1. VOCATIONS AND OCCUPATIONS - A General Outlook

The Problem of Vocations

One problem which all young men and women eventually have to face is that of vocations. "What should I be when I get out of school?" "What kind of work am I best suited for?" "What are my real interests?" "What fields are overcrowded?" "Is there any future in the business I'm interested in?" These are a few of the questions which crowd teen-agers' minds regarding the future. Throughout high school, boys and girls are ever on the lookout for hints and helps which may aid them in settling this problem. They may enter high school with the feeling of certainty as to what they will do in the future. However, as the years progress, the definiteness of their previous decision frequently gives way to indecision, and with the approach of graduation, the problem for some boys and girls becomes acute.

A vocation is a calling from God to do a part of God's work for the service of God's people.

The very special work to which God calls a person when He gives a vocation is not merely a call to perform a chore, like a mother calling her daughter to come out to the kitchen and help do the dishes; or a father calling his son to run down to the neighborhood store and pick up a package of tobacco for him.

Neither is a vocation a job or a position in an office or a factory that a teenager might secure after graduation and perhaps retain until retirement fifty years later. Nor is it the owning or running of a farm. Nor is it acting on the stage or appearing before the movie cameras. Nor is it even being a big league baseball player or a high level govern­ment official. These are all means of livelihood or the expression of artistic or athletic or scientific talent that can fit into the mold or the form of a vocation. But they do not constitute the vocation proper. A vocation is really the framework of a person's life, that in which his work and his aspirations and his recreations and just about every­thing he does and thinks about fit, the way a book fits into a box, or better, the way a soul fits into a body. It is a calling to a work that will occupy him the rest of his life, a calling that will permit the doing of very little else outside of the demands of the calling.1

Some boys and girls express the attitude many others have with regard to their life's work in the phrase, "My life is mine to do with as I please." Such teen-agers think that they are the masters of their destiny, the captains of their fate. This attitude is, of course, very un-Christian. It is proud and egocentric. It makes man his own beginning and end.

The Christian attitude is that our life is at God's disposal. Since we originate in the divine mind, we are destined for God as our final end. God, therefore, has the master plan of our life. He outlined the broader phases of our life; we will fill in the details, with His assistance.

Have I a Vocation?

When students hear the word "vocation" their minds almost automatically prefix the word "religious" as if this were the only one to be had. Oftentimes the phrases "state in life," "career," and "vocation" are used interchangeably, much to the confusion of those searching for their proper goal. To help students clarify once and for all the question, "What shall I be?" the following information is offered.

Before beginning, however, it is extremely important to keep in mind this fact: short of miraculous grace, as long as you remain in the world it is impossible to know God's will regarding your vocation and/or state in life with absolute certainty. Many boys and girls, well qualified and generous, have seriously tortured themselves in seeking to know God's will with mathematical cer­tainty. A few saints were favored in this way, e.g., St. Paul, St.

Thomas Aquinas, but the vast majority of vocations and/or states in life are determined with only moral certainty.

What is moral certainty? it is a prudent judgment of oneself, one's abilities, talents, circumstances, opportunities, graces, and the like, to determine what is best for each individual person. It is reasonable certainty based upon one's qualities and gifts. Short of divine intervention the most anyone can have regarding one's vocation is prudent judgment. Such judgment is based on three things: (1) prayer; (2) thought; and (3) counsel.

Strictly speaking, everyone has a vocation. This is the vocation to reproduce Christ in ourselves. It is the vocation to become per­fect in love of God, neighbor, and self. The particular framework in which each one pursues identification with Christ and perfect love will of course vary with each individual.

States in Life

Marriage as a "state in life" is the eventual choice of the great majority of high school graduates. John A. O'Brien in his famous work Marriage a Vocation2 states that "92.7% of men and 93.5% of women marry. . . ." That is why in your senior year emphasis is placed upon marriage as a state in life, established by God, and upon the various elements that contribute to success in fulfill­ing God's plan for marriage.

Before moving on to the vocation for the majority of mankind, however, you must realize there are three states in life:

1. The priesthood or religious life (consecrated celibacy);
   
   
2. Single life in the world (celibacy);
   
   
3. Married life.
   

Each one of these is sometimes termed as a "calling" or "voca­tion" in life. To clarify these terms it is always best to think of "vocation" as the lifework or career one has selected, in contrast to the state in life one has chosen. For example, one who follows the career of a doctor may be either a priest or religious (with apos­tolic indult), a married person or a single person living in the world. Or one could be an engineer, a teacher, or a nurse and still live in any one of the three states in life. Throughout this book the word "vocation" will be used to mean "career" or "occupation."

Sislers of Charity

The state of life for you is the one to which God calls you. He may call you to become a priest. Sister, or religious Brother; to the married state or to the single state. Whatever your state of life may be, it is the will of God for you, planned for you in His infinite love before the world began. Loyal service to Christ in your state of life is your way of responding to Christ's call in the twentieth cen­tury, "Come, follow me" (Mt. 4:19).

Criteria for Choosing or Knowing One's Sfafe in Life

"What does God want me to do?" is the question on the minds of many teen-agers as they approach graduation. "Just what state of life shall I choose?" To clarify this problem boys and girls must consider four things better known as the four criteria for choosing or knowing one's state in life. They are:

1. Intention — What do I desire to do with my talents, abilities, opportunities, etc.?
   
   
2. Intellectual Fitness — Am icapable of knowing and performing the duties required in this state in life?
   
   
3. Moral Fitness — Am T capable of living with God in this state in life?
   
   
4. Physical Fitness — Do Ipossess the physical qualities neces­sary to carry out this state in life?
   

The failure of so many people to ask themselves such questions as these is one explanation for much of the unhappiness and frus­tration we see around us. It also explains many of the misfits in our society, many of the square pegs in round holes. The advice of others can help one realize the answers to numbers 2, 3, and 4. As for number 1, Intention, the talents, abilities, and aptitudes that are yours have been given to you for a purpose. Before you make your choice it is absolutely necessary that one turn to prayer. There has never been a "self-made man."

The Religious Life — the Highest Calling

It has been said that "the grandest privilege and the greatest honor that Christ can confer upon a young man or woman is to give him or her the call to serve Him in religion.”³ Imagine, the Son of God asking you to serve Him. What a privilege! What an honor! Who could refuse such a call? And yet hundreds of boys and girls do just this every year. "How do I know that God wants me; how can I be sure?" That's the question so often asked by boys and girls in their senior year of high school. The answer, of course, is simple: presuming one possesses the signs of a true "calling from God" it can be said that "If you want Him; that is, if you wish to devote your life to Him in the religious state, know­ing what it is you seek, then do not hesitate to answer His call. As St. Thomas says, 'It is better to enter religion to give it a trial than not to enter at all, because by so doing one disposes oneself to remain for good.' "* In so doing one removes once and for all the fork in the road.

