Friar Charles Johnson, O.P.

How long have you been involved in vocation ministry?

I have been director of vocations for my province, the Province of Saint Martin de Porres, since May 2014.

Are you part of a vocation team or a one-person operation?

I am a one-person operation. Still, as I remind my brother friars, we are all “vocation promoters”! 

Has being a member of NRVC been helpful?

Membership in the NRVC has been a very positive experience for me and my religious order. The sense of community and collaboration in NRVC supports me, especially the way women’s and men’s communities share wisdom and joy and offer mutual support. In addition I have benefited greatly from several NRVC workshops offered during the Summer and Fall Institutes.

What ideas have you used in vocation ministry lately that excite you?

After nearly 10 years of service in Latin America, I am convinced that religious life in the United States must provide leadership in drawing the church outward to accompany and serve the poor and marginalized, reinvigorate our society with gospel joy and confidence, and offer a Christ-like witness against the currents of despair, hatred, and violence so prevalent in our world today. That is our essence. That is our mission. Our vocation ministry must promote it.

Do you have any words of wisdom to those who are new to this ministry?

Always strive to ensure that vocation ministry is a pastoral endeavor to help others, especially youth and young adults, come to maturity in faith through an authentic relationship with Christ and the people they encounter. As a result, they can discover the path that God beckons them to follow in life. Be creative, joyful, and hope-filled.   

What do you find most rewarding and most challenging in vocation work?

Working with college students and young adults has presented experiences that call me to greater flexibility. It's also made me question habitual ways of thinking and acting. The challenges are real, but when we meet them, the rewards are even greater.