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The 30th Anniversary of The J.S. Paluch Vocations Seminar

Noel Ocol

Friday, August 25, 2017

For the 3rd year in a row, we had the pleasure of being invited to the annual J.S. Paluch Vocation Seminar where leaders from many vocation groups across North America met together in Chicago Illinois from August 21–23, 2017.
This year's seminar was particularly special for two reasons: Firstly, it was the 30th anniversary of the Vocations Seminar, which started in 1987 and secondly, Dolores Orzel, who has been organizing the logistics of the event since the beginning, is retiring at the end of 2017.
From L - R: Dolores Orzel, Sr. Lovina Francis Pammit, Paul Jarzembowski
It was truly a bitter sweet event with many wonderful and funny tributes to Dolores, thanking her for all that she has done to help promote vocations in North America over the years.
The theme of the event this year was: Creating a Culture of Vocations: Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going. The entire event was sponsored by the J.S. Paluch Company
During the opening dinner on Monday evening, Sr. Lovina Francis Pammit, OSF, Coordinator of Religious Vocation Ministries for the Archdiocese of Chicago, served as Emcee for the evening and guests were also honoured to have Rev. Raymond Lafontaine, EV, Episcopal Vicar to the English-speaking Faithful of the Archdiocese of Montreal, offer the invocation.
Following dinner, Dolores Orzel, presented the NVAD Leadership in Vocation Ministry Award to Br. Ronald Hingle, National Board Chair of the National Religious Vocation Conference, for his outstanding leadership of NRVC and his exceptional service in vocation ministry.
Owners of the J.S. Paluch Company, William Rafferty and Mary Lou Paluch-Rafferty, greeted dinner guests and spoke following the dinner.
The next 2 days featured two lively panel discussions panelists from various international church and ministries leaders where many funny anecdotes were shared and great one liners were turned into memes!
Other speakers included: Rev. Ralph B. O’Donnell, Executive Director of the USCCB Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations; Mr. Paul Jarzembowski, National Coordinator for Youth and Young Adult Ministries, USCCB Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, with National Dialogue on Catholic Pastoral Ministry with Youth and Young Adults Advisory Team Members (Ms. Christina Lamas, Rev. Alejandro López-Cardinale, and Mr. Nicholas Stein); and Sr. Sharon Dillon, SSJ-TOSF, Executive Director of the National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC). Ms. Kathleen Leggdas served as seminar facilitator for both panels.
It was truly a great event that brought together many friends, and brought fourth the opportunity to make many new ones. Dolores will be greatly missed. I hope to see all of you next year!
J.S. PALUCH COMMITMENT TO VOCATION
In addition to underwriting this seminar, now in its 30th year, the J.S. Paluch Company supports vocation ministry through its Catholic family appointment calendars (Vocation, Religious Art, Stewardship, Scenic/Scripture), bulletin filler art and copy with vocation themes for parish bulletins, and direct contributions to local and national vocation organizations. Additional support for vocation ministry is provided through the Paluch Family Foundation, an independent charitable foundation, which honors service in liturgy, stewardship, and vocations.
The J.S. Paluch Company, founded in 1913, has served the Church for more than 100 years
* Photocredit: Sr. Lovina Francis Pammit, OSF
 


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