Year of the Priest Kick Off Article

Have you prayed for our parish priests lately? Father Tom? Father Ryszard? Father Ray? Have you prayed for, God willing, a future priest? Seminarian Brad? For all my brother seminarians?

If not, maybe this year can begin to pray for your priests, and for all who are answering the call to the priesthood. Pope Benedict XVI has proclaimed a Year of the Priest starting June 19, the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It’s an opportunity for all Catholics to reflect on the gift of the priesthood, and to find ways that we can support our priests and to encourage priestly vocations in our families and in our parishes.

The Year of the Priest finds it’s roots in St. John Vianney, the Cure of Ars, whom Pope Benedict XVI called “a true example of a pastor at the service of Christ’s flock” during his address announcing the special year on March 16. The year 2010 will mark the 150^th Anniversary of the saint’s death, and the Pope has proclaimed St. John Vianney as the patron saint of all the world’s priests.

Obviously as a seminarian this is a great year for me to further develop my love of the Lord and truly dive much deeper into my own personal calling to the priesthood. But, more importantly I look at this year as a great opportunity for us to not only pray and be thankful for the many shepherds who have helped us in our lives, even beyond STOV, but to take this year as a sign to begin, or hopefully, continue to promote the priesthood. Perhaps it is within this year, that we can begin to Call By Name men to consider this vocation from our own parish community.

Within the next few weeks, I will use my column as a means to talk about the seminaries and programs of the Archdiocese of Chicago, the places where men, just like me, come to study to be priests. I close this week with the official “Pray for Priests.”

Dear Lord,

We pray that the Blessed Mother wrap her mantle around your priests and through her intercession strengthen them for their ministry.

We that Mary will guide your priests to follow her won words, “Do whatever He tells you” (Jn 2:5).

May your priests have the heart of St. Joseph, Mary’s most chaste spouse.

May the Blessed Mother’s own pierced heart inspire them to embrace all who suffer at the foot of the cross.

May your priests be holy, filled with the fire of your love seeking nothing but your greater glory and the salvation of souls.

Amen.

Saint John Vianney, pray for us.