DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS, INTERNATIONAL MEETING OF PRIESTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 25, 1999 (VIS) - In remarks preceding the recitation of the Regina Coeli, the Pope spoke of his "joy (this morning) at conferring priestly ordination on 31 deacons from the diocese of Rome, ... a great gift for the Roman ecclesial community and for the universal Church."

He then pointed to the celebration today, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, of "the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, whose theme this year is 'The Father calls to eternal life'. ... God continues to show Himself as a Father through those persons who witness, by word and deed, sometimes to the point of martyrdom, their resolute dedication to the service of their fellow man."
"The Fourth International Meeting of Priests," the Holy Father affirmed in concluding, "organized by the Congregation for the Clergy in the Holy Land from June 22 to 27, will be a privileged occasion for the priests of all nations walk together towards the Great Jubilee and to enter the new millennium with renewed fidelity and an ardent missionary spirit. I assure my prayers for the successful outcome of this encounter, for which I hope there will be many representatives of various nations of the continents.

ANG;PRIESTS; VOCATIONS;...;...;VIS;19990426;Word: 200;