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2025 - Devotion Dates
Notes:
Guidelines for 40 Hours Devotion for Vocations
Read & Print Guidelines for 40 Hours Devotion
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Parishes share their 40 Hours of Devotion for Vocations
Adoration in Catholic Schools
A message from the Bishop
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Greetings of peace. In the spirit of our Diocesan Renewal, I wish to promote the 40 Hours Devotion for Vocations in the Diocese of Calgary. This Devotion is a longstanding tradition of forty hours of continuous prayer before the solemn Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in a succession of churches for special intentions. In the Diocese of Calgary, the special intention will be for vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. In the Gospel, Jesus tells us to pray for vocations: “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest” (Matt. 9:37-38). Through this initiative of the 40 Hours Devotion for Vocations, we will in time see the fruits of our prayer as the Lord sends out labourers into his harvest, including into the local church of the Diocese of Calgary. Pope St. John Paul II said: “The entire People of God is responsible for promoting vocations, and does so chiefly by persistent and humble prayer for vocations” (Ecclesia in America, n. 40). Pope Francis spoke of the fruits we receive in spending time with the Lord in Eucharistic Adoration. In his homily on the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life in 2022, he said: “[W]e have to embrace Jesus in adoration and ask for eyes capable of seeing the goodness and discerning the ways of God. If we embrace Christ with open arms, we will also embrace others with trust and humility.” The 40 Hours Devotion for Vocations in the Diocese of Calgary will be launched on Friday, March 1 at St. Mary’s Cathedral. It is my hope that every parish in the Diocese will participate in the Devotion, taking turns holding it on the successive weekends throughout the year, so that it becomes a perpetual tradition in our Diocese. Let us ask Mary, the Patron of our Diocese and Mother and Model of Vocations, to pray for us as we undertake this initiative and to intercede with her Son for an increase in our Diocese of vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. Sincerely yours in Christ, +William T. McGrattan Bishop of Calgary 
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