Vocations   

In 1999, CCEE approved the establishment of the ‘European Vocations Service (EVS)‘: this is a coordination body for European pastoral care of vocations – especially to the priesthood. Such a body has already been in existence informally for 20 years. An important stage in the development of this network was a continent-wide congress on vocations organised by the Holy See and held in Rome in 1997. This generated the document: In Verbo Tuo: new vocations for a new Europe.

The Statute was approved by the CCEE plenary Assembly on October 2006. It defines EVS as a ‘Federation of National Vocations Services of Europe, in cooperation with CCEE’ for the promotion of an integral vocational pastoral care service in Europe, the implementation of shared initiatives and the promotion of vocations’.

EVS holds an annual congress for the persons in charge of the national offices for vocational pastoral care, and a larger gathering every three to four years which is attended also by Bishops. The President of EVS is H. E. Mgr Wojciech Polak, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Gniezno (Poland). The coordinator is Fr. Jorge Manuel Madureira Soares (Portugal).

2011 Annual meeting of the European Vocations service
VOCATION IS THE VERY HEART OF THE NEW EVANGELISATION
Horn, Vienna (Austria), 30 June to 3 July 2011

2010 Annual meeting of the European Vocations service
COME, AND YOU WILL SEE (John 1,39). THE PRIEST: WITNESS AND SERVANT OF VOCATIONS
Esztergom (Hungary), 1 to 4 July 2010

2009 Annual meeting of the European Vocations service
“DISSEMINATORS OF THE GOSPEL OF VOCATION: A WORD WHO CALLS AND SENDS”
Rome (Italy), 2 to 5 July 2009

2008 Annual meeting of the European Vocations service
SAMARITANS OF HOPE FOR A HUMAN AND CHRISTIAN EUROPE
Porto (Portugal), 3 to 6 July 2008

2007 Annual meeting of the European Vocations service
VOCATIONS IN EUROPE. SOWING THE SEED OF HOPE TOGETHER
Baške Oštarije (Croatia), 28 June to 1 July 2007

2006 Annual meeting of the European Vocations service
WHEN THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY BECOMES A SUMMONING COMMUNITY
Belgium, 29 June to 2 July 2006

2005 Annual meeting of the European Vocations service
JESUS CAME UP AND WALKED WITH THEM: VOCATION NURTURING AND DECISION
Banska Bystrica (Slovakia), 30 June to 3 July 2005

USEFUL LINK:
OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE EUROPEAN VOCATIONS SERVICE

11.03.2011