Holy Hour is a Catholic devotional tradition that dates back to the 17th century and St. Margaret Mary Alacoque of France. Over the years, there have appeared numerous variations on intentions to be prayed for within the hour-long devotion, which is undertaken by spending an hour in Eucharistic adoration
The power of such prayer has been extolled throughout the Church; as applied to vocations, Holy Hour has found some prominent advocates. The Pope John Paul II Eucharistic Adoration Association holds that, “Grace through group prayer puts a great resource within our midst…inspiration from the Holy Spirit guides us to help channel some of this prayerful energy to support our ordained clergy and seminarians, as well as amplifying the call to vocations.”
More generally, the role of laypeople in engaging regularly in prayer for vocations has been emphasized strongly by Church leaders. In a homily to the faithful of his Archdiocese, Bishop Raymond Goedert of Chicago once remarked, “You have been called to be leaders. Pray for an increase of vocations to the priesthood and religious life. You, the laity, have the power to save the Church!”
