In hopes of helping draw more young men to the priesthood and young people to religious life, Auxiliary Bishop Peter Byrne and Fr. Vincent Druding will lead a first-ever Young Adult Walk for Vocations in the Archdiocese of New York.
The walk, inspired by the Camino de Santiago in Spain, will occur Saturday, Oct. 31, starting after a 7:30 a.m. Mass at the Shrine of St. Frances Cabrini in Washington Heights, and ending at the Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Lower Manhattan. Church stops will include: Holy Name of Jesus, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine, St. Joseph’s Church in the East Village, and the Cathedral of Old St. Patrick.
Prayers and songs
At St. Patrick’s Cathedral, there will be a half-hour stop, starting at 12:30 p.m., with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the preached Word. The sidewalk trek will include prayers and songs of faith, in English and Spanish.
“This past August, Bishop Byrne joined us on the pilgrimage to Spain that included walking some days on the Camino,” Fr. Druding, parochial vicar at Holy Cross Church in the Bronx, told The Good Newsroom. “During the pilgrimage, Bishop Byrne got the inspiration to do a New York Camino from the St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Shrine to the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Shrine – to promote vocations to the priesthood. Later, I suggested we also include vocations to religious life, and the bishop agreed.”
Fr. Druding added, “On Oct. 31, we’re hopeful that not only young adults will come, but also anyone who supports priestly and religious vocations; they are very welcome to join us for any part or all of the Camino…We are aware of the urgent and burning need in the Church for more priests and religious brothers and sisters whose hearts are on fire to bring the Gospel to souls. We would be delighted if people began to pray for this Camino – to inspire many young people to lay down their lives for Jesus Christ and His Bride, the Church.”
Nicole Duarte, a lead lay organizer, noted, “Young people will have the opportunity to have Mass, pray, and walk alongside priests and religious and (fellow) young adults with similar ideas. They will have the chance to ask questions, strike up conversations, and build bonds with religious people as they discern their own vocation, hopefully receiving some clarity for their own journey.”
Faith, Hope, and Support
Fr. Druding said the planned walk has received support from the archdiocesan Vocations Office, as well as the archdiocesan Young Adult Ministry. Helping lead the prayers and singing during the walk will be Sr. Immaculata, of the Franciscan Sisters of the Pure Heart; Fr. Jonah Teller, pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in Lower Manhattan; Sr. Maria del Transito de la Virgen, SSVM; and Sr. Therese, CFR, of the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal.
The Camino de Santiago is a famous network of ancient pilgrimage and hiking routes leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Greater in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain. Archbishop Ronald Hicks completed the Camino earlier this month.