(Pictured in above photo, left to right: Father Brian Soliven, Father Colin Wen and Father Raj Derivera. Photo by Jose Velasquez)
The diocese’s Office of Priestly and Religious Vocations is offering a new discernment program for young adult Catholic men, ages 18-30s, beginning this fall.
The Melchizedek Project is a free program that provides resources for starting discernment groups. Catholic men meet to pray about their lives, listen for God's voice, and get serious about answering his call. Their handbook for the program will be "To Save a Thousand Souls" by Father Brett Brannen, a helpful guide for discerning a vocation to the priesthood. There is a discussion guide for each meeting, corresponding to specific chapters in the book.
The Office of Vocations notes that the overriding theme of the discussions is discipleship: Am I willing to follow Christ no matter what the cost, no matter what the call? Will I choose to trust his will for me and courageously go where it leads?
The Melchizedek Project educates and inspires young Catholic men to consider a vocation to the priesthood, as many lack the in-depth information they need to prayerfully discern a vocation.
The sessions are being offered in conjunction with the vocation committee from St. Mel Parish in Fair Oaks. They will be held every second Thursday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on the following dates: Sept. 14, Oct. 12, Nov. 9, Dec. 14, Jan. 11, Feb. 8 and March 8. The sessions will be led by a priest and will help young men gain the spiritual tools for discerning a vocation. There is no cost to attend. To register, contact the Vocations Office at (916) 733-0158 or msmith@scd.org.