Vocations

Our Vision

TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE INDIVIDUALS CAN EASILY SAY "YES" TO THEIR SPIRIT CALLED vocation OF PRIESTHOOD, RELIGIOUS LIFE, MARRIED LIFE, OR single life.

Vocations are the entry point of all Catholics into a grace-filled sacramental life. Fostering strong and courageous vocations in the modern world is the lifeblood of the future of the Church. 



"It is the duty of the whole Christian community to foster vocation so that the needs of the sacred ministry are sufficiently met in the entire Church." -Code of Canon Law, #233.1

Vocations

A vocation within the Catholic faith is more than a career or occupation. It is the experience of God encountering an individual and revealing to that person how they were created to be loved by Him, serve the kingdom of God and become saints. That experience of being called occurs in liturgy, personal prayer and/or through their community.


Through the sacrament of Baptism, we all have one calling in our lives: holiness. This means following Jesus to the best of our abilities. However, holiness will look different depending on one’s specific vocation. To discover the vocation of their life means being attentive and discerning of God’s movements. There are four distinct types of vocations in the Church.

WHAT CAN I DO?

Pray for vocations

  • Pray a Hail Mary at the end of Mass
  • Prayer for Vocations - Click Here
  • Participate in Adoration for Vocations
  • St. Anthony of Padua, San Antonio - Wednesdays 9am - 6pm
  • Pray the Rosary for Vocations - Click Here
  • Pray for Priestly Vocations - Click here


tAKE ACTION

  • Write a note of support to a seminarian or retired priest
  • Financially Support Seminarians (coming soon)
  • Financially Support this Ministry for Vocations (coming soon)
  • Encourage children to become Altar Servers
  • Celebrate Marriages
  • Get more information - dospvocations.org/resources


Get to Know Our Priests

Fr. Michael Kouts


Sacred Heart Parish is lucky to have Fr. Michael Kouts to assist Fr. Bob by presiding over Morning Mass on Tuesdays. Fr. Mike is the Pastor of St Andrew’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Brooksville. Our Vocations Ministry Team asked Fr. Mike to tell us about himself and how he was called to the priesthood. 


Fr. Mike was born and raised in Ternopil in Western Ukraine, which was part of the Soviet Union. There were several priests in his extended family, and his parents encouraged him to consider the priesthood. He was a gifted singer and musician. After studying music at university, he worked singing opera and performing at factories for the workers. 


He was drafted into the Soviet Army and served from 1982-1986 as an Artillery Captain. He worked as a singer/musician and was the deputy Director for the Division Orchestra. Due to an illness, he lost his singing voice and re-evaluated his life. He was struck by the lack of morality in the Soviet Army.  At this time, he was called to the priesthood in the Catholic Church. This took a great deal of courage since the church was persecuted under communism. He eventually entered an underground seminary and was ordained a priest in the Ukrainian Catholic Church.  When Ukraine regained its independence, he traveled with his family to Canada and eventually to Florida about 18 years ago. 


Fr. Mike was married since the Byzantine Rite allows married priests. Unfortunately, his wife passed away, but he has two sons and three grandchildren. His sons are traveling nurses and work at Tampa General Hospital.