Building the Priesthood
Posted by Rachel Balducci in Family on Wednesday, June 17, 2009 3:30 PM
Rebecca’s discussion of the upcoming Year of the Priest reminded me of an article I read in the National Catholic Register a few years ago.
In it, Register senior writer Tim Drake looked at a recent surge in vocations, and noted several dioceses that seem to be especially thriving. Of course, one of the reasons I remember the article so well is that my own diocese, The Diocese of Savannah, was featured as having one of the highest numbers of priests per capita in the United States.
In the article, Vocations Director Fr. Timothy McKeown made a point that has stayed with me. It’s an important reminder of the role we, the laity, have in vocations.
“Ask any of our seminarians and they will tell you that they began to seriously consider the priesthood only the third or fourth time someone asked them,” said Father McKeown.
I have also heard Fr. McKeown mention that his own journey toward the priesthood began when a neighbor asked if he had ever considered being a priest. A simple question that opened the door for something beautiful for God.
One other small offering we make in our diocese is a Prayer for Vocations. At our parish, we say the prayer as a congregation after the Prayers of the Faithful during Mass. It is a very simple prayer that asks God to bless our diocese with “many priestly and religious vocations. Give the men and women you call the light to understand your gift and the love to follow always in the footsteps of your priestly son. Amen.”
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