My Dear Brothers and Sisters, On this day when the Church celebrates the Feast of the Birthday of Our Lady, together with Cardinal Pell and my brother bishops and priests, I welcome each and every one of you for this very special and historic ordination. We accompany eight men to the altar for ordination as priests in the Catholic Church.

On 8th September another eight men were ordained by Archbishop Denis Hart to join Fr Michael Gallacher who was ordained on 29th June as Priests of the Archdiocese of Melbourne. Rev Frs Neil Fryer, James Grant, Andrew McCarter, Benneth Osuagwu, Jerome Santamaria, Christopher Seton, Kevin Williams and Ramsay Williams were welcomed by priests and seminarians of the Archdiocese and a great number of family, friends and parishioners who packed St Patrick's Cathedral for the ordinations.

The latest edition of Vocations News has articles from the Director, on the 9 ordinations to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Melbourne in 2012, on the Vocations Retreat, a report on the recent Vocations Expo, some students reflections from a Vocations Forum at St Monica's College, and dates for the remainder of 2012.

The annual Vocations Retreat for young men who are considering a vocation to the diocesan priesthood will be held 21-24 September at Pallotti College in Millgrove. A MUST for men who wish to apply to enter the Seminary, this is a great opportunity to spend some time apart with the Lord discerning his plan for your life.

Thanks to all the people who attended our Vocations Expo last night. It was a fantastic success - sorry we hadn't ordered more pizza!

Catholic Vocations has developed a new set of brochures promoting the five Christian Vocations - Single Life, Marriage, Consecrated Life for Men and Women and the Priesthood. Sent to all Parishes for National Vocations Awareness Week - look in your local church for these new resources.

Every year the Church in Australia offers to the faithful an entire week dedicated to promoting vocations awareness. This year, National Vocations Awareness Week will be celebrated from 5th – 12th of August. This is an opportunity for us to reflect on the variety of ways through which people live their Christian vocation in today‘s world: single life, married life, consecrated life or the ordained ministry; and in particular to pray for more vocations to Priesthood and Consecrated Life.

On Saturday morning, 30th June, at St Philip’s, North Blackburn, newly ordained Fr Michael Gallacher celebrated his first mass in thanksgiving for his Ordination to the Priesthood. The little church, where Fr Michael’s faith and vocation was nurtured as he was growing up, was packed to the doors as many family, friends and parishioners joined him to celebrate the Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome.

Rev Fr Michael Gallacher was ordained a priest of Jesus Christ by Archbishop Denis Hart at St Patrick’s Cathedral on the feast of Ss Peter and Paul, 29th June 2012. To the rousing hymn, Let all on earth their voices raise, Michael entered the Cathedral in a procession of about 20 seminarians and twice that number of priests.

Vatican City, 25 June 2012 (VIS) - A press conference was held this morning in the Holy See Press Office to present the document "Pastoral Guidelines for Fostering Vocations to Priestly Ministry". The conference was presented by Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski; Archbishop Jean-Louis Brugues O.P., and Msgr. Angelo Vincenzo Zani, respectively prefect, secretary and under secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education.