It should be obvious to everybody that without a real "calling from God," it would be impossible for young men and women to undertake the life of a priest, a religious Brother, or a nun. In other words, God's special call and grace are utterly necessary to this form of life, though we do not need miraculous signs.

Signs of a ReligiousState in Life

No man can become a priest or Brother simply by his own will, nor can a girl become a religious on her own merits. The reason: because the invitation to this state in life is not extended to all. It is a supernatural call to a selected few. Those to whom it does come must accept it readily. Some boys and girls seem to think that there must be an internal invitation from God or even that a vision must be given commanding them to be a reli­gious. Nobody who has read the lives of the saints is unaware that at times the "calling of God" has been miraculously given; but whoever is fit and worthy and aspires to the religious life with a right intention can, with a spirit of charity and courage, easily accept this life.

Some boys and girls know early in life what they want to be. Others go on for quite a while, never quite sure of themselves until they actually enter the religious life. Both classes have a genuine "calling from God," for, in the last analysis, such a call is determined by answering the call issued by the proper authori­ties in the Church.

It would be illogical to suppose that no means were available to the Church to determine her choice of those whom God calls. Whenever God calls a boy or a girl to the religious life He must necessarily endow the person He chooses with the aptitudes required to fulfill that office worthily. When these aptitudes exist in an individual which renders him fit for the religious life, there is moral certainty that God has set him apart for a special purpose. The sum of all the qualities that render a boy or a girl suitable for the religious life is taken as a sign that God is calling. This is what is meant by signs of a religious state in life.

"For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in the things pertaining to God, that he may offer gifts and sacrifices for sins" (Hebr. 5:1).

John Ahlhauser

The qualities which render one suitable for the religious life are moral or spiritual, mental, physical, and the right intention. Let's take a closer look.

Moral Fitness

“And everyone who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive a hundred­fold, and shall possess life ever­lasting" (Mt. 19=29).

Dominican Sisters, Great Bend, Kansas

Undoubtedly, the first requisite for any candidate to the religious life is that he or she be morally and spiritually suited for it. In practice this means that there exists a noticeable desire to excel in the practice of Christian virtues. It is true that "all men are sinners, and that great sinners have at times changed and become great saints. Therefore, we can conclude that, although un­blemished moral purity is desirable, sins in one's past life are not a bar to a religious vocation if there has been a genuine and wholehearted conversion. Remember the early life of St. Paul and of St. Augustine."5

Moral suitability covers many angles, which though not indi­vidually indicative of a divine calling, yet taken as a whole determine a true estimate of a probable "call from God." One can form a fairly accurate picture of a boy's or girl's divine call or lack of it from watching his conduct.

For example, a boy who would show a marked preference for girls' company, and whose conversation would run habitually along sex topics, or would frequent the company of boys who are known to indulge in vulgar talk — that boy, without being necessarily immoral, could not be considered fit for the priesthood. If moreover he loves mixed parties where double talk is frequent, and there the physical charms of girls are the chief object of interest, doubtless there is a presumption against that boy's vocation-

There are also a number' of characteristics which show up in a boy that constitute a serious objection to his acceptance for the priesthood.

A boy who is touchy, who nurses grievances, who is socially incom­patible, is proud and vengeful, who goes into fits of anger over real or imagined offenses, who is emotionally unstable, moody, easily de­pressed, is morally unsuitable for the priesthood.

As to what is termed "worldliness" one must be rather careful in judg­ing and estimating its presence in a boy. The mere fact that a boy loves sports, or the movies, or in general is fun-loving is not necessarily a sign of worldliness. These are the natural interests of any normal boy.t;

There are, of course, some very positive qualities required in every individual who desires to enter the religious life. Some of the basic qualities comprising good moral character include do­cility, honesty, humility, obedience, and a spirit of reverence. "Reverence for the Church, for priests, for everything that sur­rounds divine worship and holy things, is a clear proof of moral or spiritual fitness. When a boy is imbued with this respect for the Church and sacred ceremonies, when he loves its devotions and honors the saints with his own private acts of piety, when he feels a true and tender devotion to Mary, Mother of God and his own, he has indications of the action of divine grace calling him to a higher life."7

Mental Fitness

When God issues his "call" to the religious life He gives sufficient mental ability to enable one to follow Him. Mental ability, however, is not a question of actual knowledge, but of native ability to learn, since deficiency in learning can be made up by study. The amount needed varies greatly in the different states and levels within the religious life. A person possessing an average to superior intelligence can easily qualify to become a priest or a nursing or teaching religious. Individuals with less than average ability will find plenty of challenges in other avenues of religious life. Needless to say, those who enter the religious life must be mature and mentally healthy. They must be capable of making adjustments and getting along with others.

Good physical health is necessary for those entering the religious life because the life is not an easy one. Take the life of a priest for example. The ordinary spiritual duties of a parish priest are heavy. Daily celebration of Mass, daily recitation of the Divine Office, daily meditation and Rosary, the ordinary round of private and personal prayers — such duties take a large part of a priest's time. There is no four-day week and eight-hour day for the parish priest. He has to administer the sacraments, care for the sick and aged, look after the instructions of converts, teach and preach, help straighten out the problems of people, manage the affairs of the parish and its school, conduct special religious and civic services and spend every week end on the job. If the parish is small, it is probably burdened with missions that also need con­stant attention. Young men who dislike responsibility or hard work had better stay out of the priesthood. It is the most wonderful and the happiest life on earth when judged from some aspects, but the life of a priest is far from being "an easy life." The same holds true for other phases of the religious life, namely the Sisterhood and the Brotherhood. The life of a religious requires good health. If you are lacking the health and physical fitness required to live such a life, God evidently does not intend to call you to it.

Right Intention

By right intention is understood the motives or reasons which determine a young person to seek the religious life. This is by all means essential. Each individual must examine his or her motives to determine beyond a doubt that "this is the right life for me." If a boy or girl desires the religious life because of a love of God or because of love for souls, a desire to help others, a love for virginity, a desire for perfection, or a wish to atone for sins, or a longing for his own salvation and that of others, his intention is right. But if a young man would seek to enter the religious life in order to please his parents or for the honor it confers upon him or because it offers security or material comfort, or if a girl were to choose the religious life primarily to escape the trials and worries of married life or for some other selfish reason, he or she would be acting from a bad motive and would definitely have the wrong intention.

