Editorial

There’s something about Mary

If you think the prayers you’ve offered for vocations—particularly petitions invoking the Blessed Mother—aren’t bearing fruit, think again.

It appears your prayers—and especially the prayers that prospective seminarians and religious pray on their vocational journey—make a difference.

A recent study released by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University revealed that devotion to Mary is a significant factor in discerning and sustaining the call to priestly and religious life.

As reported in a July story on OSV News, Marian devotion is a key component for many praying about a vocation.

“As a religious, Mary has played a big role in our religious life, and I am just excited to see the report as a kind of confirmation that Mary indeed is our model,” said Sister Thu T. Do, a Sister of the Lovers of the Holy Cross and a research associate at CARA.

The report, titled “Impact of Mary, Mother of the Church, on Ecclesial Vocations,” was prepared by Sister Thu and fellow CARA researcher Jonathon L. Wiggins.

The survey, conducted between March and May through the mail and e-mailed questionnaires, represented responses from 1,091 respondents in the U.S., a mix of bishops, diocesan priests, permanent deacons, deacon directors and major superiors of men and women religious.

Not surprisingly, the rosary topped the list of common Marian devotional practices during one’s discernment of a vocation, with 71% reporting private recitation and 52% saying they prayed the rosary with others. Praying before images of Mary—whether icons, statues or paintings—was cited by 40% of the respondents.

Among the groups polled, an average of 59% said Marian devotion had either a “meaningful” or “great” impact on their discernment of a vocation to serve Jesus Christ and the Church. Of the groups, religious priests (71%) were most likely to cite Marian devotion.

Most respondents (92%) said they had first learned of Marian devotion as children, with family (79%) the primary means of introduction, followed by parishes (44%) and Catholic schools (44%).

The home (80%) was the prime location for such devotion during individual’s vocational discernment, followed by the parish (77%).

Devotion to the Blessed Mother was evident in other prayerful ways.

When it comes to the Eucharist, respondents said Marian devotion enhances their commitment, with a total of 80% saying that Mary has had either a “meaningful” or “great” impact.

Saints inspired respondents’ devotion to Marian devotion as well, with St. John Paul II topping the list, followed by St. Louis de Montfort, St. Joseph, St. Bernadette of Lourdes, St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. Dominic and St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

But devotion to our Blessed Mother didn’t stop there. The survey’s open-ended question on the Marian dogma or doctrine that has been most significant in sustaining respondents’ vocations elicited 31 specific examples, with the Immaculate Conception, the Mother of God or Theotokos, the Assumption and perpetual virginity of Mary most commonly cited.

Another open-ended question on the most meaningful Marian titles yielded a high response rate, with 84% of participants listing a combined 128 distinct Marian titles. Most popular was “Mary, Mother of God,” followed by “Our Lady of Perpetual Help,” “Mary, Mother of the Church,” “Undoer of Knots,” “Our Lady of Guadalupe,” “Our Lady/Mother of Sorrows,” “Theotokos” (“God-bearer”), “Queen of Peace,” “Our Lady of Good Counsel” and “Immaculate Heart.”

“Most respondents described Mary’s presence in their lives using terms such as companion, friend, guide, comforter, model, intercessor, mother and vocation-inspirer,” said the CARA report. “Many also spoke of experiencing her role through Marian devotional practices and through being consecrated to Mary.”

Like his predecessors, Pope Leo XIV said we must continue to pray for vocations as a community of faith.

Recalling on Good Shepherd Sunday in May Pope Francis’ message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Pope Leo encouraged everyone to “welcome and accompany young people” while we ask God to help us all live “in service to one another … capable of helping one another to walk in love and truth.”

Addressing young people in particular regarding vocations, Pope Leo encouraged them saying, “Do not be afraid! Accept the invitation of the Church and of Christ the Lord!”

He added, “May the Virgin Mary, whose entire life was a response to the Lord’s call, always accompany us in following Jesus.”

—Mike Krokos