Posted on 07/23/2011 8:55:21 AM PDT by marshmallow
While the Catholic community of Macon was coping with the horrific murder of a young law student, Fr. Dawid Kwiatkowski was fielding dozens of phone calls from the media, comforting the grieving and preparing a homily for a memorial service.
It was his first week as a priest.
“I was having 30 or 40 people calling (me) asking (me) to make decisions,” said the parochial vicar of St. Joseph Church.
“Every day, I had a long prayer and simply said, ‘Lord, I have no idea what’s going on. If you don’t help me here, it’s going to be a disaster.”
Then again, God has dropped big dilemmas in his lap before, Kwiatkowski says.
In June, he and Fr. Christopher Ortega became the newest members of the clergy in the Catholic Diocese of Savannah.
They join a spiritual army of 120 priests serving more than 77,000 in 90 counties over the southern part of the state.
Ortega was recently appointed as parochial vicar at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.
Kwiatkowski and Ortega are typical of the 480 men expected to be ordained as Roman Catholic priests in the United States this year, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University.
They’re young and were born into the faith within traditional Catholic families.
According to the study, more than half of the Class of 2011 are between the ages of 25 and 34. Almost one-third were born outside the U.S.
Kwiatkowski and Ortega are imports from parts of the world where Catholicism has a bigger influence than in south Georgia.
(Excerpt) Read more at savannahnow.com ...
God bless him and all the new young priests. They know they will labor in the vineyard without the honor and deference priests used to receive. They have servants’ hearts. They know it’s going to be a long, lonely road walked simply out of love for God.
The pendulum is swinging back. The Holy Spirit is still guiding the Church. This conservative Catholic couldn’t be happier.
There are more new priests in WI the last 2 years than I can remember in the last 25yrs combined. Sorely needed! Good people taking on tough situations, and trying to keep the churches together. They need our support and attendance!
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What You [Catholics] Need to Know: Priesthood (Holy Orders) [Catholic-Orthodox Caucus]
What You {Catholics} Need to Know: Celibacy [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
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Father, Mother, Sister, Brother [Part One of a series on Celibacy] -- Catholic Caucus
It Takes a Village of Vocations [Part Two of a series on Celibacy] -- Catholic Caucus
Living Single and Celibate in God’s Service [Part Three of a series on Celibacy] -- Catholic Caucus
Brothers and Sisters in Christ [Part Four of a series on Celibacy] -- Catholic Caucus
The Adventure of the Priesthood [Part Five of a series on Celibacy] -- Catholic Caucus
This Is the Body of Christ [Part Six of a series on Celibacy and Vocations] -- Catholic Caucus
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To Know, To Love, To Lead (Pope Benedict XVI ordains 22 new priests)
The Indispensable Priesthood -- Holy Thursday, [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
Why Does the Catholic Church Ordain Only Men to the Priesthood? Part Three[Cath/Orth/Angl Caucus]
Why Does the Catholic Church Ordain Only Men to the Priesthood? Part Two
Why Does the Catholic Church Ordain Only Men to the Priesthood? Part One [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
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Ordinatio Sacerdotalis
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