Annual Vocations Mass for students highlights call to holiness

Students arrived by the busload at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on the morning of April 10 to attend the 29th annual Mass for Vocations for sixth graders hosted by The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington – some clutching notebooks, others quietly chatting with friends as they filed into the pews to pray, to listen, and to be challenged to consider a question at the heart of the day: “Could God be calling me?”

Alongside students from Catholic schools and homeschool communities, teachers, lay leaders, and members of religious orders from across the Archdiocese of Washington gathered for the liturgy, which was celebrated by Father Mark Ivany, director of priest vocations for the archdiocese. Father Brendan Glasgow, an assistant director of vocations for the archdiocese and a coordinator of formation at Saint John Paul II Seminary in Washington, preached the homily.

“This is the ultimate question: Where is Jesus calling you?” Father Glasgow said during his homily.

Reflecting on his own vocational journey which began in childhood, he encouraged students to stay close to Jesus in prayer, especially through the sacraments and the rosary. He recalled sitting in the priest’s chair during a tour of his childhood parish as he prepared for his First Holy Communion in second grade – a moment that sparked his early curiosity about the priesthood.

Father Glasgow also spoke about the Church’s teaching on the universal call to holiness, offering examples of young saints such as St. Tarcisius, an early Christian martyr, and the three shepherd children who saw an apparition of Mary at Fatima. At one point, he invited students to turn and look at the large white marble bas relief on the rear wall of the Great Upper Church. The sculpture, titled “The Universal Call to Holiness,” depicts the Holy Spirit at the center, with the Blessed Mother, bishops, religious, laypeople, families – and children – being drawn toward God.

“What do you see?” he asked, encouraging students to notice the range of people represented. He explained that the image illustrates the call to sainthood shared by every person, regardless of age or vocation.

“God can call young people to great things,” Father Glasgow said. “He really sees you, He sees your life, and He has a plan for you.”

He emphasized the importance of trusting God’s will, referencing the day’s first reading about Abraham’s covenant with God.

“When God called Abraham, He called him to a blessed life,” he said. “And when God calls us to follow Him, He also calls us to a blessed life – to a good life. He’s promising us more than land or a nice car or popularity – He’s promising us eternal life.”

Father Glasgow acknowledged the fears young people may feel when discerning a call to follow Christ.

“Sometimes it might be kind of scary. You think, ‘I don’t know how to do that. I’ll lose my friends,’” he said. “In high school, my number one real aspiration was basically to be cool – and I wasn’t entirely convinced that following Jesus would be cool. So there was always a little bit of hesitation in my heart. But you know what really helped? Having one good friend, someone who was also thinking, ‘Maybe I could follow Jesus.’”

Father Ivany opened the Mass by reminding attendees that discovering one’s vocation begins with attentiveness to God’s presence.

“You’re old enough to become aware of how God calls us to live out our vocation,” he said.

Before leading the congregation in the Penitential Act, he emphasized the importance of remaining close to God in order to hear His call.

“The thing that keeps us from knowing God’s will is sin,” Father Ivany said.

After the liturgy, students and teachers attended a vocations fair on the lower level of the basilica, where men and women in consecrated life shared their stories and answered questions. Representatives included the Josephites, a religious order of priests and brothers; the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, known for their service to the poor; and the Carmelites of the Most Pure Heart of Mary, who follow a contemplative tradition rooted in prayer and community.

Sister Mary Josephine of the Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia, based in Nashville, Tennessee, was invited by Father Ivany to share her vocation story with the gathered students before the Mass concluded. “You are not a mistake. You are wanted. You are made for a purpose,” she said. She encouraged students to reflect on their desires and recognize God’s presence in those longings.

She recalled hearing the words “religious life” during silent prayer while on a high school trip to Washington, D.C., for the March for Life. That moment marked the beginning of her discernment. Later, after praying for the intercession of St. Thérèse of Lisieux for clarity, a family friend unexpectedly delivered a bouquet of roses with the message: “St. Thérèse wanted me to give these to you.” St. Thérèse, known as the “Little Flower,” is often associated with sending roses as a sign of her intercession.

In the basilica’s lower level, students explored vocation booths, collecting rosaries, prayer cards, stickers, pens, medals, and other informational materials. Some asked priests and sisters about their lives, while others completed school assignments. Enzo Supko, a sixth grader at St. John’s School in Hollywood, Maryland, collected autographs from priests and others attending. Though not Catholic, Supko has expressed interest in the faith, according to his mother, Katie Conley. She transferred her son from public school because “it wasn’t a good fit.” His experience at St. John’s, she said, has been transformational. “It’s night and day,” Conley said. “The compassion and the support the teachers give him is everything I dreamed of for him.”

Students reflected on what it meant to attend a Mass focused on God’s call. “They do it to teach kids how they have a role in God’s family,” said Danya Mohsin, a sixth grader at Mary of Nazareth Catholic School in Darnestown, Maryland. She said the experience helped her understand more about how people live out their faith.

Other students shared their thoughts on religious life. Josephine Rump, a sixth grader at St. Bartholomew School in Bethesda, Maryland, said she enjoys sports and spending time with friends – and added that she’s come to realize that people called to religious life often have opportunities to enjoy those things, too. Her friend Kira Qashu, another student from Mary of Nazareth School, reflected on the call to consecrated life. “They want to help people and be as close to God as possible,” she said, adding that it’s important for young people “to think about the possibility that God is calling them to something more.”

Luke Shaherz, a student from Our Lady Star of the Sea School in Solomons, Maryland, said he first thought about the priesthood during a moment of reflection while sitting at a beach in Florida. His grandfather, in a quiet moment, shared that he had once considered the priesthood himself. Shaherz described it as a spiritual experience. “It felt like a sign,” he said.

Dylan Young, a second-year seminarian at Saint John Paul II Seminary, reflected on the impact of his first year of formation. “It’s the hardest and best year of my life,” he said. “It’s changed my relationship with God and how I see myself. It’s gotten me really excited to be a priest.” Students who spoke with Young and other seminarians during the vocations fair had the opportunity to learn more about daily life in formation and what led them to pursue a call to the priesthood.

During the vocations fair, Father Ivany paused to bless rosaries that students from St. Mary of the Mills School in Laurel, Maryland, had collected at one of the tables. Among them was sixth grader Angel Ghemring, who asked him how he serves God. “I teach people how to worship God and how to serve their neighbors,” he told her.

Father Ivany, reflecting on his role and the purpose of the event, noted that young people often see priests alone at the altar and may mistakenly view religious life as solitary.

“It’s important for them to see priests and those in consecrated life together – brothers, sisters, and priests,” he said, emphasizing the community and joy that come with answering God’s call.

He also offered encouragement to parents whose children may be discerning a religious vocation.

“Priests and people in religious life are happy,” he said. “If your child feels called, continue to be encouraging as they discern.”

To illustrate the fullness and joy of his own vocation, Father Ivany shared stories from family life – presiding at his siblings’ weddings and baptizing his nieces and nephews.

Priests and consecrated religious remained available after the liturgy to answer questions and share more about their vocations. Throughout the afternoon, students asked questions, lit candles, and engaged in conversations with those living out various paths of consecrated life – interactions that offered students opportunities to learn more about the different ways people respond to God’s call.