How to Grow a Priest

So you still check New Advent daily, right? If not, missing great content!

Today, Good Sir Knight linked to Summa This, Summa That, which is a new blog to me, on 'How to Grow a Priest. It is a reflection on the Pope's recent 'Letter to Seminarians,' and includes the realization of the obvious (which is sometimes the hardest to see):


Here’s something I learned a little too late in life: Faithful priests come from, well, the faithful. The call to the ministerial priesthood grows out of the common priesthood that all the baptized share, since the People of God participate in the Christ’s three offices of priest, prophet and king.

So let us consider just how deeply we live out our own intimacy with Christ. We never know – we may be influencing a future priest in our midst!


Read the rest here.

Many are Called

The fruits of the 'Year for Priests' continue to ripen on the vine.

One such fruit that I recently had the joy of reading is Dr. Scott Hahn's 'Many are Called: Rediscovering the Glory of the Priesthood.'

In his typical style of weaving both the Old and New Covenant together in a modern language, Dr. Hahn lays out the biblical perspective of the priesthood for the present day. Yet, he also covers many of the current 'hot button' issues, not shying away, but giving a beautiful interpretation of priest as father, mediator, provider, teacher, warrior, judge, bridgegroom, celibate father and brother. (To give the titles of the chapters included.)

Perhaps the best aspect of the book is his weaving together of his own story as a former Presbyterian Pastor, and the difficulties therein, and how his appreciation for a celibate priesthood has grown in his years leading up to and after his conversion. To be a father of a family is to give your life for your children; Dr. Hahn outlines the ways that the priest as celibate father gives life to his spiritual family, in both spiritual and material ways.

But at the bottom line, he articulates that which every priest recognizes: the priest is a regular man, called to something greater. Why is it that God calls certain men and not others? We will never know (at least on this side of the curtain), but yet this is how God's plan of salvation continues to be worked out in the Church and in the world.

I would highly recommend this book for those discerning a call to the priesthood, as well as for a parish adult faith formation group who would like to come to a deeper understanding of aspects of the Catholic Priesthood that so often are maligned or misunderstood.

Dr. Hahn's website is here.

Purchase the book from Barnes and Noble here.

Andrew Dinners Continue in Archdiocese

This week's Catholic Telegraph features a report on the Andrew Dinners held so far throughout the Archdiocese of Cincinnati:


ARCHDIOCESE — Nearly 180 young men have been encouraged to consider the possibility of becoming priests during a series of Andrew Dinners held across the Cincinnati archdiocese over the past year.

There have been eight dinners so far. The first was in April 2009 at Holy Angels Parish in Sidney. The goal is to hold Andrew Dinners in each of archdiocese’s three regions twice a year, said Father Kyle Schnippel, archdiocesan vocations director.

Ultimately where God was calling me...

Cincinnati Seminarian Deacon Dan Hess was featured on a news report on Fox's Dayton, Ohio, affiliate last night. Tremendous, as always:

Dayton's News Source :: Top Stories

(be aware there is a teaser that plays prior to the feature on Dan)

(I really despise not being able to embed the video here, grrrr.)

Male Spirituality

www.seekholiness.com (Vocation Office of the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio) continues to produce and release great videos on male spirituality and how it relates both to men seeking the priesthood and men living in the lay state. This one was particularly good:

"Fuller we are of this joy"

The Holy Father made his annual visit to his seminarians, those of the Diocese of Rome, on Feb. 12. Zenit provides the full text of his address.

A snippet:

Let us also bear in mind that the Lord says: "I chose you and appointed you that you should go": This is the dynamism that dwells in Christ's love; to go, in other words not to remain alone for me, to see my perfection, to guarantee eternal beatification for me, but rather to forget myself, to go as Christ went, to go as God went from the immensity of his majesty to our poverty, to find fruit, to help us, to give us the possibility of bearing the true fruit of love. The fuller we are of this joy in having discovered God's Face, the more real will the enthusiasm of love in us be and it will bear fruit.

