All Christians are called to a vocation by reason of the Lord’s command to love one another. The choices people make to express their calling can be in the ordained ministry (priesthood and diaconate), in marriage and family life, in a committed single life and in the call to the religious life and priesthood (consecrated life).

Religious life can be pastoral or contemplative or a mixture of both which is the charism of our own Benedictine community at Worth. In addition, our community combines the calling of religious life and the priestly calling into a single vocation.

Worth Abbey monks outside Westminster Cathedral, March 2009 Click here to view larger image	Ordination to be a deacon, a priest or a bishop is a Sacrament. The symbolic actions for a priest and deacon are the laying on of hands accompanied by the prayer of consecration. For a bishop there is an anointing of the head. Priests and Bishops exercise a role of leading God’s people and are called to be the servants of the flock entrusted to them.
Year for Priests, 19th June 2009 - 19th June 2010
	Pope Benedict has called the whole Church to celebrate a Year for Priests beginning on June 19th, the Feast of the Sacred Heart. The year will conclude with an international gathering of priests with the Holy Father on June 19th 2010. With the announcement of this Year for Priests the Pope has declared St John Vianney the Universal Patron of Priests on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Cure d'Ars Pope Benedict's Letter for the Year for Priests
Vocations Links
	The Diocesan Vocations Team aims to promote the culture of vocation throughout the diocese. It supports the work of promoting the specific callings to the ordained and consecrated life as well as encouraging the discernment of vocation for all baptised members of the church
	The National Office of Vocation was opened in September 2002 and is an office of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. The Office seeks to build a culture of vocation - married, single, ordained and consecrated life in the Church
	Worth Abbey Compass is a programme for men and women who have a general sense of vocation to the religious life but who want to discern how this might be experienced
	UK Priest is the official website for diocesan priesthood in England and Wales