Fr. Barrielle was spiritual director for St. Pius X Seminary in Ecône, chosen for this extremely important role by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, Founder of the Society of St. Pius X.
In this work dedicated to St. Joseph, patron of vocations, Fr. Barrielle explains the basic principles of Catholic doctrine concerning a religious vocation. He wrote the booklet in 1967, at a time when the fruits of Vatican II were not yet clear. The documents of the Council say many things that are traditional, while many other statements are couched in ambiguous terms that can be – and have been – taken in several senses. It was the outrageous exploitation of these terms, above all, that has made for the destruction of the modern day Church and the plunge in the number of those answering the call of a vocation. But in 1967, as a dutiful son of the Church, Fr. Barrielle quoted Vatican II. Once he realized the course it was going to take, he proved himself just as dutiful by refusing to participate in the destruction of the Church and by allying himself with the SSPX.