A Thought on the Conversion of St. Paul

Many times, in working with (primarily) young men contemplating a priestly vocation, the big sturggle is with a sense of unworth. 'How could God call me, a sinner?'

Well, let's look at St. Paul's life:

Vain
Murderer, of a sorts: (participated in the martyrdom of St. Stephan)
self-righteous (best of the Pharisees)
Rash and brash
with the above, we could surmise an arrogance and a cocky-ness, too.


And he is the Aposlte to the Gentiles

So, if you think your sins are greater than God's call, in simple words: get over it. God still loves you, do you love Him back enough to give it all over and say yes, despite your flaws, sins and weaknesses?

The Experience of 'The Call'

Known for the way he developed the interplay between light and darkness in his paintings, the Italian master Caravaggio has had a lasting impact in the world of art since his troubled life ended nearly 400 years ago. His distinctive paintings, especially his religious scenes, continue to have an impact even on today’s viewers.
For me, his ‘Calling of St. Matthew’ resonates. Commissioned by Cardinal Matteu Contreil to hang in the French National Church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, the scene draws you in as a nearly hidden Christ points powerfully to St. Matthew, sitting at his post as a tax collector. Jesus is not content to let Matthew remain and powerfully beckons him to follow, to become one of the Twelve, to become an Evangelist. The faces of those seated with St. Matthew are a mix of wonder, astonishment, disbelief as this sinner reacts with a look of: ‘Who? Me?’ The light streaming into the scene from behind Christ bathes Matthew’s face, giving us an insight into that deep personal struggle: ‘Do I follow? Do I stay?’ One can almost read into his face that despite his misgivings, Matthew knows he will follow Jesus and that his life will never be the same.
Perhaps the reason this scene is so powerful for me is that it played out in my own life, and now in my work as Vocation Director, I see it played out in the lives of so many young men and women who face that similar struggle. Deep down, we all echo St. Matthew’s question: ‘Who? Me?’ So many of the great saints echoed similar misgivings throughout history, from St. Peter’s ‘Leave me, Lord, for I am a sinful man,’ up to Pope Benedict XVI’s apparent trepidation as he realized he was about to be elected successor of Peter.
Yet, Our Lord’s favorite phrase echoes to us down through these same annuals of history: ‘Do not be afraid!’ More than any other phrase in the Gospel, Jesus uses these four simple words to encourage His disciples then, and his disciples now. Whenever or however we are called to follow Him, we must ask for courage to respond with generosity and strength, and that the astonishment that comes from the realization that we are being called to this continues all throughout life.
What should you do if you think you are being called to the priesthood or religious life, though? First off, find someone you can trust, someone who has a deep love for the Lord and His Church whom you can confide in and will not lead you astray. Perhaps this is your parish priest (always a good place to start!), perhaps a friend, youth minister or teacher. When facing a daunting task such as discerning a call, it is so easy to get all wrapped up in your own thoughts, to have someone to bounce ideas off of, who can listen to your fears and dreams, can help you to sort out where exactly you might be called.
In this Year for Priests, there is much discussion online and new books arriving that discuss the priesthood, and heroic priests that have answered Our Lord’s call to lay down their lives for their people. Fr. Walter Ciszek’s inspirational ‘He Leadeth Me’ and ‘With God in Russia’ show the great lengths a man will go to give his life for Christ and provide just two quick examples.
Finally, young men discerning the priesthood have the opportunity to join together at the upcoming ‘Andrew Dinners’ that are being held throughout the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Named after St. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter who brought Peter to meet Jesus, these dinners give young men the chance to meet with Archbishop Schnurr to explore the possibility of the priesthood. If you are interested in attending, check with your priest, or visit www.cincinnativocations.org for more information.

St. Matthew, Apostle and Tax Collector

Today is the feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Tax Collector.

In a particular way, he can be a patron of many men discerning a call to the priesthood in the current age.

