"Men becoming priests at mid-life"

From the Pantagraph.com

By Bob Holliday

BLOOMINGTON -- In what he calls his past life, the Rev. Geoffrey Horton worked at a Bloomington-Normal insurance company, coached a women’s softball team, owned a home and invested in a 401K.

Although life was good, Horton, 43, felt something was missing. In May, he found his calling as a newly ordained Roman Catholic priest.

“I became a priest for the only reason anyone should ever become a priest, because I felt that’s what God was asking of me,” said Horton, currently assigned at a church in Peoria.

The Rev. Michael Bies heard the same call, but before he did, he worked 20 years as a machinist in his native Chicago and even considered marriage. Ordained about four years ago, Bies, 52, is associate pastor of St. Mary’s Church in Pontiac.

The two Central Illinois men aren’t alone in making such monumental mid-life career changes.

Paul Sullins, a professor at the Catholic University of America, said the average age at ordination has risen by 10 to 15 years since the 1970s — part of a national trend toward increased education and later-life commitments.

“An increasing proportion of priests today are entering their second or third careers,” said Sullins, adding the trend may help relieve the shortage of priests in the U.S.

Monsignor Paul Showalter, vicar general of the Peoria Diocese, agreed. Showalter said, in general, the trend toward older priests is beneficial.

It all comes down to “when they get the calling,” he said.

Horton and Bies both agreed their life experience can help them be better priests.

Bies, for instance, can identify first-hand with parishioners who are out of work

because he was without a job several times as a machinist.

Horton, likewise, hopes his experience in the corporate world gives him more empathy for parishioners stressed out by everyday business life.

Horton is unique in another way, having been an Episcopalian until he was 36.

The switch in religions together with his mid-life career switch doesn’t bother Horton’s mother, Johanna Horton of Jacksonville. “It seems right,” she said, adding her son has always had deep religious feelings.

However, there can be aspects of the mid-life switch that aren’t easy.

Hardest for Bies was giving up some of his independence. As a priest, he’s bound to his parish and that “takes a bit of getting used to,” he said.

Knowing that “God is using you to bring solace and peace,” helps him cope, he said.

The celibacy requirement is actually a gift, said Bies, because it “frees you up to see all people as part of your family.”

Bies has adapted to the St. Mary’s family well, said Monsignor Thomas Mack, the pastor there.

“People like him a lot. I’m not sure if it’s his maturity or just that he’s a nice guy,” said Mack, 57, who came to the priesthood the more traditional way: He was ordained in his mid-20s.

“It all comes down to when you get the call,” said Mack, agreeing that priests ordained later in life bring with them a maturity that helps them better relate to people.

John Steffen, 36, who worked this summer with Bies and Mack at St. Mary’s, may become another mid-life priest.

Steffen has four more years of seminary in Ohio and hopes his background in teaching and law will help him. He taught English for five years at Streator Township High School and worked at the Pontiac law firm of Caughey, Legner and Freehill.

He converted to Catholicism from Apostolic Christian as an adult. His new religion, he said, struck a chord he couldn’t ignore.

He, too, thinks older priests, because of their life experience, may have more to offer.

It’s that maturity that leads Horton to realize there’s no going back.

“It (being a priest) is not just your job, it’s your personal identity,” said Horton, who surprised at least one former co-worker by his mid-life switch.

“That switch (from actuarial work to priesthood) is like a 180-degree turn,” said Lisa Mullen, who played on the softball team Horton coached at Country Financial.

Pope Benedict XVI addresses French Bishops and talks about vocations

From Pope Benedict XVI's meeting with the French Bishops in the Hemicycle Sainte-Bernadette (Lourdes, 14 September 2008)

"In order to accomplish this task effectively, you need co-workers. For this reason, priestly and religious vocations deserve to be encouraged more than ever. I have been informed of the initiatives that have been taken with faith in this area, and I hasten to offer my full support to those who are not afraid, as Christ was not afraid, to invite the young and not so young to place themselves at the service of the Master who is here, calling (cf. Mt 11:28). I would like to offer warm thanks and encouragement to all families, parishes, Christian communities and ecclesial movements, which provide the fertile soil that bears the good fruit (cf. Mt 13:8) of vocations. In this context, I wish to acknowledge the countless prayers of true disciples of Christ and of his Church. These include priests, men and women religious, the elderly, the sick, as well as prisoners, who for decades have offered prayers to God in obedience to the command of Jesus: “Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest” (Mt 9:38). The Bishop and the communities of the faithful must play their part in promoting and welcoming priestly and religious vocations, relying on the grace of the Holy Spirit in order to carry out the necessary discernment. Yes, dear Brothers in the episcopate, continue inviting people to the priesthood and the religious life, just as Peter let down the nets at the Master’s order, when he had spent the whole night fishing without catching anything (cf. Lk 5:5).

It can never be said often enough that the priesthood is indispensable to the Church, for it is at the service of the laity. Priests are a gift from God for the Church. Where their specific missions are concerned, priests cannot delegate their functions to the faithful. Dear Brothers in the episcopate, I urge you to continue helping your priests to live in profound union with Christ. Their spiritual life is the foundation of their apostolic life. You will gently exhort them to daily prayer and to the worthy celebration of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation, as Saint Francis de Sales did for his priests. Every priest should be able to feel happiness in serving the Church. In the school of the Curé d’Ars, a son of your land and patron of pastors throughout the world, constantly reiterate that the greatest thing a man can do is to give the body and blood of Christ to the faithful and to forgive their sins. Seek to be attentive to their human, intellectual and spiritual formation, and to their means of subsistence. Try, despite the weight of your onerous tasks, to meet them regularly and know how to receive them as brothers and friends (cf. Lumen Gentium, 28; Christus Dominus, 16). Priests need your affection, your encouragement and your solicitude. Be close to them and have particular care for those who are in difficulties, sick or elderly (cf. Christus Dominus, 16). Do not forget that they are – as the Second Vatican Council teaches, quoting the magnificent expression used by Saint Ignatius of Antioch in his Letter to the Magnesians – “the spiritual crown of the Bishop” (Lumen Gentium, 41)."