The Jesutl Bulletin

The early Christians called the priest the alter Christus — the "other Christ." The priest is the person of Christ extended through time and space.

Impediments to a Religious Life

Besides the general signs of a "call" to the religious life, there is another very important one to be considered, namely: freedom from any impediments or irregularities.

Because the vocation to the priesthood is of such importance, the Church sets up certain impediments in order to protect the good name and reputation of her clergy. Those born out of lawful wedlock may not be ordained unless the matter has been rectified or dispensed; neither may a man who has taken another's life or cooperated in such a deed, whether by murder or by causing the death of an unborn child. Heretics, epileptics, and those who have been insane are also debarred from the priesthood.

There arc also certain impediments forbidding entry into the novitiate of a religious community: for instance, age, marriage bond, dependent parents, and so forth.8

Neglecting the Divine Call

It must be said here that there are many of today's youth who neglect the divine call of God to serve Him in the religious life. Many teen-agers smother or kill the "call of God" in their hearts by an unwise indulgence in worldly pleasures, as well as a failure to develop in their lives the habit of self-sacrifice. This does not speak too highly of the courage in today's youth. It is true that a "call" to the religious life is an invitation to a higher life and that it does not involve a strict precept. It is likewise true that one who refuses to follow a certain and divinely given vocation to the clerical life does not commit a sin, unless he acts from contempt or other unworthy motives. But it has been noted throughout the years that such persons are frequently far from happy. That is why if you think you may have a desire to serve God in the religious life, foster it and protect it. "Especially train yourself to deliberate acts of sacrifice, regularly denying yourself perfectly lawful pleasures, and avoiding all or at least any excessive indulgence in those things which would make it more difficult for you to follow the religious vocation."9

Testing the Divine Call

How does a person find out whether or not God is really calling him to the religious life? The best way to find out is to apply for admission to the seminary or the novitiate. This is one of the purposes of these institutions. They exist not only to train priests and religious, but also to allow individuals to find out whether or not they really have the divine call.

There are some individuals who consider it a terrible disgrace that a boy or girl leave the seminary or the novitiate. These same individuals say very little when a young man or woman quits college and enters some form of business. Such people forget that seminaries and novitiates are training grounds for the religious life. Entering the religious life might be compared with trying out for any school organizations. Those who feel eligible are urged to try. In the last analysis it is the coach or moderator who makes the final decision.

The Priesthood

St. Francis of Assisi once said: "If I met a priest and an angel, I would first salute the priest because of his tremendous powers, and only then the angel." Such is the dignity of the priesthood. Rightfully it can be called the most exalted of all states in life.

The early Christians called the priest the alter Christus — the "other Christ." The priest is the person of Christ extended through time and space. As Christ is hidden under the appearances of bread and wine in the Eucharist, He is truly hidden in the priest in such a manner that He uses the lips of the priest to console and to rebuke, to pardon and to castigate. He uses the hands of the priest to bless, to absolve, and to anoint; his feet to carry Him to the sick and the dying. Just think of it. A priest is Christ in our midst. That is why the priesthood has been called the greatest vocation in the world.

John Ahlhauser

The diocesan priest is truly called to be a man among men. He must be spiritual father, counse­lor, business administrator, edu­cational director, social worker. Diocesan priests serve in hos­pitals, colleges, high schools, seminaries, edit magazines and papers, and act in many other capacities.

A doctor heals bodies, but a priest heals souls.

A soldier fights for his country against other men, but a priest fights for God and souls against the army of sin and hell. A teacher trains minds for worldly success, but a priest trains them for eternal happiness. A judge declares one innocent who has been falsely accused, but a priest in Confession restores innocence even to the guilty. A policeman guards earthly treasures, but a priest is in charge of the greatest treasures of all — the sacraments. A warden can open and shut the gates of a prison, but a priest has the power to open and close the gates of heaven and hell.10

Two Classes

There are two great general classes of Catholic priests. First, there are those who work in and are permanently bound to a certain diocese. They are therefore called diocesan priests, or secular priests, that is, priests who work out in the world. Secondly, there are priests of the various religious orders. They arc subject to the head of their order, and generally remain in monasteries, nouses of study, and similar in­stitutions. The priests of the religious orders, which follow the strict religious life, add the three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience to the other obligations of the priesthood. In this way they vow to lead a life of Christian perfection.11

The Diocesan Clergy

Outstanding in number among the clergy of the world are the diocesan priests. These are the priests one most often finds engaged in parish work, in direct contact with souls, although some of them may be in special fields such as hospital or youth work, directing or teaching in high school, college, or seminary. At present, there are over 33,500 diocesan priests in the United States.

All priests take on themselves the obligations of the solemn vow of chastity by which they bind themselves to remain unmarried and to live a life of highest purity. For the diocesan priest this is included implicitly in his acceptance of the obligations of subdiaconate. In addi­tion to this, he makes a solemn promise of reverence and obedience to his bishop at his ordination.12

Priests of Religious Orders and Congregations

Engaged principally in the special work for which their order was founded are the priests of religious orders and communities, better known as "order priests." These priests accept the three vows of religion: poverty, chastity, and obedience. Technically speaking, order priests take solemn and perpetual vows while mem­bers of religious congregations take simple vows which are either temporal or perpetual. These latter renew their vows from time to time.

The Milwaukee Sentinel

Father Richard Madden, O.Carm.

(above), is known for his work with high school students. Father James Flaherty, M.M., teaching in a Santa Cruz, Bolivia, school.

Moryknoll Missioners

Among the 22,000 religious priests in the United States today, there are also religious societies of priests like the Oratorians, the Sulpicians, and the Maryknoll Fathers. Members of these societies bind themselves to the work of their community by a special promise. Technically, however, they remain diocesan priests.