Well, to look at the passage of his calling, as he reports it so it's veracity can be easily assumed, we see Jesus' wonderful statement: 'I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'

So many men today who feel a call to the priesthood have a terrible sense of unworth: 'I am not worthy of this call!' You know what? He's right, he isn't worthy of this call!

With the ease and proliferation of, umm... let's call it the 'evils' of the internet and the perverse nature of our culture, there are few young men who are unaffected by the distortions that our culture presents. Where this really challenges the young man is when he faces the question of celibacy, it is so far afield from experience, that he cannot even grasp what it might mean, much less embrace it freely in his life.

We turn back to Matthew. While we do not know many details of his life either prior to or even after his call by Christ, we can presume a few things:

1) Working as a tax collector meant to be in cahoots with the Romans. As such, he would have genearlly been shunned by the societal elite in the Jewish world view of 1st Century Palestine. We see this in the Pharisees' response to Jesus eating at his house: 'This man is a sinner!'

2) He was still an observant Jew: reading his account of the Gospel, one is struck by the Jewishness of the writings. Putting this together with the last, we can presume that his Jewish observances were 'from the outside,' in that because he was publically known as a sinner, he would likely have not been welcome to preach in synagogue or take a prominent role in the Temple.

3) He recognized his own need for salvation. Seeing the immediacy of his response to Jesus, his disposition of heart is certainly in the right place. He is stuck in a job that he may not like and he wants to be more religious but is prevented. All of a sudden, Jesus walks past, whom he may have heard of, and calls him to follow. "And he got up and followed him." The response is not delayed, it is not conditional on finding someone to take his place at the customs post, it is immediate.


If you are feeling a call to the priesthood, see in the example of St. Matthew one who recognizes his weaknesses and offers himself to the Lord to be a living witness of His.

No priest is perfect, no one called to priesthood or religious life is perfect, stop trying to be. Instead, let Jesus perfect you in your call to 'Follow me!'

Time in Seminary

Before going any farther, if you haven't done so, check The Call series at Columbus Dispatch. Today concludes a weeklong series, which has been pretty good.


A reader asks:

Father, a number of us were discussing the time in the seminary. As I understand it the time in training is 6-7 years. Is that correct? Is it the same as it was time wise back in the 50's?

It seems like today we get so many who have college degrees and life experience when back in the 50's we had kids coming in from high school (ed's note: if not directly from 8th grade!). Is that not correct? If so, why can't we get this training done a lot faster? Seems like with the shortage, we could use some priests out here and a shorter training time might also encourage someone to become a priest who has interest. I can't imagine going through college and then taking on that many years of training to become a priest. However, I leave it to the church to decide as they certainly know far more than I do.

When asking questions of this type, I think the last line is certainly the most important: The Church does indeed know better than I do, even me as a priest, and we do not just submit to her authority, but seek to understand why she teaches or practices such a thing.

To answer the actual question, one must turn to The Program for Priestly Formation by the USCCB, 5th Edition. This is the document tha tguides seminary formation in this country, and implements the vision that was set out by Pope John Paul II in Pastores Dabo Vobis (I will give you shepherds). It was published in 2006, right as I was beginning in the office. This document sets out the requirements that all seminaries have to follow.

The actual time in 'Major Seminary' is the same today as it was in the 50's: four years. However, there is a new phenomenon that did not exist 'back in the day:' second career vocations to the priesthood. (They always did exist, just not in the numbers we see today.)

What the Church has found is that while these men do bring a treasure of experience from a working career (even some having been married and widowed), there is a great need to form them in the Christian environment. The fact is, we live in a post-Christian world, and whereas in the past, men being formed in seminary had eight to twelve years of formation, through high school and college to focus on Christian classics, a true Liberal Arts education, a strong foundation in philosophy and literature, these dimensions are missing when a man comes through with an engineering degree, or a finance/business degree; even with a teaching degree. Hence, seminaries have set up 'Pre-Theology' programs that address the needs to form these second career men in this Catholic world view before they begin their theological studies.

