PALM BEACH GARDENS | In the past year, the diocesan Office of Vocations and Seminarians tackled a project to update its strategic plan. In 2020, when Father Daniel Daza-Jaller was named director of the office, a plan for vocations was formulated and followed for four years. The revised 2025-2028 plan includes mission and vision statements and three priorities that encompass the work of his office.
“Whenever I explain the Vocations Office, it’s actually two offices. It’s the Office of Vocations and the Office of Seminarians, and they overlap in some areas, but they have very distinct missions. The mission and vision statement both try to bring that out,” he said in advance of Good Shepherd Sunday, April 26.
The mission statement is “We foster a culture of lifelong openness to God’s will throughout the Diocese of Palm Beach and accompany those responding to their vocation, especially the diocesan priesthood.”
“Our goal isn’t to convince guys to be priests or convince women to be sisters,” Father Daza-Jaller said. “It’s just to convince people to be open to God’s will throughout their whole life, regardless of their age, regardless of their state in life. Just be open to God’s will because we’re convinced that if people do that, then we’ll have more priests and sisters.”
The vision statement (“To have an abundance of missionary disciples of Jesus Christ discerning their vocation to ensure ministers to foment a new vibrancy throughout the diocese”) highlights “what to us would be a successful vocations office or a diocese that is living this culture of vocations. We just have all these people who are aware that God has a plan for their life and they’re actively pursuing what that plan is,” he said.
One of the vital initiatives in the plan is the creation of regional or deanery vocation promoters, Father Daza-Jaller said. “If you talk to any vocations director, one of their big things is that everyone’s a vocations director. Especially every priest is a vocation director in the diocese, which is true, but it helps when you have people who are somewhat dedicated to that role a little more intentionally. But it’s problematic when you have one person alone in the diocese who’s dedicated to that role.”
Regional promoters would be the people visiting schools, forming discernment groups, and having initial meetings with young men and women interested in serving the church, he said. The Office of Vocations and Seminarians includes Father Daza-Jaller, Sister Jadwiga Drapala, episcopal delegate for religious and coordinator of women’s vocations, and Brian Mundackal, associate director.
Another key point in the plan is building a framework for collaboration with parishes, schools, and other diocesan offices and ministries. “If they have an event, or if they’re doing something, they have the mindset, ‘Hey, let’s invite vocations to come and do some little thing, whatever it may be.’ That collaboration piece is a huge one for us. We’ve seen growth in that area,” Father Daza-Jaller said.
From conversations with and feedback from Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez, the presbyteral council and other diocesan leaders, he feels the Vocations Office is on the right track, and the strategic plan is helping to drive progress and innovation. With eight seminarians now studying for the diocesan priesthood, Father Daza-Jaller sees positive signs that, with greater general awareness and partnerships among the faithful, more men and women will feel a pull toward serving the church.
For information on vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life, contact Father Daza-Jaller at 561-775-9552 or vocations@diocesepb.com, by visiting www.palmbeachvocations.com or following the Vocations Office on Facebook and Instagram.