Life in the Seminary

The priest must lie equipped with learning suitable to his state; and so the Church insists that before receiving the priesthood a man must study philosophy, theology, sacred scripture, canon law, Church history, and various other ecclesiastical subjects for at least six years. Moreover, this presupposes that he has completed a high school and junior college course. Clerical studies are usually made in an institution especially adapted to the preparation of candidates for the priesthood, called a seminary. Besides acquiring the suitable knowledge for the clerical state, seminarians are expected to make progress in virtue, and are supervised and directed by prudent and edifying priests. During his years in the seminary a young man can study and test his own character and mo­tives, and find out whether or not he is fitted for the priesthood and whether he is willing to undertake the arduous tasks of the ministry. If he decides that it is better for him not to advance to the clerical state, he is always free to leave the seminary. If he determines to re­ceive Holy Orders, he is given the tonsure and the minor orders during his third or fourth year. Usually the cleric is ordained a subdeacon at the end of his fifth year, a deacon several months later, and a priest at the end of his sixth and final year of study.13

What Is a Priest?

Priests are mystery men. They come in assorted sizes, ages, weights and collars. They are found everywhere — speeding along, perspiring over, walking by, kneeling on, praying over, laughing with, preaching to, teaching about, pardoning for, and playing baseball with. Little children run to them; teenagers marvel at them; aged folk turn to them; lay people treasure them; non-Catholics stare at them; and Mary watches over them.

A priest is Prudence in a T-shirt; Fortitude with a breviary in his Holy Cross seminarians, Notre Dame, Indiana, visit and teach catechism to the children of migrant Mexican workers in South Bend.

Holy Cross Fathers

Justice on a ball diamond, and Temperance at any party. He is Faith with a blueprint; Hope with a sense of humor; and Charity with a golf club in hand.

A priest may be anything from a contemplative monk in a monastery to a magazine editor on Wall Street, from a labor mediator to a TV personality, from a student to a professor. Formerly known as the boy-around-the-corner, he's a member of each family, yet belongs to none. He penetrates secrets, shares sorrows, heals wounds. He has the trust of a child, the kindness of a best friend, the sternness of a top-sergeant, the daring of a tight-rope walker, the authority of an encyclopedia, the versatility of a commando, and the salesmanship of a Fuller-Brush man.

A priest is a humble creature — a mystifying worker at all professions. His hours are the longest; his salary the smallest; his Boss the best! He likes good pastors, the smiles of children, a good sermon, a home-cooked meal, and the name "Father."

A priest is all things to all men in the sight of God. He may be misquoted, mistaken and misunderstood, but he'll always forgive — be­cause he's a mediator; a peacemaker; a go-between heaven and earth. It's no wonder God loves him. He's a man standing at an altar, clothed in Holy clothes, who while being aware of his own nothingness speaks to God for us and to us for God. And although his greatest act is to offer sacrifice, his most consoling one is to say to me, "Go in peace — Your sins are forgiven."14

The Brotherhoods

The religious Brothers, along with the priests and the Sisters, form a trinity of workers who have freely given up the attractions of the world to lead mankind to God and to work out their own salvation. Of this group it has been said that the Brothers are the quartermaster corps of the Lord's army, for their vitally important work is auxiliary and supplementary to that of the priesthood.

Religious Brothers are laymen, but in a unique sense. They have dedicated themselves to the service of God in a religious state, which is a fixed form of life approved by the Church, and they bind themselves to this state by vows for their personal sanctifica-tion and the salvation of others.

Because of the fraternal love of all men that they profess by their very lives, these dedicated men are given the respectful title "Brother." They give up the distractions of money and ambition by the vows of poverty and obedience. In a selfless life, by a vow of chastity, they even deny themselves the joys of family life so that they can be the brothers of all men rather than be tied down to looking after one family.

Brothers of Mary

A new member (above) is received into the Society of Mary. The community has both Brothers (left) and priests. Some communi­ties engage in teaching, others nursing. Some Brothers do other kinds of labor.

Kinds of Brothers

Brothers do any and all kinds of work for God and for souls. There are three prominent divisions: working brothers, nursing brothers, and teaching brothers. Their name indicates their chief occupations.

As far as the working brothers are concerned, some of them are mechanics, carpenters, gardeners. Others do farming, printing, janitorial work. Some Jo the cooking, others administer the temporal affairs and property of the community, and so on; but in addition to these pursuits, all of them have their regular daily religious exercises and sanctify them­selves and others by observance of their vows.

Nursing brothers, like the Alexian Brothers, are able to do tremendous service to souls in the spiritual as well as the physical care of the sick. The contribution of the teaching brothers to the progress of religion and the welfare of mankind is difficult to estimate, it reaches so far.

There arc some communities of brothers like the Christian Brothers or Brothers of the Christian Schools and the Xaverian Brothers who have no priests; while others, like the Society of Mary (Marianists) and the Congregation of the Holy Cross have both priests and brothers. In addition to these, remember, as we said above, nearly every one of the hundred or more religious orders of men in the United States accepts brothers in various capacities.15

Need of Brothers

More and more religious Brothers are needed so that the aposto-late of the Church can go forward. More hands are needed to gather in the harvest. If any young man is in doubt whether he has a vocation to the Brotherhood or not, he should test it out by becoming a candidate for a period, usually six months. At the end of this time both he and the community are usually able to tell if the candidate should be accepted into the novitiate. At present there are over 11,500 religious Brothers in the United States. The Church could use ten times that number. But God wants volun­teers, not draftees. That is why only generous souls need apply.

The Sisterhoods

While our divine Lord did not will women to be recipients of the sacrament of Holy Orders, He has called the so-called "weaker sex" to the state of highest perfection. The most perfect human being is a woman, our Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Girls who enter the religious life do so because they desire to become "other Marys."

Kinds of Sisters

Like their counterparts in the religious life of the priesthood and Brotherhood, the religious orders and congregations of women are divided into definite groups. There are those who are primarily contemplative such as the Carmelites, the Cenacle nuns, the Poor Clares, and others. Cut off completely from the world and its distractions, they pray and work for God and their fellow men throughout the world. "By their great function of public worship of God, and by the severity of the penances they impose upon themselves for the good of others, they devote themselves to the imitation of Christ and thereby contribute more to the welfare of the world than most men realize."16

There are many women who are engaged in what is called the active religious life. The majority of these religious women deal in the profession of teaching. At present there are over 97,000 nuns in parochial schools in the United States, out of a total of 173,000 religious Sisters. Of the remaining number, some are to be found working in hospitals, in orphanages, and in insti­tutions for the care of the aged, the crippled, the deaf, the blind, the insane, the wayward, and the delinquent. Still others are in missionary fields at home and abroad, acting as catechists, per­forming any of the countless other corporal or spiritual acts of mercy that go to make up a Sister's life.

