Barbara Dunn enjoys promoting vocations

By Mike Gordon of The Anchor

SOMERSET — Msgr. Edmund J. Fitzgerald has been pastor at St. Thomas More Parish for a few months, but he is already seeing the impact that long time parishioner Barbara Dunn continues to make and why she was named The Anchor’s Person of the Week.

"I’m thankful for the work of Barbara Dunn," said Msgr. Fitzgerald. "She is making a difference at our parish with the work she does raising awareness about vocations. She brings to mind that we must all pray for vocations and that’s wonderful."

When she first heard that she had been nominated, Dunn said she was "surprised," but honored to be thought of in such a way.

The Fall River native attended Sacred Heart Parish in the city when she was younger and moved to Somerset with her family in 1961. She has been a parishioner at St. Thomas More Church since. She has been involved in numerous activities, the most prominent of which is chairman of the St. Thomas More Vocation Awareness Team.

"I started that in our parish 18 years ago and I’ve been helping to promote and pray for vocations ever since," said Dunn.

It wasn’t something that she was planning on doing, but it worked out that way. A visiting nun gave a presentation and later asked for people who were interested in starting a vocation awareness team to stay. When she looked around at the end of the meeting, she was the only one left.

"I enjoy encouraging others to pray for vocations and it’s been a wonderful learning experience for me," she said. "I’m very happy with what I do. When you follow the will of God, that’s what happens."

For many years, the program at St. Thomas More Parish was the only one of its kind in the diocese, but now there are more thanks to Dunn’s efforts. She’s traveled throughout the diocese to address parish groups and spread the word about how to start up a vocation team and to give ideas to those who are interested.

"I’ve enjoyed it," declared Dunn. "I’m good at organizing people and we’re lucky that in our group we have many talented people working together."

Each third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m., the parish holds a holy hour for vocations consisting of prayer and music. The team also writes notes of encouragement to seminarians and diocesan priests.

"We get a lot of enjoyment out of that and hear a lot of positive things back from the seminarians."

Dunn believes that one of the reasons why there is a shortage of priests is not enough people are being asked to say yes to the priesthood. "No one is asking young people to answer the call. They need encouragement," said Dunn.

Dunn recalled years ago when she was traveling in Canada, and the nearest Catholic Mass from where she was staying was 40 miles away. "That’s when I first really started praying for vocations," she said. "I didn’t want people to go without Mass."

She attends daily Mass most days.

Another project she helped initiate at the parish is the 31 Club. For each of the 31 days in October people sign up for a day on which they will pray for priestly vocations. The response was overwhelming and they had more than 100 people sign up.

"I love my parish," said Dunn. "We have such wonderful people there."

Dunn worked for New England Telephone, now Verizon, from 1945-1985 where she eventually became a manager. She started the job right out of high school. She lives with her sister a short distance from the parish.

When she retired from the phone company she got involved in the Cursillo movement and planned to dedicate three years of her life to Christ. As she looked around the living room, she smiled and said, "It’s been 22 years and I haven’t looked back yet."

She said that Cursillo teaches one how to live a Christian life as a lay person and bring Christ into all aspects of life. "We strive to make Christ more prominent in our lives," she said.

She meets weekly with several other women who are members of the group and they share stories and read the Bible. "We study and share stories and ask one another: How did you bring people closer to Christ this week? It’s had a very positive impact on my life and has been a source of challenge and support."

Dunn also taught Religious Education for many years and has served as a lector and extraordinary minister of holy Communion. She was also diocesan secretary for the Cursillo movement for a number of years.

She currently trains and is coordinator of lectors and extraordinary ministers of Communion at the parish and has been doing so for 22 years.

But that’s not all. Dunn also keeps up on current events that involve the Catholic Church like abortion and gay marriage, writing to her congressmen and representatives frequently.

"I enjoy that. I love being involved in current events. I always think that if good people don’t do anything, then bad things happen."

Dunn traveled a great deal when she was younger and some of her favorite places included Italy and the Canadian Rockies. "We felt the presence of God in all that beauty."

When she’s not working to promote vocations she enjoys doing aerobics at the YMCA and reading at the beach during the summer.

This article appeared in the edition of The Anchor published on October 13, 2006.