The Vigil for Vocations was established by Serra in Scotland in 1989 and adopted as an external program for Vocations promotion by the Board of Serra International in 2000. Since that time the Vigil has extended into Countries and Continents from Africa, America North and South, Asia, Australia and Europe. In that time we have seen expansion not only in countries but also in the number of parishes participating. An estimate from a survey in 2002 indicated approximately 2000 parishes worldwide, a great achievement! In the subsequent years we know this number has increased. In the years ahead Serra would hope that every club and district where Serra exists encourages more and more parishes to enjoy this form of Vocations promotion.

For the last 16 years the Vigil has become a method of bringing importance to the Holy Fathers message delivered on Good Shepherd Sunday, Vocations Sunday, which occurs on the fourth Sunday of Easter. The Vigils are normally held on the Thursday or Friday prior to Good Shepherd Sunday thus laying emphasis and creating more awareness of the need to provide more labourers for the harvest.

Each year members of local Serra clubs meet with their chaplains, vocation directors, and vocations and youth commissions to prepare suitable programs and support initiatives for the vigils. Hosting the vigils has principally been at the parish level but involvement in the Serra club, with seminaries, religious orders, deaneries, dioceses, schools, colleges and universities increases the awareness and participation in the event. The time span of the vigil will vary from venue to venue but is normally from 7pm until 10 or 11pm, but in some more energetic parishes extends throughout the night until early morning. The content of the program also varies with simple liturgies and periods of exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with silent prayer to a more highly active program with speakers and a variety of vocational promotion events throughout the night. The common factor in all the Vigils is the beginning with the celebration of the Eucharist for Vocations, some small refreshment period during the night to allow dialogue between participants and the conclusion with night prayer and the Holy Fathers prayer for Vocations.

 It must be remembered that the growing importance of this event in the Serran calendar must always reflect The Holy Fathers intentions and be treated with the reverence and dignity of a liturgical service. The ultimate reason being to promote awareness and need for increased vocations to the priesthood and religious life. The message and sense of awareness must reach the home, the school, the parish, and the workplace. We must make aware the divine call; the Lord will do the rest.

 For more information on the vigil and the work that Serra International does to promote vocations, please visit their websites at www.serrainternational.org and www.serraus.org.