In the Aula of the General Curia, full of men who have lived the Jesuit life for decades, the question during the penultimate day of the Meeting of Major Superiors focused on the future: “How do we invite others to this way of life today?”

Vocation numbers have seen a decline in many parts of the world. Fewer young people are choosing the priesthood and religious life. Beyond just numbers, the challenge extends also to maintaining the quality of the vocations approaching the Society and understanding what attracts and sustains a Jesuit vocation in the world today.

Frs Enric Puiggros from the Spanish Province and Karl Kiser from UMI Province (US Midwest) led the reflections with presentations on the day’s theme. They offered insights from their rich experience of journeying with young people who are in the process of discerning their vocations. They pointed at the kind of young people inquiring about entry into the Society, the reasons for their attraction to religious life, the role of spiritual practices and personal prayer among young people...

Fr Kiser stressed the importance of mining our Ignatian tradition, highlighting the Jesuit devotion to the Sacred Heart and the example of Jesuit saints and blessed as sources of inspiration for young people.

The role of the Vocation Director and Vocation Promoters also came to the fore. The presenters stressed that this important work of facilitating the recruitment of men into the Society is less about strategy and more about authenticity – creating vocations that grow in the soil of personal encounter through witness, relationships, and prayer.

“The work of promoting vocations is an expression of trust that God is still calling young people, often in new ways”, said Fr Kiser. “Every Jesuit is a vocation promoter by the way he lives his life.”

The presenters also reflected on how young people who face restlessness, uncertainty and an overload of distractions can be accompanied in their search for meaning. Interestingly, many novices in the UMI Province mentioned wanting to be like the Jesuit saints, and community as two major principal reasons for their entrance into the Society of Jesus.

The challenges involved in vocation promotion cannot be overlooked, and some of them were explored by the speakers. Nonetheless, they also shared encouraging stories of new life – novices joining the Society in unexpected places, young people discerning their vocations through service and a discerned relationship with God. A few practical suggestions also emerged to respond to the challenges of vocation promotion.

Like previous days, the Major Superiors split into groups to further explore this important theme of vocation promotion, and the feedback was brought together during the plenary session. The day ended with the Eucharist celebrated by language groups.