Like the religious Brothers and priests, members of the Sister­hoods take the three vows of religion: poverty, chastity, and obedience. By these vows they renounce for God, worldly pos­sessions, bodily pleasures, and submit their wills to a religious superior whom they obey as the instrument of the will of God. As in religious orders for men, women in the religious life take either solemn or simple vows. Both are binding under pain of mortal sin.

The Great Need

In our ever expanding country as well as in many other countries throughout the world, there is a great need for more girls to enter the religious life. Certainly God is not deficient in issuing His "call" and in giving the necessary graces to today's youth. Could it be that today's youth lack the courage or the self-sacrifice necessary to follow the divine call? As is true for the priesthood or the Brotherhood, the best way to find out whether one has a true desire to become a Sister is to give it a try in the convent. It is here and here alone that one can find the answer to the question: "Does God really want me or not?"

One reason why many girls do not become brides of Christ is because many Catholic mothers think such a life abnormal, that is to say, not a natural one for a girl to choose. The truth of the matter is this: A "call" to the religious life for a girl is as super­natural as that for a boy to the priesthood; what is more, you do not choose God; God chooses you.

Sisters of St. Joseph of Corondelet

The Sister is called to be a "bride of Christ" and an "other mother of the human race." The harvest is great and more laborers are needed.

School Sisters of St. Francis

Ida Mae Kempel relates an interesting story regarding a mother's interference with a divine call:

Whenever I hear the word "vocation" I think of Kathy. You would have liked Kathy. She was five feet five of vibrant, vivacious femininity. 1 heard one man say of her—"That girl has more personality in her little finger than most girls have, period."

Besides that, Kathy was smart as a whip. At 17 she led our freshman college class, her blonde hair and broad smile hiding an IQ of high proportions. Yet her "Onion Pal!" manner let us know she didn't lord it over us. A girl like that can go far. The world would be ready to do her bidding. But the world wasn't Kathy's oyster. She wanted to be a nun. I guess we all knew that. It was something that filled Kathy's whole being. When she knelt before the crucifix in our college chapel, you could have dropped a firecracker behind her and she wouldn't have heard it. When you spoke to her her deep faith popped out all over, carefully camouflaged behind a keen sense of humor.

I remember well the day the new novices took their places at Mass. Kathy and I were outside the chapel when the young girls, dressed in the traditional black dress and small novice's cap, entered the room. For a moment Kathy's eyes filled. Then she grinned back the tears, tossed her poodle-cut hair and followed them in. I wondered about those tears. For a brave girl like Kathy they weren't common gear.

But, as is the way around campuses, gossip fills up the crevices in even the most innocent tales. I soon discovered what was wrong. Kathy was the only child of wealthy parents. Her mother had big plans for her brilliant, pretty daughter that didn't include convent life. After much pleading on Kathy's part she had accepted the only compromise her mother would make — she had entered a college run by Sisters, Because her home-town was 200 miles away she boarded at the school. On holidays and occasional week-ends she commuted by train to her home.

If Kathy had had her way she would have entered the convent that Tall instead of the regular college but her mother flatly refused her consent. Even letting Kathy attend a Catholic college was against her better judgment, lest perhaps the good Sisters "persuade" her child to follow in their footsteps. In time she would talk Kathy out of throwing her life away. For the present, the girl was under-age, so there was no problem. She merely stuck to her "No" and that was that.

But plans go astray. Kathy was returning to school after the Christmas holidays when the train in which she was riding crashed. There were other people killed in that crash but Kathy was the youngest and 1 daresay the loveliest. We were heartbroken. For the rest of the year we gathered in the chapel on our lunch hour to say the rosary for the beloved classmate who had been taken from us. Our tears flowed freely and unashamedly, as did those of the Sisters and the lay teachers who had grown to love her.

Sometimes, as we knelt there, I thought of Kathy's mother and her firm statement — "God can't have her—-she's all I have!" and I would feel very sorry for that poor woman. For indeed, God HAD taken her. Not in the way Kathy had planned and hoped for, but in another, more final way. Call it coincidence if you will but surely, in her grief, that mother must have wondered if perhaps she was wrong to flout God's will.

I'm married now and have four little ones of my own. If, when they are grown, they should want to enter God's service, I wouldn't stop them. No matter what my personal reasons for wanting to keep them "in the world" I would be afraid to stand in their way. Afraid of the power of a merciful God Who is nevertheless a just God. I might hesitate. My heart might cry at the thought of "giving them up" so completely. But I know that after a moment my thoughts would race back to that freshman year at college. And Kathy.17

What Is a Nun?

Nuns come in assorted sizes, weights and wimples. They are found everywhere — swathed in, seated in back of, kneeling on, speeding down, perspiring over, shopping for, patrolling along, worried about or laugh­ing at. Little children idolize them, teen-agers puzzle them, lay people reverence them, non-Catholics gawk at them and St. Joseph looks after them.

A Nun is Faith with chalk on her hands; Hope, with a patched habit; and Love, with her hair clipped short.

A Nun has the neatness of a pin, the trust of a child, the daring of a paratrooper, the perseverance of a bill collector, the energy of a vest pocket atomic bomb, the authority of an encyclopedia and the versatility of a trouble shooter.

She loves the Blessed Mother, likes a good meditation book, ice cream, Friday afternoons, a letter from home, and free days. She is not too keen on summer school, long sermons, correcting home-work, getting up early, or grumpy pastors.

No one else is so quick to praise, so slow to censure. No one else can give you a licking and cry while she is doing it. No one else can tell stories, or skip rope, or write on the blackboard so well. A Nun is a wonderful creature. You can dirty up her classroom, but her devo­tion remains unsullied. You can sass her back but her prayers for you are redoubled. You can tax her patience but never deny her influence for good. A Nun is all this and more, for she is God's sweetheart and it is no wonder He loves her.18

The SingleState

The single state in life is a rare vocation. It has been termed the "forgotten third vocation" because most people get married or join the priesthood or the religious life. Nonetheless, it is a special call from God. So often this state in life has been belittled because of the terms "bachelor," "spinster," or "old maid" which have been associated with a few who live in this state. Not infrequently those who have selected the single state are not helped by those around them. Married friends try their tactful best to conceal their feelings that they did not quite measure up to the demands of catching a wife. If a single person is an outstanding Catholic, religious often cannot hide their insistence that "you should be in the religious life."

