Who is God calling you to be? And what are you being called to do in life?  On a three-day retreat at the Christian Brothers’ camp on the Russian River, students and adults from seven high schools in the District of San Francisco took time to help one another answer those questions.

Twenty-four students and ten adult moderators took part in the second annual “Called and Chosen Lasallian Vocation Retreat” for female students, January 17 – 19, 2009.  Participants came from four different states: Washington, Oregon, California, and Arizona.

In years past, when most of their high schools served an all-male student body, the De La Salle Christian Brothers regularly hosted vocation retreats for male students. These continue to take place annually each November. But with the shift of many schools to serving both male and female students, the need for a vocational discernment opportunity for female students became clear. In 2008, the District’s Office of Education, with support from the Brother Visitor and the Director of Vocation Ministry, created the first vocation retreat for female students.

Following up on the success of the inaugural retreat in 2008, the 2009 retreat attracted a  group of attendees that was double in size. Student participants were juniors and seniors discerning a variety of vocational calls from teaching, to marriage to religious life. Through a variety of prayer and reflection models, as well as discussion, dialogue, group sharing, and personal journaling, as well as Mass at a local parish, participants took some significant steps on their own personal vocation journeys.

A sampling of anonymous observations offered by participants in their evaluations of the weekend is here:  

“I never thought of a vocation as anything other than priesthood, sisterhood or marriage.  Now I understand that it’s much more.  It’s what you are called to do, the very essence of your being.”

“I have a clearer understanding of vocation and that I should be listening….listening to myself and God.  I also understand there are many callings out there.”

“Vocation is a calling from God that is a message saying what God has in store for you in life.”

“I now realize that your vocation can always change and that you shouldn’t worry.  Just be open to the journey and God.”

For complete information on retreats and other Lasallian activities for secondary-school and college students, contact Marilyn Paquette at mpaquette@dlsi.org.