Catholic Church like never before.

Catholics On Call is an awesome experience for any young adult Catholic who feels drawn to a life of service in the Church. The experience opened my eyes to the many different considerations such a call brings, and sharing that experience with others in the same boat is invaluable to the discernment process. I hope others will take this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of God’s call and make tons of friends along the way. To conclude, I would like to share a quote from Bishop Morneau, which was a profound lesson for myself and many others: “Discernment is not a means to an end; it is a means to Life.”

Rachel Longoria