Grave injustice can be done by covering with a blanket of reproach all those who have lived and grown old in the single state. For every egotistic, eccentric bachelor or "old maid" there are thousands of very praiseworthy single people who are leading lives of great self-sacrifice, having voluntarily given up marriage or maybe the religious life for some very worthy reason, such as aged parents, educating younger brothers or sisters, or devoting themselves unselfishly to some necessary work for their fellow men. Such persons must not be confused with the self-centered, selfish individuals of whom we rightly complain. In many instances people in the single state are the unsung heroes of self-denial and self-sacrifice.111

Advisability of the SingleState

Pope Pius XII surprised the entire world on October 21, 1945, by calling the single state in life a "vocation.""" He compared in­dividuals who enter this walk of life with those who willingly re­nounce matrimony in order to consecrate themselves to a higher life. In 1954, Pius XII once again upheld the pre-eminence of consecrated virginity (celibacy) as a state in life in his encyclical letter, Sacra Virginitas. He carefully pointed out that "Virginity is not a Christian virtue unless we embrace it 'for the kingdom of heaven'; that is, unless we take up this way of life precisely to be able to devote ourselves more freely to divine things to attain heaven more surely, and with skillful efforts to lead others more readily to the kingdom of heaven."21

Dr. Thomas A. Dooley treating a village child in his hospital in Northern Laos, five miles south of the Chinese border. The late Dr. Dooley was an outstanding example of dedication in the single life.

Virginity is a higher state than is the married life. Some of the great saints whom the Church has raised to her altars have lived and died in the single state. The single state of celibacy in the world is generally not to be advised. It is a matter that depends upon circumstances and if God really wishes a person to choose this state in life. Fundamentally, the choice of this state is a matter of motives.

A Matter of Motives

Some persons who are in the unmarried state are there because of unworthy motives, such as selfishness, a desire to enjoy greater freedom, an unwillingness to follow an inclination toward the married state and its obligations, or toward the religious life and its abnegations. A person who chooses the unmarried life because of these or other unworthy motives may find it much more difficult to save his soul. It is dangerous to make personal pleasure and comfort the basis for selecting a state in life, when the glory of God and the salvation of one's soul constitute the only safe basis.

There are, however, worthy motives that make the choice of the unmarried state a noble decision, and in some cases perhaps an even greater act of self-sacrifice than the religious life. Such would be a desire to serve and support others, for instance, aged parents and relatives, a desire to allow younger brothers and sisters to enjoy the advantages of a Catholic education, or the conviction that one can best serve God and save his soul by remaining in the unmarried state in the world.

Some, particularly girls, remain unmarried because the opportunity of a suitable marriage never presented itself. Others, however, pass up reasonable opportunities. One suspects that some, stricken with "movie-mirage," determine to wait for a fabulous partner who will be a com­bination of a movie star, multimillionaire, and saint. They forget that they may be lacking a few perfections themselves.22

Difficulties of This State

Like any other state in life, the single state has its peculiar difficulties that should be honestly considered before one attempts to live it. A discussion with a well-qualified counselor or one's confessor is absolutely necessary before one embarks on this walk of life. There are two main difficulties: loneliness and purity.

There is the danger of loneliness that may end in a very real and very deep discouragement. It is hard to live alone. A man needs the love and warmth of family to help him overcome the normal hardships and disappointments of everyday life. If he does not have this love and warmth and protection, he is inclined to give up when trouble comes. He becomes indifferent, disinterested and uninterested in every­thing round about him.

The best way to overcome this danger is to be as active as possible in the expenditure of effort and in the dispensing of money for the good of others. Very likely that is why God calls some people to the single life — they can do so much more good that way. To be active in the performance of good deeds for others is a strong method of thwarting feelings of uselessness and discouragement that so easily can come over the single.-3

The following essay on the unmarried woman brings out the true dedication required of those in the single state.

Of all the women God has created in His image and likeness, one of the most misunderstood, subject of controversy, and unduly pitied, is the single woman. And unfortunately, no one has found a satis­factory substitution for the cruel names: spinster, old maid, etc. The exact day or year when a young girl becomes a spinster is something that no one has yet analyzed and determined.

It was left for the great St. Paul, who loved virginity, to speak words of praise for the unmarried woman who, free from the care of things of the world, is concerned about things of the Lord, how she may please Him.

Many "unsung" heroines are the single women who give unselfishly and lovingly of their talents, energies, and time to worthwhile projects with stability and perseverance. Then we have the splendid daughters who turned their parents' life of poverty into one of comfort, who watched over their long years of sickness, and gave their own bright youth that the old age of their father and mother might know peace and security. Parents in heaven spend long sectors of eternity praying for these saintly ones.

Perhaps one of the most appreciative of the single woman is the Catholic parish priest. To him, these women are the backbone of parish organizations, the dependable ones who can be called on for all emer­gencies. From the thankless chores of moving chairs to cleaning the altar, they stand ready and eager to do for the Church the lovely, gracious, self-effacing things so Christ-like.

May these saintly women come very close to God — the Catholic teachers, nurses, secretaries, sisters, daughters, and aunts who do, do and do — endlessly without probability of repayment. This is a constant rebuke to the greed and self-indulgence of the world.

The life of a single woman is not an easy one. But having a simple, clear knowledge that this life is but a stepping stone to heaven, the single woman can live from day to day confident of God's love and serene in the fact that this is her vocation in life. Surely our Good Lord must have a special place close to Him for these truly devout Catholic single women who pray daily: 'Thy will be done. . . ."2*

The second most difficult problem for the single is the danger of grave temptation against purity that may end in serious and habitual sin. "There are not the helps to purity afforded the mar­ried people. And there are not the special graces that are proper to the priest and to the nun. They must fight their battles, at least as far as special assistance from their state in life is concerned, by themselves. These battles sometimes can be quite serious.""'

One such battle which takes a terrific toll of single lives is the wishful anxiety complex of a single girl, and her hurried desire to get married before it's too late. This desperate type of girl thinks only in terms of marriage and seldom talks to any man unless there is some future in it, unless he is eligible. Such a person can soon find herself compromising her moral standards, if such a com­promise means a wedding ring. Some foolish "last-chance" girls will do almost anything to avoid being single.

