Backstory: Keeping faith in a sea of prejudice

Christian Science Monitor ^ | August 02, 2006 | Mary Beth McCauley

[Carolina]

Kevin Gallagher bounds down the rectory stairs at 8:25 - cutting it close as always - a few steps away from ready for weekday morning Mass. He's every Irish mother's son - dark hair thinning and freshly combed, ruddy face scrubbed and shaven, polo shirt neatly tucked in over a frame beginning to show his love of cooking.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia, where Gallagher ministers, is no different. In 1975, 15 men were ordained for the archdiocese - but Gallagher was one of only five in his 2002 ordination class. That same year, emerging national news of sexual abuse of children began to thin congregations, fuel cynicism and foster mistrust among clergy and lay people alike.

But anyone who thinks the Catholic priesthood is dispirited should take a look at the Fr. Gallaghers of the church.

"I just want to say how happy I am," he declares unnecessarily. "And I think most priests are."

-snip-

But first he's sitting down with a couple he has never met to plan the funeral of their 18-year-old son, the victim of an apparent drug overdose. The tragedy is compounded by news that the friend at whose house the man died has apparently taken his own life. Not parishioners, they came to St. Denis for the funeral because "we were the first place they thought of," says the priest.

-snip-

After the meeting, he appears unshaken. He says, he considers it a "blessing" to be able to minister at funerals - even gut-wrenching ones like this. "This is what I was ordained for."

-snip-

To Catholics, the sacraments an ordained priest administers are signs of the presence of God. As a priest, he says, "You're everything and you're nothing."

[Carolina]

Catholic ping!

[Theoden]

[Carolina]

That poster is great. Do you have the backstory of this priest? I can't find it in my files.

[Nihil Obstat]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/1472976/posts?page=10

Fr. Jonathan Meyer -- great priest, with a gift for preaching too! Gives severe penances though, (found that out one weekend while travelling.)

[Carolina]

Thanks, bookmarking it now.

[Theoden]

Good thing Nihil Obstat had the link, I didn't have it book marked.

[Carolina]

Something really interesting that's happening at my parish. It had but one vocation in its 100-year history, even with having a really spiritual pastor in the 80s and 90s (people still rave about him--"He let us do what we wanted"). When our current pastor arrived, he instituted Morning Prayer, Daily Mass and added Adoration Hour and Rosary and Novena. Parishioners complained about him to the bishop saying that he was trying to make it like a monastery. What a meanie he was for not allowing anything else in the church except for prayer or worship. We're getting vocations now. Funny that.

[Theoden]

My parish is in the process of getting a new priest as we speak. Our good monseigneur was "promoted" to a much bigger church, and we are to receive another good priest from a few towns over. He will have to do a lot to match our previous priest, and hopefully spur some vocations over here.

Actually, I am in the Diocese of Paterson (Northern NJ)and we went from 7 vocations 2 years ago to 35 this year. Things are starting to turn around, and I pray that it will stay that way.

[Carolina]

Oh, wow! To what can you attribute this increase?

[Maeve]

BUMP BUMP BUMP TO THE TOP!!!!!

[Theoden]

We received a new bishop two years ago. Our former bishop was good, but, well, he was just too old. Bishop Serratelli is very orthodox, and has been really pushing for vocations. I think he deserves most of the praise.