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Vocations

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UCYM Promotes Vocations

This menu will offer you an opportunity to explore your calling. 

Each of us is called to greatness by God. God calls us in many ways, small and large. At some point in our lives, we start to feel called to live a certain life. Perhaps in your life you felt called to priesthood or, if you are with a partner, you might  feel called to marriage. There are many ways God might be calling you. In the past, vocations were understood and promoted in more simpler terms: will you get married, be ordained a priest (for now, men only), or join consecrated life as a religious sister or brother? Today, those three important vocations still are strong vocations, but so is single (celibate) life, becoming an Oblate or religious order associate, life committed to pastoral ministry, etc. 

Through something called discernment, which in simple terms is "prayerful thought process," we can connect with God, and possibly being accompanied by someone, we can affirm the calling(s) we feel. 

UCYM is blessed to have on our team people who have resources and the ability to support vocations. UCYM connects with the Archdiocese and other religious orders to seek support and resources to help young people discern their calling. For safe environment purposes, we cannot share adult personal emails with minors or vise versa, but please send us an email to the address below and we will connect you through a parent/guardian.

If there is a resource you know that is not listed that you think would be helpful, please let us know by contacting vocations@ucym.org.

Discernment Guide

Vocation Advisors

Discerning a call to marriage or single life?
Cynthia Judge
Pat Tomich

Discerning a call to Religious life (religious sister or brother or oblate)?
Sr. Christina Fuller, OSF
Sr. Belinda Monahan, OSB 
vocation@osbchicago.org
Fr. James Halstead, OSA 
James Holzhauer-Chuckas, ObSB
james@ucym.org

Discerning a call to priesthood?
Fr. Hernan Cuevas
parishoffice@saintasparish.org 
Fr. Kenneth Anderson
franderson@saintjoanofarc.net 
Fr. Kevin McCray
kmccray@stmaryevanston.org
Fr. Tony Joseph
frtony@stmaryevanston.org
Fr. Tom Baldonieri
tbaldonieri@archchicago.org
Fr. Robert Oldershaw
roldershaw@nickchurch.org

Discerning a call to the diaconate?
Deacon Dennis Robak
drobak@stmaryevanston.org
Deacon Ramon Navarro
rnavarro@stmaryevanston.org
Deacon Jaime Rojas
jrojas@nickchurch.org

Contact & Visit Us

San José Sánchez del Río UCYM Center
St. Theresa Building - St. Nicholas Parish Campus
1108 Washington Street
Evanston, IL 60202
(P) 847-719-9071 (E) ​office@ucym.org

Mailing Address
806 Ridge Avenue
c/o UCYM Office
Evanston, IL 60202

UCYM Center Hours*
Monday-Friday 3-8 pm or by appointment
Saturday & Sunday by appointment

*Subject to change

Quick Links

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Connect with Us


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Any email sent from us will either be sent by Flocknote (mail@flocknote.com) or by a member of the UCYM staff or Ministry Team using an email address firstname@ucym.org. Please send other email to Spam and please let us know at office@ucym.org if you receive any spam messages so that we can alert others to a possible scam.

​© United Catholic Youth Ministries. All Rights Reserved.

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  • About UCYM
    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
    • Protection of Children & Youth
    • Who We Are
    • Leadership >
      • Our Staff
      • Boards and Councils
      • Leadership Academy
      • Opportunities
    • Renew My Church
    • Calendar
    • News & Updates
    • Donate
    • Store
  • For Youth
    • Start Here
    • Anti-Racism Pilot
    • Youth Group
    • Youth Council
    • Campus Ministry
    • Retreats >
      • Metanoia
      • Kairos
      • Emmaus Retreat
      • 24-Hour No Phone Retreat
      • Offline
      • Spirit Day
    • Archdiocesan Programs >
      • Holy Fire
      • NCYC
      • Totus Tuus
    • For Children >
      • Religious Education
      • Confirmation
      • Children's Liturgy of the Word
      • Vacation Bible School
  • For Young Adults
    • Start Here
    • 20s & 30s Group
    • Podcast
    • College Outreach
    • Young Adult Council
    • Theology On Tap
    • Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA)
    • Alpha
    • World Youth Day 2023
  • Hispanic Ministry
    • Start Here
    • Pastoral Juvenil
    • Quinceañera Ministry
    • Consejo Hispano
    • Hispanic Celebrations >
      • Day of the Dead
      • Our Lady of Guadalupe
    • Resources >
      • V Encuentro
      • USCCB
  • Prayer
    • Start Here
    • Lectio Divina
    • Click to Pray
  • Service
    • Start Here
    • HER Drive
    • Snack Drive
    • SNAP Gap
    • Care for Creation >
      • Start Here
      • Archdiocese of Chicago
      • Community Garden
  • Sports
  • Resources
    • Synod on Synodality
    • Mental Health Awareness
    • Need to Talk?
    • Covid-19
    • Advocacy >
      • Start Here
      • Catholic Relief Services
      • Immigration Ministry
      • Respect Life
      • Domestic Violence
      • Kolbe House Jail Ministry
      • Amate House
      • Equality for Women in the Church
      • Affirmed–LGBTQ Ministry
      • God Is On Your Side: A State from Catholic Bishops Protecting LGBTQ Youth
      • Exodus World Service
      • Black Lives Matter
      • Interfaith Action of Evanston
      • USCCB
      • St. Kateri Center of Chicago
    • Vocations >
      • Start Here
      • Cava
      • Archdiocese of Chicago
      • USCCB