Diocese to foster vocations through upcoming parish leaders’ training

Friday, Oct. 17, 2025

SALT LAKE CITY— The diocesan vocations office is laying the groundwork for a new, unified effort to encourage religious vocations for men and women. The effort, which began with a presentation to the priests during their Oct. 6-9 convocation, will continue with a vocations promotion training for parish leaders on Nov. 15.

Pastors will invite participants from each parish and mission in the diocese to become vocations promoters who will help form a diocesan-wide network. The training will help these leaders create a “culture of vocations” in their parishes and missions, said Mandi Knaras, vocations office assistant. 

The training is part of the diocese’s program to “create a culture of vocations, where everybody becomes aware of their role and the importance of what they should be doing to promote vocations,” said Father Carlos Guzman, the diocesan vocations director. “The culture of vocations is not only coming from the clergy, but it is something that should be participated in by all the members of the diocese, particularly the lay leaders.”

Fr. Guzman is also pastor of St. Ann Parish in Salt Lake City  

The daylong event, called Hundredfold, will be held at St. Ann Catholic Church in Salt Lake City. It will feature training in English and Spanish by speakers from Vocation Ministry, “a non-profit organization committed to the work of vocation promotion to Catholic parishes and dioceses throughout the United States and Canada by providing practical hands-on resources, workshops and presentations to equip those seeking to promote vocations at all levels within the Church,” according to its website.

At the training, the speakers will address the role and scope of a parish vocations promoter, how to build a culture of vocations within the parish and the importance of having a local network to support diocesan efforts.

Bob McMorrow, who will present to the English-speaking group, has been leading workshops for Vocation Ministry for several years. He has led a vocation team for the Archdiocese of Anchorage to encourage youth to discern God’s calling. In his parish he served in youth ministry and later established an office of evangelization and catechesis. He has taught Church history and bioethics at a  Catholic high school and led numerous youth conferences and mission trips, as well as 11 World Youth Day pilgrimages.  McMorrow and his wife, Karen, recently moved from Anchorage to Ave Maria, Fla.

Leticia Ramirez, who will give the Spanish presentation, is a wife, mother, grandmother and educator born into an immigrant Catholic family. She and her husband have worked in youth ministry, as catechists and on staff for youth retreats. Ramirez is the mother of two priests and a daughter who is married with children. She is also the sister of Bishop Oscar Cantú of the Diocese of San Jose, Calif.

The November training will be a prelude to a new diocesan initiative, Called by Name, which will be launched on Jan. 25. This new program will help parishes identify people who are interested in discerning a vocation to religious life. Parishioners, led by the promoters, will nominate these men and women to participate in discernment events like Andrew Dinners for young men interested in discernment of a priestly vocation, and Miriam Dinners for young women interested in discernment of religious vocations, as well as a dinner with Bishop Oscar A. Solis next summer.

Those who are interested in participating in the November training should speak to their pastor. An online registration form is available on the diocesan website at https://www.dioslc.org/pray-promote-support.

Fr. Guzman invites all who can to attend the training in person. Those who are unable to travel from faraway parishes or who have other reasons they cannot attend physically will be able to join the training by Zoom, but Fr. Guzman encourages even the remote parishes to send at least one representative to attend in person.

WHAT: Vocations Promoter Training

WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 15, 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

WHERE: St. Ann Catholic Church, 2119 South 400 East, Salt Lake City

There is no cost. Lunch will be provided by the Knights of Columbus. For information, check with your pastor.