A well-balanced single girl, on the other hand, realizes that it is possible to live in this world without sex. Sexual abstinence is not abnormal. It is of the stuff that builds saints. Prudence is re­quired of every girl from fanning the contacts with men into the fires of close relationships. This can only be achieved if she per­severes in daily prayer, God's grace and His sacraments, and learns to sublimate sex into some positive activity, e.g., nursing, teaching, social work, etc. For as St. Paul has written:

He who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please God. Whereas he who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife; and he is divided. And the unmarried woman and the virgin thinks about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy in body and in spirit. Whereas she who is married thinks about the things of this world, how she may please her husband.26

Secular Institutes

More and more single people are choosing to stay in the single state in life, some as individuals, others as members of secular in­stitutes. Secular institutes are in the news today and will be heard of more and more. It was Pius XTI who recognized this third state of perfection. Unlike the traditionally recognized two states of perfection, namely, the religious state and societies devoted to the common life, members of the secular institutes live in the world, usually as individuals. They take the three vows, but they are not religious. They are "societies of clerics or laity who devote them­selves to the life of the evangelical counsels in the world in order to reach Christian perfection there and exercise more fruitfully their apostolate."27

The qualities required for this unique vocation are practically the same as those required for the religious life. Candidates must have an attraction and an aptitude for a life consecrated to evangelical and Christian perfection. They must have adequate physical and mental health, intelligence, and physical and moral stability.

An Oblate Missionary of Mary Immaculate with her second grade pupils. The members of this institute include persons in various careers such as nursing, social work, writing — anything which will serve the Church.

Edward Tenczar

And, every candidate must have a true interior attraction for a grow­ing and deepening love of God. In addition, since Secular Institute members live in the world, candidates must be capable of assuming a higher degree of personal responsibility, and of exercising a greater degree of discretion over their actions and decisions, than is necessary for a person entering a religious community.28

While each of the present existing nine secular institutes in the United States differs from one another in spirit and in its field of work, today's 400 American men and women who have ded­icated themselves to this way of life have one thing in common, "the restoration of all things in Christ," by reaching every strata of society.

Lay Missionaries

Recently, the Bishops of the United States have set up a Lay Missionary Program. This is a new program and has no direct connection with the lay missionaries you may have read about in the past.

Many religious orders have their own lay missionaries to help in their own missions in such places as New Guinea, Africa, and India. Some apostolic men and women have started other private lay missionary organizations.

The Bishops1 program is not to be confused with these lay mis­sionaries. Only two areas in the world are involved in this new lay volunteer program — missions right in our own U. S. and missions in Latin America. Lay missionaries going to U. S. home missions are called Extension Volunteers because they are being directed by the Extension Society. Latin American lay missionaries are called Papal Volunteers and are being directed by the N.C.W.C. Latin America Bureau.

While this new field of missionary work is not yet open to high school students, it is well for you to consider this new enterprise as a possible future field of endeavor.

Careers29

While there are only three states in life there are at least 25,000 kinds of careers and many more varied types of jobs or occupa­tions to be had in life. A job may be defined as work undertaken for the purpose of private profit. When it becomes an individual's life desire, it may be termed a career.

Some young people choose the path of least resistance in planning their careers. They use little or no judgment in selecting the kind of work they will eventually pursue. When they do enter the occupational world they constantly change jobs without an­alyzing their interests, abilities, or qualifications. They are known as "drifters."

The Grail is intended for young single women under 30 with some professional or technical skill useful in missions. Its mission areas include Australia, Asia, Africa, South America, Europe, Canada, and the United States.

The Grail

They finally drift into an occupation in which they will have reasonable security and can make a living. Usually they are not happy in their work and have regrets later on, but then it is very often too late or too difficult to make a change because of family obligations. Occasionally they may drift into a suitable occupation and decide to make it their career. They may be successful, but much time and money could have been saved, as well as many dis­appointments avoided, if they had planned for their future vocation.

Know Thyself

An important step in planning is self-analysis. Self-analysis is learning as much as possible about oneself. In order to make an honest study, considerable time and thought must be given to the process. It is only through a careful study — and the jotting down on paper of the facts — that a person is able to make a wise vocational choice. These facts include a comparison of one's vo­cational assets with the occupation being considered.

The time spent on self-analysis in the planning stage will pay dividends in the future.

Here are a few items to consider in your self-analysis:

1. Interests — Examine your interests. In what fields are you interested? Mechanical, scientific, computational, artistic, literary, musical, clerical, social service, religious vocation? Are your interests real or a passing fancy?
   
   
2. Mental Ability — Check your high school record. Do you have con­siderable difficulty in mastering certain subjects such as mathematics
   or science? Your teacher or guidance counselor can provide additional
   information on the basis of tests, etc.
   
   
3. Personality and Character Traits —Tact, courtesy, cheerfulness, punc­tuality, sense of humor, good judgment, initiative, loyalty, cooperativeness, dependability, honesty, perseverance, responsibility, ability to get along with others, ability to adjust to circumstances whether pleasant or unpleasant, emotional control, explosive or even temperament.
   
   
4. Consider any special abilities or aptitudes you have discovered from a study of your school records, extra-curricular activities, job experiences, your hobbies, etc.
   

Some people overestimate their abilities while others under­estimate them. Therefore, for a check on your analysis, consult your teacher or school counselor and your parents.

E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.

St. Mary's Hospital, Milwaukee

The Mystical Body of Christ is one body having many members. This is to say, it is one body, with Christ as its head, working in and through His various mem­bers for the glory of His Father and the salvation of souls. Each one of us is assigned a special task to do. There is no such thing as an unimportant Job. It is not what we do but how we do according to our ability. To serve man is to serve God.

Esso Engineering and Research

Common Factors in Many Vocations

In vocational planning it is as impossible as it is unnecessary for the young person to explore in detail the entire vast and com­plicated world of work. The reading of facts concerning many different occupations sometimes serves to confuse the individual rather than to clarify the immediate issues in vocational planning.

The following factors common to most vocations may suggest others which may be found useful in planning one's vocational goal:

1. The need of personal fitness requirements — personality;
   
   
2. The importance of physical fitness;
   
   
3. The need for thorough preparation if one is to secure advancement;
   
   
4. The necessity in most vocations of in-service training and study;
   
   
5. The importance of understanding the fundamentals of modern business practice;
   
   
6. The need in almost all occupations of beginning at routine tasks;
   
   
7. The importance of adaptability — that is the ability to work in more than one vocational field — particularly during periods when there is a downward trend in employment;
   
   
8. The importance of those qualities which enable one to work well with others;
   
   
9. The importance of a good general education in this modern age of high specialization and automation. It is well to realize that one's
   training must be built on a broad background.
   

When considering a vocational choice, it is desirable to learn something about occupations related to that choice. The occupa­tion and its related fields should be carefully considered, par­ticularly the main requirements for entry and success.

