Father Rick Nagel forming team to run Mini-Marathon for vocations

By Sean Gallagher

Tens of thousands of people will run through the streets of Indianapolis next May during the 32nd annual running of the One America 500 Festival Mini-Marathon.

Father Rick Nagel hopes he and lots of young adults will be spreading the good news of vocations in the midst of the sea of participants during the May 3 event.

He is encouraging young adults to sign up to participate in the race, commonly known as the “Mini,” as a way to encourage vocational discernment and to elicit prayers for vocations. Team members can also sign up to run or walk the

5-kilometer race.

As associate vocations director for the archdiocese, Father Nagel helps direct vocational promotions in central and southern Indiana. He said he had been thinking about big events that attract a lot of people and enthusiasm as a way to get the word out about vocations to as many people as possible.

“The Mini came to mind and I thought, ‘Let’s run for vocations,’ ” Father Nagel said. “So I started asking people if they’d be willing and they said, ‘Yeah, I’d love to.’ ”

Aaron Neblett, a member of Our Lady of the Greenwood Parish in Greenwood, loves to run and will be participating in the Mini as part of “Team Vocations.”

“What a great opportunity to benefit both your body and your soul as well, and the souls of others, in the cause of vocations and getting that message out,” Neblett said. “If nothing else, it might make somebody curious [about vocations].”

Father Nagel is primarily encouraging young adults to participate in the race with him, but runners of all ages are welcome.

He said it is important to sign up as soon as possible because registration for the Mini fills up quickly. The race is limited to 35,000 participants, and more than 26,000 people are already registered as of The Criterion’s press deadline.

Each member of the team will receive a special

T-shirt to wear during the race. On one side will be the message, “Vocation … Everyone has one. What’s yours?” The other side of the shirt will list vocations such as the priesthood, marriage and religious life.

With the thousands of people who may see the shirts, Father Nagel thinks the runners supporting vocations could have a big impact.

“Everybody is called to something special in life,” he said. “To have that as a kind of billboard running down the street undoubtedly would get a lot of attention and people would begin to think, ‘I wonder what my vocation is?’ ”

Father Nagel is encouraging young people who sign up for the vocations team to ask for prayer pledges. Those who sponsor runners or walkers might, for example, agree to pray a rosary for vocations for each mile the team member completes in the race.

He is also inviting individuals who sign up to pray for vocations while they train in the weeks and months leading up to the Mini.

Although a novice runner, Father Nagel is going to be a part of the team.

“I’m going to do my best to prepare,” he said. “I’ve never run very much before. But I’m jazzed about it.”

(For more information about the One America 500 Festival Mini-Marathon or to register for it, log on to www.500festival.com/marathon or call 317-927-3378. For more information on being part of Father Nagel’s vocations team, call 317-236-1490 or 800-382-9836, ext. 1490, or e-mail him at rnagel@archindy.org. You can also visit Facebook.com and go to the “Run for Vocations” listing.) †