Why This Blog? Why Now?

At Mass we often hear the constant calls for vocations to the priesthood and religious life but what to do if you feel that you were meant to walk another path?  Will those in the Church act as good shepherds and help you in your struggle to find your way, or will you be forced to travel this path alone?
       
As a lifelong and devout Catholic, I have NEVER had a calling to the priesthood.  This is not a bad thing.  It just means that for a very long time, I've felt a very strong desire to be married.  It's great that there are people in the world who have a calling to the priesthood and religious life and if you feel choosing this vocation is why God put you on this earth then no one should get in the way of that.  However, the Catholic Church's desire to see more priests fill its ranks often unfairly places my calling to the Sacrament of Marriage on a far less important rung in the grand scheme of things.
       
Think about it.  A common intention our lector says at Mass is: "We pray for vocations from the young men of this parish…that they will hear God's call and say yes."  The word "discernment" is often thrown in for good measure too.  However, a "vocation" can mean many things…a career…a hobby…a craft…a way of life that gives you fulfillment.  When did the definition for the all important v-word get changed to something that only applied to the priesthood and religious life?  For those of us sitting in the pews each week with the vocation of marriage burning in our hearts we are left to wonder how come no one publicly prays for us with the same sense of legitimacy and importance?  
       
Have you ever heard a lector or priest during Mass say, "We pray for the single Catholics of this parish…that they might find companionship and fulfillment in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony."  I haven't but it's not like I didn't try.  During a town hall meeting at my former parish, I mentioned my struggles as a single Catholic to our pastor and suggested they pray for the people like me at Mass during the intentions.  After he nervously grinned (probably because such an idea was so foreign to him) he talked about some of the steps that the parish could take to encourage fellowship among single Catholics but as the months passed, nothing ever came of this.  How crushed my soul felt sitting in the pews week after week with the realization my parish couldn't even be bothered to pray for the people in my situation let alone recognize our needs.
       
The Church is at a very serious crossroad which it can no longer afford to ignore.  Religion simply does not play an important role in many people's lives anymore as society continues its march toward the secular.  Parishes are closing.  Congregations are graying out with very few young adults to fill the pews.  You'd think the Church would do all it could to promote fellowship and marriage for faithful single Catholics.
       
The sad truth is many of the actions (and inactions) of the Catholic Church have only driven people away.  This is a tragedy because I think there are so many great things the Church does have to offer especially when we look at how mainstream society suffers from addiction, materialism, greed and meaningless interpersonal relationships.
       
I was raised Catholic since birth and have been devout for a very long time but my faith is like a ship adrift in a storm.  I am a lost sheep wondering why I am on this lonely path.  Are you one too?  I suspect there are many single Catholics out there who have suffered from similar disappointments and if the Church is to survive and grow, it needs to stop acting like we don't exist.