Factors Contributing to Vocational Success

The most important factor in success is "attitude." A person's outlook on life, on his work, the firm he works for, his superiors, fellow workers, and associates, will largely determine his place in the world of work. Personality ranks necessarily high here. Your personality to a great extent determines how well you will get along with others and your prospects for promotion.

The following points are useful as a check list in helping one to analyze his personality: (1) ability to get along with others; (2) appearance; (3) respect for those in authority; (4) cheerfulness; (5) sense of humor; (6) adapting yourself to surroundings; (7) honesty; (8) tact; (9) enthusiasm; (10) courtesy; (11) interest in work; (12) dependability; (13) self-confidence;  (14) cleanliness; (15) co-operation; (16) manners; (17) emotional control; (18) consideration of others; (19) loyalty.

Achievement — is equally the mark of success; to do is worth as much as to have.

Knowledge — successful people arc those who continue to acquire new facts. Successful persons do not close their mind to knowledge when they leave school.

Loyalty — a dominant characteristic of every successful person.

Sound Judgment — the result of a mind well-stocked with accurate information on which to make decisions.

Adjustment—success usually comes to the person who can adapt him­self to the varied conditions of work.

Health —- you cannot hold an ordinary job today unless you maintain good health.

Ethical Practice — duties as a Catholic to an employer or superiors.

Some important attitudes and achievements for obtaining a promotion are: mastery of detail, industry, mental alertness, initiative, resourcefulness, ability to make decisions, diplomacy, courtesy, technical training.

Preparing for and Participating in Interviews

All too frequently young people are very conscientious about their training and education for a job, only to neglect the plan­ning and preparation necessary to make a successful entry. Many find they have difficulty obtaining a job until they realize that their interview technique is actually serving as their greatest ob­stacle and needs improvement.

In planning for a job interview one should do the following:

1. Prepare a written (typed) outline or series of statements about your­ self, including all items that might have a bearing on the job, such as education and training, special abilities, work experience, personal interests, names and addresses of personal references.
   
   
2. Prepare a list of questions that might be asked by the employer and have brief notes as to what your answers might be.
   
   
3. Prepare a list of questions you would like to ask of the employer.
   
   
4. Inform yourself about the job and the company for which you hope to work.
   
   
5. First impressions are important so make sure your personal appear­ance (dress, make-up, etc.) is first rate, yet not overdone.
   
   
6. Make definite arrangements as to time and place of interview and meet the schedule.
   

During the interview one should:

1. Be kind and courteous throughout the interview and express interest in the company and the job.
   
   
2. Be forthright and honest, giving complete information yet keeping your answers brief and to the point.
   
   
3. Speak clearly and distinctly, and avoid using slang.
   
   
4. Express self-confidence but do not appear "cocky."
   
   
5. Be tactful, allowing the interviewer to determine the course of the conversation as well as the time of bringing it to a close.
   
   
6. Ask pertinent questions but do not overemphasize topics such as salary or working hours.
   
   
7. Never argue or discuss your personal troubles.
   
   
8. Never criticize others.
   
   
9. Be poised and relaxed. Look directly at the interviewer when talking with him.
   
   
10. Express appreciation for the interview.
    

The above suggestions are by no means all the points to be considered in job interviews.

Avoiding Common Mistakes in Choosing a Career

Just as important, and in some cases extremely vital to the individual involved, are some negative aspects which should not be forgotten. These items, listed below, when not taken into con­sideration, result in what are known as the most common mis­takes made by young people while in the process of choosing a career. Thus, to avoid some common mistakes, the young person deciding upon a career:

1. Should not choose an occupation which would require physical charac­teristics which he does not possess.
   
   
2. Should not choose an occupation that would be beyond his mental capabilities.
   
   
3. Should not choose a career which would require training and financing beyond his limitations.
   
   
4. Should not choose a career which requires personality characteristics other than he possesses.
   
   
5. Should not be swayed by the glamour of the occupation.
   
   
6. Should not choose a job in which the openings are too limited.
   
   
7. Should not choose a field in which he could not acquire the skills needed for success.
   
   
8. Should not choose an occupation to satisfy desires of relatives and friends.
   

Vocational Scrapbook

A vocational scrapbook offers a basic approach to the problem of investigating the work one wants to do. It cultivates alertness in observing news items about occupations. Material for a scrap-book may be obtained from articles in newspapers, magazines, pamphlets from industry, school catalogues, and other sources. It will be surprising to find the amount of material which can be collected from the daily newspapers alone.

SUGGESTIONS FOR READING

(Starred items are for students and teachers.)

Call to the Laity: Selected Writings on the Lay Apostolate, Most Rev. Richard J. Cushing (Westminster, Md.: The Newman Press, 1956).

* Guide to the Catholic Sisterhoods in the United States, Thomas P. Mc­Carthy, C.S.V. (Washington, D. C: Catholic University of America).

*Guide to the Diocesan Priesthood in the United States, Thomas P. Mc­Carthy (Washington, D. C: Catholic University of America, 1956).

*On Holy Virginity, encyclical letter of Pope Pius XII (Washington, D. C: National Catholic Welfare Conference, 1312 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., 1954), 28 pp.

*The Lay Apostolate, an address of Pope Pius XII to the World Congress of the Lay Apostolate, October 14, N.C.W.C., Washington 5, D. C, 1951.

Men in Sandals, Richard Madden, O.C.D. (Milwaukee: The Bruce Pub­lishing Co., 1954).

*The Mystery of Love for the Single, Dominic J. Unger, O.F.M.Cap. (Chicago: Franciscan Herafd Press, 1958), 192 pp.

A Seal Upon My Heart: Autobiographies of 20 Sisters, edited by George L. Kane (Milwaukee: The Bruce Publishing Co., 1957).

The Silent Life, Thomas Merton (New York: Farrar, Straus and Cudahy, 1957).

Spinsters Are Wonderful People, D. A. Lord, S.J. (St. Louis, Mo.: The Queen's Work, 3115 South Grand Blvd., 1947).

Why I Become a Brother, edited by Rev. George L. Kane (Westminster, Md.: The Newman Press, 1954).

Why I Became a Priest, edited by Rev. George L. Kane (Westminster, Md.: The Newman Press, 1954).

Why a Religious Brother?, Rev. M. D. Forrest, M.S.C. (St. Paul, Minn.: Radio Replies Press Society, 500 Robert Street), 32 pp.

You Can Change the World: the Christopher Approach, James Keller, M.M. (New York: Longmans, 1948).

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