Geroepen door God | Over de opleiding tot priester, diaken, religieus | Aflevering #1

In this episode of the video series “Called by God,” diocesan priest Peter Wellen and seminarian Alex van den Hende from the Diocese of Groningen-Leeuwarden discuss vocation and prayer. Peter Wellen talks about the first conversation he had with Alex van den Hende when the latter came to him because he was considering a vocation to the priesthood. “Initially, such a conversation is only about: Who are you and what brings you here? What is your motivation, what do you feel called to? What do you long for, what are you dreading? Just a very broad, getting to know each other. And from that conversation, you can filter things out: How deep is something?” Every year, for Vocation Sunday, Dutch dioceses and religious call for extra attention to prayer for vocations. For several years now, there has also been a national Vocation Week in the autumn (early November). Alex van den Hende explains how important prayer for vocations is. “I am convinced that many are called,” says Peter Wellen. “But people’s fear of committing, of hearing the call and responding to it, is too great for many because there is also a great deal of uncertainty. When people say ‘I have a calling,’ they think that everything is already very fixed. But you get the chance to grow,” he emphasizes. “It is a process where we journey together to discover if this is your path and if you have heard the call in the right way.” Alex has since been ordained as a deacon and hopes to be ordained as a priest next year. Peter Wellen has some tips for him. Watch the video! Are you considering the priesthood, the diaconate, or a life as a religious? Check www.roepingenzondag.nl for contact details.