The PPF stipulates that in order to enter 1st Theology, one must have completed 2 years of formation to get a groundwork and set a basis to prepare that man to study theology, hence for a man that has a degree elsewhere, he must do 2 years 'remedial study' before completing the 4 years of theology. Some dioceses and/or seminaries also require a year of internship/pastoral year (we do), which adds another year to formation, hence the guys that enter Pre-Theology I for us this fall can expect a 7 year formation program. Yes, it is alot, yes it is daunting. But as I explain what is all involved in semianry formation (much more than just academics), the time seems to be not near enough for what a man has to do, personally, professional, spiritually, to take up the mantle of the priesthood.

The heart of your question, while I think well intentioned, also shows something deeper. Please do not take this the worng way, but it seems that you see the priesthood as a mere sacramental machine. (I know many others that, while good hearted, fall into this approach.) 'If the training were shorter, we would have more priests.'

To that I ask: 'Do you want more priests, or do you want holier priests, better priests, excellent priests?' To get the latter, even seven years is not enough, and bluntly, that's what we need. Not more, holier.

Meet our New Seminarians

With the 'End of Summer Bash' having been completed, it is time to officially introduce our new men:

Sean Wilson hails from Emmanuel in Dayton and, after a year at the University of Dayton, begins 2 College at Bishop Simon Brute College Seminary in Indianapolis.

Alex Witt attends St. John the Baptist in Harrison and also has a year of college completed (at Ball State) and joins Sean in 2 College at Bishop Brute.

Jarred Kohn grew up in the Coldwater, Ohio, area and begins in 1 College at Simon Brute.

Philip Frederick has St. Francis de Sales in Lebanon, Ohio, as his home and joins Jarred in 1 College at Bishop Brute.

On to our new Theology students:
Eric Roush has been working at Xavier University, claiming St. Monica/St. George as his home parish and enters Pre-Theology I.

Matt Feist has been working as youth minister at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Cincinnati's Anderson Township before entering Pre-Theology I as well.

Chris Geiger has completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Cincinnati and hails from St. Susanna's in Mason as he also enters Pre-Theology I.

Chris Osgood is a native of the Moraine area in Dayton and has also just graduated from undergraduate, at Liberty in North Carolina and joins the rest in Pre-Theology I.

Brian Archdeacon has been working for a number of years in finance and insurance. Hailing from St. Peter in Chains in Hamilton, he completes the Pre-Theology I class.

Anthony Eichhorn is our last 'new man,' re-entering Mount St. Mary's, into I Theology. Anthony hails from St. Teresa's in Price Hill.


Please pray for these men, and all of our 29 seminarians.

Baby Priests

Fr. V at Adam's Ale posts on the ordinations in the Diocese of Cleveland over the past weekend, including his newly ordained cousin's first run through of the Institution Narrative.

Yep, that first time, when you realize that the words you are saying are not your words, but His. And by 'His,' I mean 'HIS!' You know Him, Lord and Savior, Creator of the Universe, Son of Mary, Son of God, True God and True Man; yep, that's the one.

Now, for the first time, I say these words aloud for all to hear and He is Present. chills doesn't describe.

Our Ordinands (along with three brothers from the Diocese of Toledo with whom they've spent the last five years of formation with) are currently on their pre-ordination canonical retreat, in silence, in prayer, ready to accept such a wonderous and awesome responsibility. Please pray for them.

As added stress, they were informed of their assignments at the beginning of their retreat. But b/c of the silence necessitated by the environs, the assignments have not yet been made public. That's a stressor. You are all excited about it, and then have to shut it for five days! I would explode.

I'm sure the news will come out shortly, so also pray for the assignments and pastors of these new priests. What a grace filled and joyous time.

