On the occasion of the Jubilee of Seminarians and Priests, the Dicastery for the Clergy is promoting an important moment of encounter, reflection, and sharing, entitled “Happy Priests – I Have Called You Friends” (Jn 15:15). This international meeting, attended by Pope Leo XIV, is aimed at all those involved in vocational ministry and seminary formation. The event will be held on Thursday, June 26, 2025, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., in the Auditorium Conciliazione, Via della Conciliazione 4. The title chosen for the meeting, taken from the Gospel of John – “I Have Called You Friends” (Jn 15:15) – is intended to evoke the heart of the priestly vocation as friendship with Christ the Good Shepherd and joyful service to the People of God, in the discovery and fulfillment of the Master’s call, which is above all a call to happiness.

Prayer, sharing, testimonies

The meeting will open with a moment of prayer and a greeting from Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy, who will introduce the proceedings by highlighting the value of this space in the Jubilee Year of Hope. This will be followed by a first session dedicated to five significant experiences of vocational ministry, which will offer a global overview of current best practices on different continents. Father José Alberto Estrada García, already Secretary for Vocation Ministry of the Mexican Episcopal Conference, will present the experience of the Diocesan Vocational Center of Monterrey as a concrete example of vocational accompaniment at the local level.

From Italy, Fr. Michele Gianola, director of the National Office for Vocation Ministry, will speak, presenting various aspects of the vocational ministry currently underway in the country. From Argentina, Dr. María Lía Zervino will illustrate an experience of missionary youth ministry that generates calls to the priesthood, consecrated life, and Christian marriage. From Ireland, Dr. Maura Murphy, general director and co-founder of  Holy Family Mission , will share her testimony of a surprising vocational revival born from young people themselves: from a historic low of 12 seminarians, significant growth is now being recorded, with more than 35 young people on the path. From Spain, where a new vocational ministry project has been launched, Fr. Florentino Pérez Vaquer, director of the Secretariat of the Episcopal Subcommission for Seminaries of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, will speak.

The Pope’s intervention

The heart of the “Happy Priests” event will be a talk by Pope Leo XIV, a time for listening and reflecting on the meaning of the priestly vocation today, its beauty, and the call to holiness and communion in the daily life of the ministry. This will likely be followed by a space for dialogue, with questions, testimonies, and sharing of experiences.

The second part of the meeting will follow, dedicated to five examples of good practices in the initial formation of seminarians. From Africa, testimonies will be given on how, in a context of abundant vocations, serious discernment and solid formation are being promoted, also through the integration of large seminaries into small communities of life and the inclusion of manual labor as an educational tool, especially in contexts of poverty. The Philippines will offer the example of the Immaculate Conception Seminary of Malolos, which promotes integral, participatory, and missionary formation, strongly linked to small ecclesial base communities. Colombia will present the experience of the San Carlos Conciliar Seminary of the Diocese of Socorro and San Gil, which is organized into five small communities living in five houses arranged around a central building with a chapel, as a sign of the living presence of Jesus among them. From Brazil, the Missionary Councils of Seminarians will be discussed, a national network comprising more than 110 local organizations, promoting missionary experiences, formation meetings, and a triennial national congress. Finally, from the United States, the experience of the Diocese of Wichita (Kansas) will be presented, recognized as an exemplary model for its focus on formation that attracts many vocations.

Vigil at St. Peter’s

The event is intended not only as a formative and informative moment, but also as a fraternal opportunity for encounter between priests, formators, religious men and women, and lay people committed to initial formation and vocational ministry. The work is scheduled to conclude at 6:00 p.m., in order to participate in the Vocation Vigil scheduled for St. Peter’s Basilica.

Participation is free, but registration is required through the official website of the Dicastery for the Clergy  www.clerus.va , while places are still available.