Rationale

Priests and those in the consecrated life, like any person, share interests — interests such as running or playing sports. Training is a time to reflect and to pray. It’s important that we include prayer into our undertakings. Runners/walkers know that in the course of their respective races they'll experience great challenges. But the sense of accomplishment and mission to overcome these challenges makes it worthwhile to them. Each runner/walker will say "I do not run aimlessly" (1 Corinthians 9:26).


Bishop Larry Silva of Honolulu has supported these initiatives in line with the Catholic Church celebration of the Jubilee Year of St. Paul. This will be a positive statement of the Diocesan Vocations Office to bring awareness to people that we as a Catholic community are determined to make a difference, and we as a Church are expressing a need for vocations.


Whether one chooses to run the entire marathon course of 26.2 miles, to run a shorter course, or to walk, discipline is required to prepare and complete the course. The discipline of proper training and finishing each marathon (according to the means and distance for which you have registered), will teach Catholic Youth and other participants that they can have endurance throughout their lives and they can accomplish great things. At each marathon, they offer their sacrifice to run/walk “extra miles” for vocations. The mission is always to finish the race for which one has registered. As St. Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:7, "I have finished the race; I have kept the faith."

Descriptions

1. Runners/walkers collect “prayer for vocations” pledges, instead of donations, from the friends for Vocations, parents, parishioners, students and youth ministry members.

2. Runners / walkers circulate a sign-up sheet for people willing to pray for vocations for each mile they complete.

3. Each runner/walker carries a prayer card of vocation candidates to pray for during the race.

4. Runners will be identified through their vocation shirts with the motto, "I do not run aimlessly" (1 Corinthians 9:26) or "I have finished the race; I have kept the faith" from 2 Timothy 4:7.

5. A day before the race, all participants are encouraged to attend Mass (venue varied) with Rev. Peter Dumag or the Bishop presiding. Anyone can sponsor a Carbo-snack.

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