With this post, the Institute on Religious Life (IRL) launches its new blog, entitled “An Undivided Heart.” If you’re looking for news, commentary, or resources on vocations–especially vocations to the consecrated life–you’ve come to the right place. Welcome!

One of the five pastoral priorities of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) at this time is the promotion of priestly and religious vocations. In furtherance of this priority, the USCCB has created the For Your Vocation website, which is nicely done and contains a wealth of useful resources.

One recent post at the For Your Vocation website is “Top 10 for 2011”: a helpful listing of ten highly recommended vocation sites. While all the sites listed in this top ten have obvious merit, a few deserve special mention here:

First, I was happy to see the new Vocation Boom site at the head of the list. It’s the work of Catholic Answers’ Jerry Usher, and For Your Vocation justifiably calls it the “best new resource on Priesthood.”

Second, it was great that the website of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia in Nashville (aka the Nashville Dominicans) made the list. The Nashville Dominicans are affiliates of the IRL, and their site was singled out for its beauty and depth.

Last but not least, it was gratifying to see that the IRL’s website also made the top ten, because of (a) “its diverse resources for vocation discernment,” and (b) “its valuable links to religious communities.”

We are grateful for this recognition of the IRL, and now with this daily blog we hope to only enhance our service to the Church and especially to all who turn to us, desiring to love Our Lord with an undivided heart.