The Order of Melchizedek

My next column for the Catholic Telegraph runs this week. I started this particular column about 6 different times since I've been writing for the CT, finally got it fleshed out like I wanted:

Contrary to what might be expected, the first priest mentioned in the Bible is not from the Tribe of Levi. In fact, the first priest is described before Levi is even born. In Genesis 14, we are introduced to Melchizedek, who is described as ‘Priest of God Most High.’ Identified in Psalm 110 and extensively reflected upon in the Letter to the Hebrews, Melchizedek remains an elusive figure in the Scripture. Even so, he appears in the Roman Canon at Mass, today’s priests are ordained to ‘the Order of Melchizedek,’ and his appearance in Genesis forms the basis of some of our theology of the priesthood. As we begin the Year for Priests, it behooves us to reflect more deeply upon this King of Righteousness.

The first question that arises is regarding Melchizedek’s very identity: who is he? His appearance in Genesis 14 is quite minimal and set at a point very early on in Abram’s faith journey, as Abram defeats several war lords in the land of Canaan. Identified in the Scripture as ‘King of Salem,’ ancient Jewish sources see him as the leader of the entire area, a wise sage of a man whom the rest must respect. But this does not answer the question of his identity. We must look back even further.

As Abram presents Melchizedek with a tithe, Melchizedek gives him a blessing in return. Here is the hint we’ve been looking for! The last person to receive a blessing was the oldest son of Noah: Shem. Adding up the dates of Shem’s life, we learn that he was actually still alive during Abram’s time, and in fact outlived Abraham!

Blessings at this time in history were not things that could be easily exchanged, once they were given, they could not be taken back. (See Jacob’s stealing of Issac’s paternal blessing from his older brother Esau.) Blessings are tangible things, so Melchizedek/Shem must still have the one given to him by his father, Noah; and he now passes it on to his descendent Abram, the one chosen by God to be the father of many nations.

All of these identities have priestly functions, but it is taken to an even greater degree when we see what Melchizedek offers as a priest, for priests offer sacrifices and Melchizedek offers a sacrifice of bread and wine. This sets off signal flares in the eyes of a Catholic, for our priests also offer sacrifices of bread and wine, now fulfilled in Christ to be His very Body and Blood.

What becomes important for today is that the priesthood in which Catholic Priests share, and by extension that all the baptized share in as well, goes back not just to the Sacrifice in the Jerusalem Temple, but back to the very foundations of creation by God. Melchizedek is identified as ‘a priest forever’ in Psalm 110, his priesthood continues on into the ages. The Catholic Priest, in the place of Christ the Head, also shares in this eternal priesthood, continually offering a sacrifice of bread and wine before God in Heaven.

Uniting all of this into one, we see God’s divine plan in the scope of Salvation History. That Jesus came when he did is not some type of accidental occurrence, but had been planned out from before by our Loving Father. God wants to give us the tools to return to His presence in Heaven. Let us therefore rejoice that Christ left us with the great gift of the priesthood, that He continues to choose men to serve Him in this way, so that we might all come to worship Him forever around his altar in heaven.

For more information on the Priesthood of Christ and the Catholic Priesthood in the Order of Melchizedek, visit www.cincinnativocations.org



In case I missed posting my last column, it is here.

Deacon Ordination today

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati and Mount St. Mary's Seminary of the West joyfully celebrate the ordination of three men to the transitional diaconate: Timothy Ralston of St. Michael's in Georgetown and Robert Muhlenkamp of Holy Trinity in Coldwater for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and Matthew Rader for the Diocese of Toledo; Coadjutor Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr will preside at the 11:00 Rite of Ordination at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral.

Please keep these men, and Deacon Kevin Kahmann of the Diocese of Covington, in your prayers over their last year of study and formation for the priesthood.

Back from Sidney

We had our first Andrew Dinner in the Archdiocese tonight in Sidney, Ohio; 92 miles north of the Ohio River.

We were hoping for a crowd of about 20, but they were planning 50 for dinner.

Good thing!  We had 33 young men, plus 6 priests, and a few other chaperones, a seminarian and an Archbishop.

What's better, they were all good solid men, all would make good priests, if Our Lord calls them to it.  Who knows how many will get there, but they are at least contemplating it.

