Sister Pat Twohill, O.P., Dominican Sister of Peace

How long have you been involved in vocation ministry?

This is my 12th year in vocation ministry. I am also co-coordinator for Region 1 in New England.

Are you part of a vocation team? 

I have the joy of working with two other full-time vocation ministers, Sisters Pat Dual, O.P. and June Fitzgerald, O.P.

Has being a member of NRVC been helpful?

NRVC has been a guiding light for me since I began this ministry back in the 1980s. I look to it for professional education, support, and practical ideas. I have always found the convocations wonderfully enriching; the publications educational and worthy of study with congregational members and leaders; and the regional meetings a great way to be resourced and to foster collaboration.

Programs such as "Moving Forward in Hope" and the NRVC-CARA studies have been very beneficial. I also enjoy working closely with the other members of Region 1.

What has been your best outreach effort?

There are multiple strands to the outreach I do, and I have found they all have a place and must be used together. Come and See retreats of all varieties—from a "twilight" experience on a Friday evening, to a full weekend—are popular and helpful. Mini-live-in experiences also help serious discerners get a taste of our communal life. Providing opportunities for discerners to give direct service is rewarding for them and provides a chance to catch the spirit of the community. A robust and up-to-date Web presence also is essential. That is one of the first places discerners go when they are researching possible communities.

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

I would say to a new vocation director: Immerse yourself in this ministry no matter how hard you find it at first. Any other ministry (teaching, lecturing, offering retreats in parishes, visiting the sick, the imprisoned, etc.) will be tempting and will most likely feel more satisfying than vocation promotion at first.

I have heard too many newly appointed vocation directors say, "I don't know what I am supposed to do. I don't know where to begin. They've got the wrong person!" If you are having a hard time figuring out what you are supposed to do in this new role, I would say: Find a mentor. [The NRVC workshop "Orientation for New Vocation Directors" is also a resource.]