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Scalabrinian Vocational Year
2026-2027
Scalabrinian Prayer for Vocations
Gracious God,
you have blessed us
with many gifts and talents.
Grant us the wisdom
to recognize them and place them at the service
of the glory of your name.
Bless your Church with generous hearts,
inspired by the Holy Spirit,
in the likeness of the missionary zeal
of Saint John Baptist Scalabrini.
Stir within us an ardent desire
to serve your people,
especially migrants and refugees,
in priestly, religious, and lay life,
within our Scalabrinian Congregation.
Amen.
Revitalizing one’s vocation: a flame to be nurtured and renewed
Message for the Scalabrinian Year of Vocations
The Superior General, Fr. Leonir Chiarello, CS
With joy, on April 26, Good Shepherd Sunday, the Congregation will officially open the Year of Vocations. It will be a time of grace, given to the entire Scalabrinian family, to return to the essence of the call we have received, to cherish with gratitude the gift of vocation, and to reawaken, in each person’s heart, the ardent desire to follow Christ along the roads of the world.
Accompanying this journey will be the words of St. Paul to Timothy: “I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you” (2 Tim 1:6): an invitation not to let the fire we have received go out, but to renew it every day. The verb Paul uses, “to rekindle,” evokes precisely this image: that of a flame that is not extinguished, but which must be revived so that it may burn with renewed vigor. It is the fire of the first encounter with the Lord, of that moment when his voice filled the heart with joy, of the grace received through the Church and entrusted to our freedom. To rekindle the gift, then, means returning to the source, renewing our relationship with the Giver, opening our hands before God, and allowing ourselves to be reached once again by his love.
The life and mission of Saint John Baptist Scalabrini illuminate our path. Our founder knew how to hear the cry of the migrants of his time and to read in their wounds a call from God. He did not keep the faith as something to be kept for himself, but transformed it into dedication, courage, and concrete charity. He pointed to a Gospel path made of compassion and shared responsibility, to the point of giving life to a mission that still bears fruit today. In him we see the beauty of a life fully given: an existence rooted in God and, precisely for this reason, entirely spent for others.
Today, we renew our commitment to proclaim to the world with conviction that it is worth leaving everything for God. Not because the Lord takes something away from us, but because He gives everything in a new way. Living for Jesus does not mean fleeing from reality, but choosing what truly matters; it does not mean renouncing life, but entrusting it to a greater love; it does not mean losing, but finding in Him the truest meaning of one’s existence. At a time when many seek security, affirmation, or autonomy, it is important to remind young people that life truly flourishes when it becomes a gift.
As St. John Paul II said during World Youth Day 2000 in Rome, “It is Jesus whom you seek when you dream of happiness; it is He who awaits you when nothing you find satisfies you; it is He who is the beauty that so attracts you; it is He who stirs you with that thirst for radicalism that does not allow you to settle for compromise.” This is the challenge to which we are called as Scalabrinian missionaries: to bear witness through our works that the Gospel is worth living to the very end and that giving oneself for the Kingdom of God makes the heart profoundly free.
The Year of Vocations will, therefore, be an invitation to all who share the Scalabrinian charism to embark on a journey of prayer, listening, discernment, and renewed openness. It will be a favorable time to re-examine one’s own story in the light of God’s faithfulness, torekindle one’s first love, to allow oneself to be questioned by Christ, and to renew, with joy, one’s “yes.”
Let us ask the Lord for the gift of open hearts that know how to recognize his voice and respond with generosity. Let us pray that a true culture of vocation may grow in our communities, capable of bearing witness to the beauty of consecration and of accompanying with care those who feel called by God.
We entrust this Year of Vocations to the Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Mother of Migrants, and to the intercession of St. John Baptist Scalabrini, that they may guide the journey of the Congregation and help each one to rekindle what they have received, to remain in God’s love, and to live with joy their vocation in service to the Gospel and to the least of these.
Get in Touch with the organizing committee
Fr. Leonilo Mantilla, cs; Fr. Leo Bobila, cs; Fr. Nguyen Van Giang, cs; Fr. Tran Quoc Bao, cs and Bro. Vu Ngoc Khanh, cs
The Provincial Message for the Scalabrinian Year of Vocations
April 26, 2026
In alignment with No. 7, "Consecration founded on hope," of the XVI General Chapter of the Scalabrinian Missionary Project (GCSMP), which calls for dedicating a year to vocations, the General, Regional, and Provincial Secretariats for Formation have designated April 26, 2026, to April 18, 2027, as the Year of Vocations. This period will be celebrated across all missions and formation houses within the Congregation.
Today also coincides with the Fourth Sunday of Easter, known as Good Shepherd Sunday, and the World Day of Prayer for Vocations in the Catholic Church.
Origin and purpose of our vocations
The Divine Father calls us to help build the Kingdom of God on earth by promoting justice, peace, respect, and love among all people, so that we may one day share eternal life with Him.
Jesus says He is the gate through which anyone who enters will "have life and have it to the full. " (cf. John 10: 10). We are called to holiness, to become another Christ. "By virtue of baptism, every Christian is a 'Christopher', a bearer of Christ" (cf. Catechesis, 30 January 2016).
