From February 7 to 9, 2025, the Spanish Episcopal Conference held at the Madrid-Arena pavilion the Vocations Congress under the theme "Who am I for? Assembly of Mission Callings". For three days, about 3,000 people from different ecclesial realities - dioceses, religious congregations, lay movements and new communities - gathered to reflect on the Christian vocation in all its forms.
The congress was inaugurated with a message from Pope Francis, who recalled that every vocation is born of the love of God and is sustained by generous self-giving. Cardinal José Cobo, Archbishop of Madrid, encouraged the participants to allow themselves to be surprised by the call of God, who always invites us to go out of ourselves. Archbishop Luis Argüello, president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, stressed in his speech that it is not only a question of asking ourselves 'for whom I am', but of making our life a concrete response to God's call.
An ambitious bid to address a key topic
The organization of this congress has been an ambitious commitment on the part of the Spanish Church, which has approached the topic of vocations with a great investment in means and logistics. The choice of the Madrid-Arena pavilion, a venue with a capacity for thousands of attendees, reflected the magnitude and importance of the event.
The congress responded to the need to promote a renewed vocational impulse at a time when the Church is facing great challenges in the transmission of the faith and the accompaniment of those who feel a special call from God. With a varied and dynamic program, the Episcopal Conference has sought to generate a lasting impact on the country's vocation ministry.
A Congress structured in four itineraries
The event was organized around four major thematic itineraries: Word, Community, Subject and Mission. These axes served as a guide for the reflections, testimonies and activities, offering an integral vision of the Christian vocation.
- Word: The seminar has deepened our understanding of how vocation is born and nourished by listening to God through Scripture and prayer.
- Community: the importance of accompaniment and community life in the vocational journey has been addressed.
- Subject: the focus has been placed on the personal identity of each believer and his or her process of discernment.
- Mission: vocation has been highlighted as a call to dedication and service within and outside the Church.
64 training workshops
Within these itineraries, the participants took part in a total of 64 workshops designed to deepen their understanding of different aspects of vocation. These spaces, led by experts, priests, religious and committed lay people, have included testimonies of people who have discovered and embraced their vocation in various ecclesial realities.
In addition to the workshops, the Congress offered moments of community prayer, spaces for adoration, vocational testimonies and liturgical celebrations, culminating with a sending Eucharist presided over by Bishop Luis Argüello. In his concluding remarks, the president of the EEC recalled that vocation is always a response of love to a God who calls us to serve with joy.