Pray for them!

(Now I need to figure out how to get my phone out of Archbishop's car!)

Welcome Weekend ongoing

We have 11 men here at Mount St. Mary's of the West, School of Theology for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, exploring life as a priest with the Archdiocese.

Some are already in the application process, some are in the inquiry stage, some are just checking it out.

Please keep all 11 men in your prayers.

Vocation Night Tonight

Tonight upwards of ten men will visit Mount St. Mary's Seminary of the West with thoughts of exploring the option of the priesthood. Please pray for these men, and their safe travel as snow is expected, and their discernment of course. May Our Lord complete the good work begun in them and lead them to their true calling.

Harbinger of things to come?

If it can happen in Boston, it can happen here, too.

The Hidden Joys of the Priesthood

My next article for the Catholic Telegraph runs in this week's edition:

“I hope you have all the joys as a priest that I have had.”  With these words, John Cardinal Foley welcomed a few of our seminarians as he was in Cincinnati to celebrate an occasion with Sacred Heart Radio.  It was a humbling testimony to a life of prayer and wonder that has been shared by a modern day Prince of the Church, whom one can tell by the sheer joy rolling out of him that he just loves being a priest.  He continued to our seminarians: “I’ve never had a bad day as a priest.”  In a career that has spanned four popes and an unlikely ascension to the ‘Pope’s Senate,’ all he wants to do is be a simple priest, what a great gift to witness the faith and devotion of this man.

However, this love and desire to be a simple parish priest is not held by Cardinal Foley alone.  Over this past summer, I spent a weekend with a priest friend in Akron, Ohio.  At the end of a long day where we celebrated Mass together, heard confessions and relaxed with other friends; he looked at me and opined: “Why are we not turning men away from the seminary?  This is the greatest life, if only they knew!”  I nodded in agreement: four plus years a priest, never a dull day, and the impact that the laity have had in my life, that impact I hope I have had in theirs.  Again, humbling that Our Lord could have called me, unworthy though I am, to this wonderful ministry.  “Who am I, Lord, that you should call me?”

Unfortunately, the joy of the priesthood is something that we do not see too often in our modern day.  The media often presents priests as frustrated old men, yet that is not the priesthood that I know.  The priests whom I know are dedicated, holy, prayerful men; men who love to serve Our Lord, who love to serve His people; men who want to be a bridge between heaven and earth, recognizing that it is only through God’s great gift that we are able to stand in such a way.

I admit, even when I was in the seminary, I did not think this was possible.  I was meeting new priests on a seemingly weekly basis, and there was something about each one of them that made me want to be like them.  It was not an effervescent bubbly joy that would turn sour quickly, but a deep sense of purpose that I did not see anywhere else in this world.  I have come to realize that it is the joy that comes from knowing Christ, which comes from giving one’s life over to Him, and realizing that in that giving over, there truly are many rewards, nearly all of which are unexpected.

Does this mean that every day is easy as a priest?  Certainly not, just as every day as a parent is filled with both great joys and deep hardships.  In fact, one of the most memorable days I have had as a priest was one of the greatest struggles, in how to make sense of the death of a ten year girl who was stricken with Cerebral Palsy.  It was extremely difficult to celebrate her funeral with joy, with hope in the Resurrection, yet, looking back, it is a day that I will always remember as a priest.

Because priests have declined in numbers over the last forty years, I fear that many of the faithful, especially the young faithful, have never experienced the joy that radiates from a priest on fire for the priesthood. 

Thank your priest for his service to the Church, for his willingness to give it all over to Christ.  But more importantly, encourage the same self-sacrifice among our young people of today.  I am convinced God is calling many more than those who are responding.  With your prayers and support, the seminary will again be filled with young men eager to be Fishers of Men.

What Seminarians are reading

Word from the Dominicans of St. Joseph Province (East) highlights a new popular read among seminarians: The Hidden Enemies of the Priesthood.