Listen to God's call and follow him
God's love is demonstrated through self-giving, generosity, unconditional care, and a willingness to listen to his people. As followers, we are called to listen to the Good Shepherd, who calls us by name, and we should follow him because we recognized his voice (cf. John 10: 3-4).
Scalabrinian Vocation
As Scalabrinians, religious missionaries and priests, our mission is to journey with, accompany, listen to, learn from, serve, and share our faith and hope with migrants, seafarers, refugees, fishermen, and all itinerant people.
This calling is a gift from the Holy Spirit to the Catholic Church, entrusted to us through our founder, St John Baptist Scalabrini. Inspired by God, he established our Congregation under the guidance and example of St Charles Borromeo, persevering despite many challenges and hardships. This aligns with the words of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV for the 63 rd World Day of Prayer for Vocations:
"Through the light and strength of his Spirit (Jesus ' spirit), even in the midst of trials and crises, we can see our vocation grow and mature, reflecting ever more fully the beauty of the One who has called us, a beauty shaped byfidelity and trust, despite our wounds andfailures."
As Scalabrinians and followers of Jesus Christ, we should listen attentively to the needs of itinerant people, remain ready to serve, and reflect the migrant face of Christ in our actions.
A strong relationship with God strengthens our vocations.
During the Scalabrini Year for Vocations, we are called to strengthen our relationship with the Lord and bear witness to his love, especially for migrants, refugees, seafarers, fishermen, and itinerant people. To do this, we must remain in regular communication with the Lord through prayer and meditation.
His Holiness Pope Leo XIV expressed these attitudes clearly in his 63 rd World Day of Prayer for Vocations:
"The Lord of life knows us and enlightens our hearts with his loving gaze. Indeed, every vocation begins with the awareness and experience of a God who is love (cf. I Jn 4:16). He knows us profoundly... and has envisaged for each person a unique path of holiness and service... I encourage you to cultivate your personal relationship with God through daily prayer and meditation on the Word."
Future Missions
As missionaries of hope, we trust in God's Providence to continue the missions entrusted to us and to prepare for future service. Our commitment to our charism and spirituality guides us as we discern how best to serve itinerant people. As His Holiness Pope Leo XIV stated for the 63 rd World Day of Prayer for Vocations:
"To know the Lord means above all learning to entrust oneself to him and to his providence, which is abundant in every vocation."
Pray for Holy Vocations
On this World Day of Prayer for Vocations and during the Scalabrini Year of Vocations, we should continue to pray for religious and diocesan vocations. Many people still do not know Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and seek spiritual fulfilment.
Many of these individuals are itinerants who face persecution, rejection, racism, abuse, exploitation, manipulation, and loneliness. They long for love and protection.
We should pray for vocations that will serve as witnesses to the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. We need young men and women who embody self-denial, generosity, and a deep love for Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother to Migrants. They should demonstrate passion and conviction in spreading the Good News, as Peter did on Pentecost, when about 3,000 people joined the Christian faith (cf. Acts 2: 14, 41).
Actively promote vocations to serve itinerant people.
Dear confreres, during this Scalabrini Year of Vocations, we are especially called to promote and animate vocations to religious and missionary life among young people who wish to become brothers and priests and to serve itinerant people.
Conclusion
I will conclude with the words of our Superior General from his message for the Scalabrinian Year of Vocations:
"We entrust this Year of Vocations to the Virgin Mary, Mother ofGod and mother ofMigrants, and to the intercession of St John Baptist Scalabrini, that they may guide the journey of the congregation and help each one to rekindle what they have received, to remain in God's love, and to live with joy their vocation in service to the Gospel and to the least of these."
Fr. Martin Ignacio Gutierrez, CS, Provincial Superior.
Official Logo
Logo Explaining
The flames present in the logo represent the Holy Spirit, the Gift of God granted to the Church and to every Christian through Baptism and confirmed in the Sacrament of Confirmation, when the faithful are strengthened to witness to Christ in the world, as the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy: “Therefore I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands” (2Tim 1:6). The image directly refers to the event of Pentecost, narrated in the Acts of the Apostles: “Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which were divided and came to rest on each one of them” (Acts 2:3).
This moment marks the birth of the missionary Church. The Holy Spirit, promised by Christ, descends upon the apostles and sends them to proclaim the Gospel to all peoples, overcoming barriers of language, culture, and nation.
The symbol is formed by two flames that complement each other without touching, indicating a profound unity between God and humanity. This image recalls the very nature of the Church, which, moved by the Spirit, gathers different peoples into one Body in Christ (First Epistle to the Corinthians 12:4–13). The hollow space within the inner flame forms the figure of a dove, the traditional symbol of the Holy Spirit, inspired by the account of the Baptism of Jesus: “The Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove” (cf. Gospel of Luke 3:22).
At the same time, this dove also evokes migratory birds that cross borders and travel long distances in search of fertile lands. This image deeply resonates with the Scalabrinian charism, as it recalls the reality of millions of migrants, refugees, and seafarers who, throughout history, have left their homeland in search of dignity, hope, and new life.
Thus, the flames symbolize the Holy Spirit who raises up charisms and sends missionaries, reminding us that a charism is a gift granted for the good of the Church and of the world.
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