Caribbean clergy must reflect and recommit themselves to their vocation and assist in the recruitment of new members.

That was the message to priests following the Antilles Episcopal Conference’s 53^rd Annual Plenary Meeting in Fort de France, Martinique.

The AEC said the upcoming Year of the Priest (YOTP) will “facilitate a deepening of the spirituality of priestly service and witness”. The YOTP opens June 19 - Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus - and closes a year later on the same date with a World Meeting of Priests in Rome. The theme is Faithfulness of Christ, Faithfulness of Priests, and the patron is St John Vianney; 2009 is the 150^th anniversary of the death of St John, described as a priest who was present to his people.

The AEC urged priests during the year to gather “for study and retreat, for spiritual reading and reflection, and for priestly renewal and recommitment”. They recommended that priests also reflect on Pope Benedict’s address to the Congregation for the Clergy titled “The Missionary Identity of the Priest in the Church”.

The AEC said the YOTP should challenge priests to “renew their commitment to the ministry of vocation recruitment for the priesthood, to the care for vocations to the priesthood and for journeying with candidates for the priesthood”.

The (arch)bishops of the English, French and Dutch-speaking Caribbean territories said each (arch)diocese should celebrate the YOTP with “seriousness and joy”. They announced major plans being made by the Vatican-based Congregation for the Clergy: the publication of papal texts for reflection “on themes essential to the priestly life and mission in the world”; the publication of a directory for confessors and spiritual directors; and “The Congregation in dialogue with diocesan bishops and superiors of religious institutes will promote and coordinate pastoral initiatives to help the people appreciate the mission of priests in the Church and help priests appreciate the need for continuing formation and for associating that formation with seminarians”.

The message ended with thanks to Caribbean priests, “for their collaboration as we serve, witness and try to build the kingdom together by sanctifying, teaching and shepherding”.