Priestly Vocations

Newest priests for the Diocese of Camden

Dear Parishioners,

This year five ordinations to the Priesthood for the Diocese of Camden are scheduled for May 14th.  We congratulate and should pray for: Paul Abbruscato, Christopher Myers, Logan Nilsen, Cesar Pirateque and Stephen Robbins. Ad multos annos!

However, for the next two years there are no scheduled ordinations.  It should lead us to ask "why?"  I know that it is probably one of the most difficult times for the Sacred Priesthood with all of the scandalous behavior of clergy and hierarchy being made manifest.  However, Jesus intended from the earliest days of the Church that there be priests and that they model their lives after Him.  Shame on any of us ordained clergy who do not live up to that call.

When was the last time that we had a vocation to the ordained priesthood from our parish?

I know that we do not do the “calling”—God does.  I also realize that we do not have control over how a person who hears the call responds—free will is always involved.

Yet, I think there are things that can be done to foster vocations that may be present among the young men of our parish:

1.       Continue to pray fervently for vocations to the priesthood.  There are more things accomplished through prayer than we might imagine.  We are commanded in the Gospel to "Ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest." (Mt. 9:38)  We need to pray that those who hear the call of the Lord may have the courage to respond to that call.

2.       Encourage young men to think about the priesthood.  I was asked by someone in high school if I had ever thought about becoming a priest.  People told me that they thought that I might make a good priest.  I heard many homilies in my home parish encouraging young men to become priests if God is calling them.  In a secular, materialistic world there are many things working against a spiritual life or vocation.  We need the people of the parish to give some positive reinforcement to the value of priesthood.

  

3.      Do not discourage people from following the call.  One of the most disheartening things that was said to me when I initially told people that I was going into the seminary to study to be a priest was: "You don’t want to do that.  It’s such a lonely life."   This commentary came from a couple that I knew.  They were not priests.  How did they know so authoritatively that it would be a lonely life?  I have since known various married couples who suffer loneliness (or even unhappiness).  After 35 years of priesthood, I can truly say that I am basically happy each day.  While there may be some times of loneliness—I think all people have them—this is not and has not been a consistent characteristic of my life as a priest.

4.       Realize that priests are not perfect.  As the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us: "Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.  He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring, for he himself is beset by weakness and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people."(Hebrews 5: 1-3)  Sometimes young men think that they are not worthy of such a call.  Who is?  Those of us who are ordained priests did not do anything to deserve the "call" from God.  We have just followed it, discerned it and accepted it.  You don’t have to be perfect to be a priest (but we do have to strive for holiness and to become more Christ-like every day!).

We need priests especially to celebrate the Eucharist, to forgive sins in the sacrament of Penance, to anoint the sick and dying—to be Christ’s presence in the world.  Please pray that priests will come from our parish and throughout the diocese.

Fr. Ed Namiotka

Pastor