Posted on 03/13/2012 6:38:42 AM PDT by marshmallow
Childhood dream fulfilled at age 80
For nearly half a century, Gérard Lafrenière was devoted to his wife, and, by all accounts, fulfilled his vows to love, honour and cherish her. Yet, he had another love, too.
In 2009, two years after his wife of 49 years, Gisèle Viau, died, Lafrenière fulfilled the vocation that had been with him since childhood. He became a Catholic priest, with his wife's blessing.
"This is something that has been in my life for the past 65 years," he told the Citizen on the day of his ordination. "You never know what the Lord has in store for you. I had to put it aside for a while and take a different avenue."
On Saturday, three years after becoming a priest, Father Lafrenière died at the age of 83.
Those who knew him describe him as a modest but exceptional man who had a great gift for consoling others.
"He was very loved," said his son Georges Lafrenière.
"He was the type of person who was always willing to listen to you, really listen," said Leonard Larabie, a longtime member of the congregation of St. Joseph d'Orléans, who knew Lafrenière for nearly four decades. "He knew how to listen and how to comfort people."
"He was a man with a very deep faith," said Royal Galipeau, the Conservative MP for Ottawa-Orléans, who remembers Lafrenière signing his nomination papers when he entered politics in the 1980s.
"He didn't care about promoting himself. He just fit himself in where he thought he was best needed."
Even though Lafrenière officially retired in November when a liver ailment left him frail and shaky, he continued, unofficially, to used what energy he had left to take calls from the church and members of the congregation.
(Excerpt) Read more at ottawacitizen.com ...
I attended Mass (over the Summer) at a Maryland resort town. The priest mentioned his children and grandchildren during the Homily. You could see people looking at each other with the funniest looks. He had been widowed and decided to join the priesthood. Marshmallow.... I wish you could have been there to see some of the people’s faces. It was hysterical!
My Uncle did the same after his wife passed. 5 kids and 23 grandchildren attended his ordination.
My parish had a priest who was a widower and had children.
He once gave a sermon about personal sacrafice...how he gave up his love of piano to pay for his wife’s cancer treatments.
He had women in the pews sniffling and wiping their eyes. In the 2500+ times I’ve been to church, I’ve never seen a priest bring people to tears like that.
Your Uncle sounds like a wonderful man. I will say this... if a member of his Church came to him with problem involving their marriage or their children (or in laws for that matter), he certainly had life perspective. I can only imagine that his work is truly appreciated by his parish.
I have a friend who lost his wife a few years ago. He is now in seminary and is going to be a great priest soon.
As y’all are likely aware, in Eastern Orthodoxy, married men can be ordained but ordained men cannot then get married.
Pretty sure this is the case in the Latin church as well...for instance, Anglican/Episcopal convert clergy are accepted and ordained even if married
Celibacy is, however, required for elevation to the Episcopacy in Orthodoxy. The Bishop of New York in the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), H.G. +Michael (Dahulich) was married when he graduated seminary and was ordained to the priesthood. His wife was killed in a car accident shortly after they received their first parish assignment. They had no children. Bp. Michael was dean of St. Tikhon’s Seminary until his nomination and elevation a couple years ago.
Of priests and possible priests to be
Priests are a gift from the Heart of Christ, Pope Benedict says
Convert looks forward to serving God in unique way [Father Doug Piece]
Catholic Biblical Apologetics: Opportunities of Grace: [Holy] Orders
From Krishna to Christ: The Conversion Testimony of Father Jay Kythe
'Come Follow Me': Grant Desme Lays Aside Baseball Career and Responds
A's MVP Desme retires for priesthood [ Grant Desme]
THE PRIESTHOOD DEBATE
Faith Journey Leads United Methodist from Pastorate to Catholic Priesthood
Former Protestant Minister Pursues Priesthood
Married man to be ordained (RC) priest [Ecumenical]
A Father and Son Swim the Tiber and become Priests [Ecumenical]
Cardinal Arinze discusses the priestly vows of obedience, poverty and chastity (Catholic Caucus)
Pope Gives Key to Being Highly Effective Priests [Ecumenical]
Priests: Ordinary Men Made Extraordinary by Grace [Holy Orders/Chrism Mass]
7 Reasons To Be a Priest
The Nature of Priestly Ordination: Theological Background and Some Present Concerns
The Priesthood of Jesus Christ - Body and Blood (Confessional ... Consecration ... and Calvary)
What You [Catholics] Need to Know: Priesthood (Holy Orders) [Catholic-Orthodox Caucus]
What You {Catholics} Need to Know: Celibacy [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]
New priest finds joy in sacrifice
No shortage of priests in Atlanta, more than 50 seminarians
Debt, the Vocation Killer [Catholic Caucus]
Identical twins become Green Bay priests
A Modern Roman Rite Priest reports on Classical Roman Rite Training
Number of new priests expected to rise in 2007
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
14 men are ordained into the priesthood (at St. Patrick's Cathedral NYC)
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]
Vatican Said (Again!) Not Revising Celibacy Rule
Ordinatio Sacerdotalis
Only converts from Anglicanism are ordained under the 1980 Pastoral Provision and it is not automatic. Other protestant converts who are married and seek ordination receive a dispensation from the discipline of celibacy from the Holy See. All of those converts must agree to adopt the discipline of celibacy for the remainder of their life if their spouse precedes them in death. No agreement, no ordination.
In addition, 21 of the 22 Churches sui juris which comprise the Catholic Church, ordain, as a norm, married men. However, Bishops in all the Churches must be celibate.
Same in Orthodoxy. Which is why I said “...married men can be ordained but ordained men cannot then get married.”
It’s not unheard of that you will see young Orthodox seminarians delay ordination if they are looking for a wife, and in many cases will not start Seminary until after they are married.
My friend and neighbor, Father John, became a priest late in life too. His wife passed away and that’s when he decided on the priesthood with the blessing of his daughters. Father John and I have become great friends and I love his conversations and treasure his perspective on living a good Christian life. I feel truly blessed to count him as a friend.
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