Holy Spirit Parish’s Vocation Bible School plants seeds of future vocational path for kids

PEQUANNOCK  On July 20, a group of 25 wide-eyed boys and girls from Holy Spirit Parish were on the hunt in the church for items related to worship, such as the tabernacle and the sanctuary lamp.

Armed with clues, the children in grades k–4 moved as a group, looking for the items along with accompanying puzzle pieces, during a scavenger hunt. It was part of Holy Spirit’s new Vocation Bible School (VBS), held from July 18 to 22. Before the tabernacle, one boy asked, “Is there a puzzle piece in there?” eliciting laughter. He was assured “no.” But the game symbolized VBS’ purpose: to help the children start their journey to piece together the puzzles of their lives and discover God’s plan for them as a priest, religious, married person, or single person.

“It’s really fun. I like the games,” said Rebecca Nunez, a rising fourth-grader at Holy Spirit School, after the scavenger hunt. The puzzle pieces the students found fit together to form an image of a church. When The Beacon asked Nunez about whether VBS is helping her think about vocations, she replied, “I think about it a little bit.”

These students might be too young to contemplate deep questions — such as “What do I want to do with my life?” — but VBS is designed to “plant a seed that bears fruit,” said Father Stephen Prisk, Holy Spirit’s pastor and diocesan vice chancellor. A kinetic schedule of activities kept the students engaged for VBS, which took place 9 a.m. to noon each day. It was the first time that Holy Spirit held a Vocation Bible School, a twist on Vacation Bible School programs that many parishes in the Diocese hold for kids during the summer, he said.

“VBS lays the foundation for these kids to think about a vocation. It’s never too early to consider it,” said Father Prisk, one of the coordinators of VBS, which was drawn from a published program, Discovery Mission.

The morning of July 20 opened like the other days with prayer and a presentation in a classroom in Holy Spirit School — this time by Father Prisk. He introduced the theme for the day: learning about the priesthood. In the person of Jesus, the priest presents the gifts of Christ to the people of God: the Sacraments, including the Eucharist, Penance, and Anointing of the Sick, the pastor said. He noted that we receive God’s graces through the Sacraments.

“The priest helps his parishioners through the Sacraments. The priest answers Jesus’ call to ‘Go and bear fruit,’” said Father Prisk, who asked the kids sitting around him if that meant growing oranges or apples on a tree. One girl said the fruits are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. “These fruits assist priests in helping people encounter God and make new Christians,” he said.

Father Prisk also told the kids, “Stay close to Jesus. Keep receiving the Sacraments. Spend time with him in prayer and ask him what he wants us to do with our lives.”

After, the group walked to the school cafeteria for an art project. With glue, they traced lines of a Eucharistic Host and a chalice — pre-drawn images on a blue board. They poured salt on the lines of glue and painted them different colors that soaked into the glue.

Then, some of the kids played a parachute game, led by older teens and adult leaders of Holy Spirit, who volunteered to staff VBS. Each person was assigned a letter — “m” for Mass, “c” for collar, “p” for priest, and “b” for Bible. They held onto the perimeter of the parachute. When their letter was called, they giggled as they ran underneath to the other side.

Across the cafeteria, other campers were trying to throw a small orange ball into a bucket on the floor a few feet away. Manning the bucket, Father Prisk rewarded those kids who tossed the ball into the bucket by letting them reach into the bucket and pull out a small piece of paper. Then, the young person read out what was printed on the paper: a word related to faith. They included, “Liturgy of the Hours, which allows for uninterrupted prayer to God all day.”

“This day is super-good. I like gym and when the priests and nuns talk,” said Jake Vivola, another rising Holy Spirit fourth-grader, taking a break from the games. He admitted that he still has not thought much about his vocation.

Afterward, the group walked across the parking lot to the church for more praying and singing of hymns, led by Sister Madeleine Davis and Sister Manuela Guimaraes, both novices of the Sisters of Christian Charity from Mendham. After the scavenger hunt, Carlos Vargas, a diocesan seminarian, wore vestments to portray St. Junipero Serra. The saint was a missionary in California and a model priest. After, three campers were chosen to ring the bell of the church with Father Prisk and Vargas.

VBS for July 20 ended that day when the group returned to Holy Spirit School for a skit about a nun and three priests, put on by students in the school’s drama program.

On Tuesday, the day before, the camp explored married life. On Thursday, Sisters Madeleine and Manuela spoke about the founder of their order, Blessed Pauline Mallinckrodt, who cared for blind children in her native Germany. The talk was followed by prayer and Adoration. Father Prisk learned about VBS from Father Edward Rama, diocesan vocations director.

“Some kids may be open [to exploring a vocation], while others may be only interested in the games. But it plants a seed,” said one of the sisters.

After leading the art project on July 20, Kristin Cingari said that at night, she talked to two of her kids — Francesca, third-grade, and Lorenzo, kindergarten — about what they learned at VBS each day. She coordinated the art project that week with her daughter Gabby, eight months, in tow.

“This gives the kids different aspects of vocations, such as the different types of clothes that religious sisters wear,” Cingari said.