The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C., provided a sacred gathering place for the inaugural First Friday Holy Hour of the Mother Teresa Vocation Society’s Pilgrims of Hope and Pilgrims of Prayer initiative on Jan. 3. The monthly Holy Hours, continuing through 2025, aim to unite Catholics across The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington in prayer for vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.
Two days earlier, Washington Cardinal Wilton Gregory celebrated an opening Mass at St. Matthew’s Cathedral for Jubilee Year 2025, which has as its theme, “Pilgrims of Hope.” The cathedral is also one of the Jubilee Churches in the archdiocese, where people are encouraged to make pilgrimages during the holy year.
A Eucharistic Holy Hour occurred from 11 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., including a reflection by Father Joseph McHenry, a parochial vicar at the cathedral, following the 12:15 p.m. Mass. “The Holy Hour serves as a powerful call to prayer, gathering the faithful to ask God to send more laborers into the vineyard,” said Mary Beth de Ribeaux, a Mother Teresa Vocation Society board member. “This initiative aims to inspire and cultivate a culture in which vocations are prayed for and nurtured through faith and community support.”
Inside the cathedral on that frigid winter day – when snowfall was forecast for later in the afternoon – an array of worshipers silently prayed. Some arrived in business attire, while others dressed more casually. Older women wearing veils bowed their heads, individuals experiencing homelessness sought refuge from the cold, and a few knelt in workout clothes. Whether attending for Adoration, Mass or Confession, all shared the same desire to encounter Christ in the Eucharist.
Mary Beth de Ribeaux, who also leads the St. John Paul the Great Vocations Society at St. John Neumann Parish in Gaithersburg, Maryland, expressed her enthusiasm for the initiative. “Our hope is that everyone has at least one or two sites within reach,” she said, referencing the 12 parishes around the archdiocese that will host the Holy Hours throughout the year. “But the bottom line is that this series of Holy Hours will allow the faithful of the archdiocese to gather in front of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and pray together for vocations.”
In a reflection that he offered during the Holy Hour, Father McHenry explained that once he arrived at George Washington University to study international affairs, he prioritized his faith less and less, focusing on his personal goals without considering God’s plans. “In my first couple of years of college, my faith life really took a hit,” he said. “I’d only go to Mass occasionally when I was home, or show up for ashes on Ash Wednesday. Beyond that, I wasn’t practicing my faith much at all.” A turning point came when a friend invited him to an event at the university’s Newman Center for Catholic students during his sophomore year, which ultimately was the catalyst that led him to rediscover his relationship with Christ and set him on the path to the priesthood.
He recalled being drawn initially by the promise of a free Chipotle meal. “My Catholic guilt set in, and I figured I should participate, so I went to Adoration,” Father McHenry said. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is a practice in the Roman Catholic Church where the consecrated Host is displayed for the faithful to worship Christ’s true presence outside of Mass. Father McHenry said, “I wasn’t exposed to Adoration a whole lot growing up, but I quickly realized what was happening, and before the Blessed Sacrament, I had a powerful experience.”
That encounter led him to the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time in years. “I remember the first words out of the priest’s mouth when I went to Confession: ‘Welcome home.’ His words struck me deeply – they were exactly what I needed to hear.”
This moment of grace made Father McHenry reflect on his own vocation. “It wasn’t just that I was home and committed to being a Catholic for the rest of my life; I felt that perhaps God was inviting me to be a priest, just like the priest who had such a profound impact on me,” he said.
That transformation illustrates the heart of the Pilgrims of Hope and Pilgrims of Prayer initiative: a call to encounter Christ in the Eucharist and to answer His invitation to serve. As Father McHenry considered his vocation, he stressed the courage needed to follow God’s call. “It’s not about doing something for ourselves, but about doing something for the Lord and His people,” he said. “And it’s about trusting that the Lord is with you, even when you feel unworthy.”
During the Holy Hour, Coronel Bernardo Lozano Ramírez, a member of the Colombian military stationed in Washington, D.C., walked directly to the altar’s steps. He knelt and extended his arms at shoulder height with palms facing upward – a traditional prayer posture known as the orans position. In a brief conversation afterward, he explained, “I owe everything I am and everything I have to God.” He added that he came to express his faith openly as a testament to his reliance on God’s mercy. “We are all sinners, but Christ, who loves us completely, offers us mercy and forgiveness,” he said, noting that this forgiveness and mercy enables him to worship so openly.
Ramírez’s witness reflects the mission of the Pilgrims of Hope and Pilgrims of Prayer initiative, which urges the faithful to gather in prayer for vocations. Its roots in Eucharistic devotion draw inspiration from St. Teresa of Calcutta, who was known for praying before the Blessed Sacrament and promoting prayers for vocations. “Without priests, there would be no Eucharist, no Confession,” said Maris Moriarty, a founder of the Mother Teresa Vocation Society. “Mother Teresa knew that we need to pray for more priests because, without them, the life of the Church would cease to exist.”
The Pilgrims of Hope and Pilgrims of Prayer initiative invites Catholics to participate in monthly Holy Hours, where they can offer prayers and petitions for vocations. These gatherings promote reflection, prayer, and community, encouraging participants to support those discerning a call to the priesthood or religious life while also considering their own roles in supporting the Church.
Continuing through the Jubilee Year of 2025, the initiative aims to deepen Catholics’ connection with Christ through Eucharistic Adoration and to pray for more priests, deacons, and religious. “Vocation is a response to God’s invitation, one that requires trust, courage, and grace,” Father McHenry said. “Our Lord is never too busy for us. We cannot inconvenience Him. God created you and sustained you for precisely this moment, and when we come before Him, it fosters a more perfect union with Him.”
For more information on the monthly Holy Hours hosted by the Mother Teresa Vocation Society, visit https://mtvs-adw.org/events-1.
