The several hundred Calgary-area Catholics attending the second annual diocesan vocations rally June 8 were encouraged to embrace the pathway God has in store for them.

Keynote speaker Fr. Troy Nguyen chronicled the winding journey he took toward embracing his priestly call during his talk at St. Michael Catholic Community parish. The Diocese of Calgary's 37-year-old vicar for young adults expressed how he deprived himself of a joyful life by resisting God’s will even though it was a dying wish of his grandfather, and despite encountering the presence of Christ during a spiritual talk event hosted by the God Squad.

“I rejected that grace, and because I rejected that grace, I went into a depression for six months,” recalled Nguyen. “As I slowly started to climb out of that and wanted to move forward in my life, I said to God, ‘I’m going to give you one month: for two weeks I will think about the priesthood and two weeks I will discern the married life.’ ”

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Nguyen, the cleric who leads the St. Francis Xavier Chaplaincy for university students and young adult professionals, shared how he was enriched during the first two weeks by pouring himself into attending daily Mass and devoting time to prayer. The second two weeks were not nearly as tranquil.

Still “terrified by the priesthood,” Nguyen beseeched the Lord to offer a sign by having two people in his life suggest that he would make a good priest, and He provided yet again.

Nguyen accepted that God was calling him to make a sacrifice and to trust that His will is good.

“I walked into the seminary the first day and I felt a peace that I had never felt before,” said Nguyen, who completed his studies through Newman Theological College at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Edmonton. “I still feel that peace today, and I am very happy and excited. I would make the same choice again because this is what I was made for. For what was taken away, God increased a hundredfold.”

Nguyen encouraged all attendees to adopt a culture of sacrifice and joy while discerning their vocational pathway because adopting these principles will help them boldly accept the path the Lord has set before them, whether it be the priesthood, sisterhood, marriage, the consecrated life or any other path.  

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Sr. Mary Elisabeth Pinochet, a consecrated virgin who belongs to the Seeds of the Word contemplative and missionary community, followed Nguyen with a presentation about observing the three evangelistic counsels of the Catholic Church — poverty, chastity and obedience — while discerning God’s plan.

Adhering to the spiritual concept of poverty requires prioritizing God’s will and the needs of others before the accumulation of worldly goods. Pinochet has long elucidated that “poverty is not misery.”

“Bring joy to your poverty, and then you will be able to follow God’s call,” said Pinochet.

Deliberately choosing the path of chastity, Pinochet said, “is not a rejection of love, but a radical openness to a greater love.” Loving Christ comes first, and that is followed by a love of all people, “not to possess them or to manipulate them, but to meet them where they are.” 

The evangelistic counsel of obedience is a call to imitate how Jesus unfailingly followed His Father’s plan.

“Obedience is not a blind submission, but a deserved surrender to God’s will,” said Pinochet. “It opens our hearts and minds to the Holy Spirit.”

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The second annual vocations rally also featured a presentation about married life from Dr. Thomas and Chanèle Bouchard, a priesthood talk from Fr. Derek Remus and a panel discussion. The panellists were Br. Michael Perras of the Franciscan Friars; Sr. Zacharia Hryc, a Dominican Sister of Immaculate Conception Province; Fr. Anthony Sortino, a Regnum Christi priest who belongs to the Legionnaires of Christ; and Stephen Robinson, a permanent deacon.   

Calgary Bishop William McGrattan presented closing remarks and the final blessing. The event was co-emceed by St. Michael Catholic Community’s sacramental coordinator Francesca Ambrosino, and Deacon Peter An, who will be ordained to the priesthood, on June 27, at St. Mary’s Cathedral.