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Prayers
sought for the sanctification of priests
PRAISED BE JESUS
CHRIST!
(Now and Forever)
The
Congregation for the Clergy has reminded me that the Annual World Day of
Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests is due to be celebrated on or
about the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This year that feast is
observed on May 30. However, while this event is taken seriously here in
Northcentral Indiana, we do not commemorate it on the feast of the
Sacred Heart. There is a reason.
In his Holy
Thursday message to the priests of the world in 1995, Pope John Paul II
suggested an annual day be set aside for prayer for the sanctification
of priests. As John Paul envisioned it, the entire diocesan community
would be challenged to pray in a special way for priests on a special
day each year and hopefully as a result of that day be inspired to do so
on an ongoing basis 24/7/365. While the Holy Father indicated any date
could be utilized for this special day, the feast of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus was recommended.
John Paul II
wanted to encourage those of us who are priests to rediscover the
importance of holiness as an integral part of our identity and mission.
He also hoped to draw the attention of each diocesan community to the
treasure of the priesthood.
One of my
initiatives as diocesan bishop has been to gather the priests of our
Local Church together each year for a convocation. The first was held in
1987. The first full week in June has become the time slot for this
annual gathering. And, it has become our “day” of prayer for
sanctification. This year, the priests’ convocation will begin on
Monday, June 2, and continue until Mass on the morning of Friday, June
6. It will be held at Brown County State Park. Father John J. Cecero, SJ,
Ph.D., will be the presenter. The theme of the convocation is:
“Flourishing in the priesthood today.”
I
respectfully ask the Catholics of Northcentral Indiana to hold us, your
priests, up to the Lord in prayer in a special way during the week of
our convocation. Pray that we may increasingly become aware of the grace
of our consecration and the importance of growth in holiness that we
might fulfill the mission given to us in our ordination. Pray, too, that
we will live lives of priestly fraternity and come to appreciate more
fully the unity of the priesthood which is ours. Pray that we may give
greater expression of our love to the Lord and to the Church by our
unconditional loving care given to the people entrusted to us. Pray that
we will know how to respond to the signs of the times with tenacious
fidelity to the word of God and the magisterium of the Church. Pray that
we may be heralds of hope as we proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord.
That’s a lot
of “pray-fors,” but we treasure your prayers for us. The longer you are
a priest, the more you witness the power of prayer and how much we as
priests need the prayers of those to whom we minister.
In Catholic
theology, when a man is ordained to the priesthood he undergoes a basic
“ontological” change, one that conforms him to Christ the High Priest
and Good Shepherd in a unique way. A priest, of course, is credible only
insofar as his life proclaims the link between himself and Christ. The
person of Christ must be his point of reference. The task of the priest
is to make Christ present in the world as head and spouse, as servant
and victim, as priest and shepherd.
Through
ordination, priests are given the great responsibility of devoting their
entire lives to the service of God’s people. To authentically live out
that priestly call, we must learn to carry the burden of Christ’s cross
every day. We must learn to die to self in union with Christ in the
service of God’s people. We are to bring the sacred mysteries to our
brothers and sisters not only at the altar, in the confessional and
pulpit, but also in the sickroom, classrooms, on street corners and in
parish offices. If we are to preach the mystery of God, we must allow
that mystery to shape our lives. With St. Paul, we must be able to say:
“The life I live now is not my own; Christ is living in me” (Gal. 2:20).
Without solid rooting in spirituality, this is a “mission impossible.”
Commitment to growth and holiness is crucial.
We who are
priests are called to pray, fast, push ourselves beyond the need for
personal time when people demand our attention. We must understand that
there will be rejection. We must be willing to accept failure. Some of
us are better at this than others.
These
experiences are not unique to priests, of course. However, John Paul II
felt it important for each and every priest to be encouraged to discover
the importance of holiness as it applies to his identity and mission and
for the attention of the entire diocesan community to be drawn to the
treasure of the priesthood, which often is taken for granted. Benedict
XVI has continued this initiative.
Father Cecero
is presently the rector of the Fordham Jesuit Community and director of
the Center for Spirituality and Mental Health. He has published a book
on the integration of spirituality and psychotherapy, Praying through
Lifetraps: a Psycho-Spiritual Approach to Freedom. He is expected to
share with the priests gathered in convocation the joys and challenges
he sees in contemporary priestly life.
Among the
topics that he will share with us are: “Personality impediments to a
healthy priestly life”; “Successfully managing the stresses of priestly
life”; “Forgiveness: loosening the chains that bind us”; “Nourishing
spiritual hungers” and “Fostering mature intimacies in priestly life.”
The topics offered have caught the attention of your priests. A record
number are registered to participate in the convocation. As Father
Cecero holds a mirror up to us, our reaction should be most interesting.
Again, your prayers for us and for a successful convocation will be
appreciated.
A clergy
affirmation dinner is held during each convocation. Special
acknowledgment is given to new retirees. This year three men are being
granted authorization to “retire” before the normal age, all for reasons
of health: Father Edward Dhondt, Father Donald Eder and Father Douglas
McCormack. Father Brian Doerr, diocesan vocation director, will be
recognized for his 10 years of priesthood. Celebrating 20 years will be
Father Paul Cochran, Father John Cummings, Father David Newton and
Father David Buckles. Msgr. Robert Sell, my vicar general, is
celebrating 30 years of ordination to the priesthood this year. And,
Father Robert Williams will be honored for 40 years. Traditional
ordination anniversaries are silver (25 years) and golden (50 years). At
the convocation, the focus is on decades of service rather than those
traditional milestones. Here’s an interesting tidbit: The junior clergy
(ordained less than 20 years) pick up the tab. It was their idea.
The highlight
of each day of convocation week is concelebrated Mass. The Office of the
Hours is also prayed together. Formal presentations are made in the
morning and after dinner in the evening. Afternoons are free for
relaxation and fellowship.
It’s a
special time for your priests. I ask you again please to keep us in your
prayers as we thank God for our own ordination and that of Dennis Faker
that is coming up on June 7. Be assured that we will be praying for you,
the people God has entrusted to our ministry. |
