Many of the young men who attended the Quo Vadis Day 2026 vocations retreat on June 25 took their best shot at archery, with some arrows hitting the target and others veering far off.
The all-day annual retreat scored a bull’s-eye with 35 high-school-aged men from the Paterson Diocese, N.J., and beyond, who attended to discern God’s plan for their lives. Organized by the diocesan Vocation Office, it mixed faith, vocations, and fun, including recreational activities. Quo Vadis was held at Shiloh Bible Camp in the Hewitt neighborhood of West Milford, N.J.
At Quo Vadis, the retreatants were encouraged to spend time in prayer to develop a relationship with Jesus so they can hear his call to a vocation: single, married, or priestly life. That spiritual focus set the stage for Jason Barone, 15, of St. Anthony Parish in Hawthorne, N.J., who arrived already considering the priesthood.
“I would love to be a priest, especially to minister to youth — and have fun doing it,” said Barone, during his second year at Quo Vadis. “This is a great place. I reconnected with people from last year. I love adoration, confession, and Mass here,” he said.
Quo Vadis — Latin for “Where are you going?” — gave the retreatants, usually 14 to 17 years old, time to socialize with one another and with priests and seminarians in attendance. They also enjoyed meals together, including lunch provided by the Knights of Columbus. Barone called the inspirational priests and seminarians there “fun and down to earth.”
During Quo Vadis, the young men also listened to vocations talks by seminarians and by Father Lucas Folan, a newly ordained priest to the diocese. The teens also attended a Mass celebrated by Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney. The retreat also included Eucharistic adoration, confessions, and a hike with recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet.
Retreatants also swam, played basketball or soccer, or tried archery, an outdoor zip line, or indoor rock climbing at the non-denominational Christian camp, nestled in the bucolic northern part of Passaic County. Quo Vadis ended with small-group discussions, a campfire, and communal prayer.
Among the seminarians who shared his vocation experience was Brian Collins, a parishioner of St. Luke Parish in the Long Valley neighborhood of Washington Township, N.J. He urged the men to get involved in their parishes, interact with priests, and “be open to the Spirit,” including through prayer.
Another seminarian, Jean Baptiste Mollet, from St. Jude Parish in Hopatcong, N.J., told the men, “God is calling us to give ourselves entirely in service to others.”
“We are called to follow Christ to bring people to know him,” Mollet said.
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During the seminarians’ presentations, Father Charles Lana, diocesan vocations director, told the men, “Pay attention to signs from God” when discerning their vocation. The priest also said, “God reaches out so we can grow closer to him.”
During the Mass, held on a grassy knoll outside, Carlos Vargas, another seminarian who spoke to the retreatants, made a Profession of Faith and Oath of Fidelity to the Church. He will be ordained a transitional deacon on Saturday, Aug. 1 at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Passaic, N.J. He anticipates being ordained a diocesan priest next year.
Bishop Sweeney celebrated the Mass, which was concelebrated by several priests, including Father Lana. In his homily, the bishop told the men, “Thank God you are open to discerning and listening to his call.”
Bishop Sweeney spoke about Catholics’ need for spiritual toughness. He said Pope Leo XVI called on that gift of the Holy Spirit — fortitude — as a missionary to Peru, when he was brought near death by typhoid.
“I hope you grow in fortitude — spiritual strength to build up a solid foundation of your lives,” Bishop Sweeney told the men.
Another retreatant was Ismael Zoquier, 14, of St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in Clifton, N.J., who also attended Quo Vadis for his second year.
“It was wonderful to speak with the seminarians and priests and attend Mass with Bishop Sweeney —something that doesn’t happen every day,” Zoquier said. He told beaconNJ.org that he would consider the priesthood, inspired in part by his pastor, Father Jeider S. Barraza, whom he called “funny, good with people, and easy to relate to.”
For more information about vocations in the diocese, call Father Charles Lana at 973-777-8818, ext. 715, and visit patersonvocations.org.
