I believe you're correct!!
Posted on 01/12/2007 1:18:10 PM PST by NYer
Good news. Ping for later.
Talk about sacrifice. My Dad wanted one of us boys to become a Priest, but I guess we just did not have the calling. All of us are married with children now. I tell you that guys who do this are incredible. We all we to Catholic School from K-12 and still did not hear the call. lol.
You'd all probably be eligible to be Orthodox priests. Or Eastern Rite Catholic priests.
NYer, that picture is from the Legion of Christ ordination I believe. I was present at their ordination at Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica this last Dec 23rd in Rome for it. My old college roomate was one of 55 (could be off a couple) ordained. 3 hour ceremony and quite amazing to see the fully lit up Basilica.
They are growing. Along with the North American College in Rome you are seeing a large number of young, dedicated, men making their way to priesthood.
Whole event was simply amazing.
Never thought about that. Interesting. I don't know if I could change my life that dramatically but thanks for the info.
I'm surprised the Archdiocese of Atlanta is not on the list. We have a lot of seminarians as well, and we crank out some good ones. Lots of holy young men in this archdiocese.
Men in their early 40s who are Catholic in every sense.
I believe you're correct!!
I wonder why too. If it's adjusted for population we ought to be up there. Lots of bright young men here on fire for Christ. Our parish sponsors two seminarians, and they are fine men and will be GREAT priests! Two of our former seminarians have come through as Parochial Vicars, and they are great too . . . only problem is they get their own parish and have to leave . . . < sniff >
Funny moment.
Each candidate during the ordination ceremony is called upon and they must answer "Present" to show they are ready to fufill their calling. During this one of the candidates got up, but they took the mike away too quickly and it made it seem as if he declined to answer at the time...a bunch of us looked around like "Did he just not say "present?" Didn't expect to see this!" of course we come to find later that it was the fact that the mike was taken away. All of the brothers had quite a laugh over it...ridiculing him for a couple of days after the fact.
He was totally embarrased of course.
I subscribe to Netflix, and just yesterday I saw "Diary of a Country Priest," mad ein in 1936, if I recall correctly. I recommend it. In passing it notes that already at that time many young priests were dropping out because the priesthood was not what they expected. A powerful story of a saintly priest with none of the tone of hagiography. Based on the book by Bernanos.
Poor man! I feel for him - once I had to say a few words in a foreign language to a huge group of speakers of that language and I did it very well. Then people in the back started yelling that the mike wasn't on. So I had to redo it, and for some reason redoing it gave me one of the most massive attacks of stage fright I have ever had and I could barely gasp out a word of my formerly fluent speech.
But one recovers...
I found the part in the article about priests being the best recruiters very interesting. I had considered the priesthood (before I met my wife) and yet I never had a priest ask me about pursuing it.
I still have hopes that one of my boys will answer the call.
I hope I get this attribution correct. I believe it was Fr. John Corapi (but it could have been Fr. John Trigilio) who said that the success of a Parish is measured in two easily determined statistics:
1-How many people attend Confession each Saturday?
2-How many vocations has the Parish given the Church in the past Decade?
The point was that one could take an average 6 page Church bulletin and get rid of 99% of the Collection total, Father Says...., the adverts, who is selling what and when and so on and predict how Catholic a Parish truly is by these two lines of print.
Judging by the criterion I mentioned, marshmallow, the Parish you mention is a Powerhouse of God! I'd wager Confession is also very well attended.
Any idea where you can find Fr. Corapi talks online (for free would be best)?
Keep encouraging him without pushing him into it (kids often do the reverse just to make a statement). My Maronite pastor's grandfather was a priest (the pastor chose celibacy) and we have several children in the parish with uncles who serve as priests in other parishes. And then, pray. Ultimately, this is all in God's hands, not ours.
"Poor man! I feel for him - once I had to say a few words in a foreign language to a huge group of speakers of that language and I did it very well."
Baruch atah Adonai, Elohaynu, melekh ho-olam...?
Oh, wait! Wrong thread!
Wow! Answered prayers.
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