Intereview with a Dominican vocations promoter

The post below is from Fr. Gerard Dunne, O.P. originally posted on his blog "Irish Dominican Vocations"

"Recently I gave an interview to Pat O' Leary, a journalist with the Irish Catholic. It was published in that paper on Thursday last. I am grateful to Pat O' Leary for the exposure given to the Irish Dominicans. The context of the interview is important because tomorrow (Sunday September 14th), in our novitiate house in St. Saviour's, Limerick, three men will be clothed in the Dominican habit and begin their novitiate year. On the following day (Monday September 15th) at Saint Mary's Dominican Priory church in Tallaght, Dublin 24, three of our brothers who have completed their novitiate will take simple (or temporary) vows for three years, while during the same ceremony, three of our student brothers will make solemn (or final) profession. These events are a source of great joy for the Irish Dominican friars. It is because of this good news that the interview was published."

Here are some excerpts from the interview:

On Vocations 'Crisis'

It seems that when it comes to vocations, we have only one word to offer: crisis! Maybe it's because we have only heard that one word 'crisis' that we really believe it! Yet, those involved in vocations ministry have to be the most optimistic of people and must not have that word (crisis) in their vocabulary. Why? Because we (vocations promoters and directors) really must believe and be convinced of the call of God in people's lives and also that we be true to the founders of our orders, congregations and societies, who did not set them up to die.

On Vocational Enquirers

My experience over these past eight years has shown that there are a significant number of young people who have a deep desire to follow the Lord. I meet them on a regular basis. Often they feel inhibited - thinking that they lack the qualities needed to become priests and religious. For me, it has been imperative to have a care and concern at a pastoral level for individuals who enquire about vocation to religious life and priesthood. This means that a proper method of discernment be followed and that enquirers and candidates have a real and authentic experience of what our life is like. It is also important that they feel that we have a deep care and concern for them and that we are honoured by their interest in our way of life.

On Communication

Making ourselves known and visible is vitally important. We can no longer take it for granted that people know who we are and what we do. To this end it is vital that we be where our young people are looking - that means that we take communicating ourselves seriously. It is important, therefore, to have a good and vibrant presence on the internet and to have quality promotional materials in schools, churches and other institutions. This is necessary to encourage people to consider us as a serious option. This means being up-to-date and not slipshod in our approach to communicating ourselves. It turns people off otherwise.

Is there a Vocations Crisis?

There is if we want there to be one. There isn't if we make decisions and be bold and put out into the deep, make ourselves known wide and far, have a deep care and concern for those who wish to join our way of life and make the changes necessary to welcome new vocations. There is certainly no vocations crisis if we place our trust in the Lord and pray earnestly that God sends laboures to His harvest.

Excerpts from Pope Benedict XVI's homily at Notre Dame addressed to Priests, Seminarians, Deacons and Religious

CELEBRATION OF VESPERS WITH PRIESTS, RELIGIOUS PEOPLE, SEMINARIANS AND DEACONS
HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
Notre-Dame Cathedral, ParisFriday, 12 September 2008

"Even now the word of God is given to us as the soul of our apostolate, the soul of our priestly life. Each morning the word awakens us. Each morning the Lord himself “opens our ear” (cf. Is 50:5) through the psalms in the Office of Readings and Morning Prayer. Throughout the day, the word of God becomes the substance of the prayer of the whole Church, as she bears witness in this way to her fidelity to Christ. In the celebrated phrase of Saint Jerome, to be taken up in the XII Assembly of the Synod of Bishops next month: “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ” (Prol. in Is.). Dear brother priests, do not be afraid to spend much time reading and meditating on the Scriptures and praying the Divine Office! Almost without your knowing it, God’s word, read and pondered in the Church, acts upon you and transforms you. As the manifestation of divine Wisdom, if that word becomes your life “companion”, it will be your “good counsellor” and an “encouragement in cares and grief” (Wis 8:9).

“The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword”, as the author of the Letter to the Hebrews tells us (4:12). Dear seminarians, who are preparing to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders and thus to share in the threefold office of teaching, governing and sanctifying, this word is given to you as a precious treasure. By meditating on it daily, you will enter into the very life of Christ which you will be called to radiate all around you. By his word, the Lord Jesus instituted the Holy Sacrament of his Body and Blood; by his word, he healed the sick, cast out demons and forgave sins; by his word, he revealed to us the hidden mysteries of his Kingdom. You are called to become stewards of this word which accomplishes what it communicates. Always cultivate a thirst for the word of God! Thus you will learn to love everyone you meet along life’s journey. In the Church everyone has a place, everyone! Every person can and must find a place in her.

And you, dear deacons, effective co-workers of the Bishops and priests, continue to love the word of God! You proclaim the Gospel at the heart of the Eucharistic celebration, and you expound it in the catechesis you offer to your brothers and sisters. Make the Gospel the centre of your lives, of your service to your neighbours, of your entire diakonia. Without seeking to take the place of priests, but assisting them with your friendship and your activity, may you be living witnesses to the infinite power of God’s word!

In a particular way, men and women religious and all consecrated persons draw life from the Wisdom of God expressed in his word. The profession of the evangelical counsels has configured you, dear consecrated persons, to Christ, who for our sakes became poor, obedient and chaste. Your only treasure – which, to tell the truth, will alone survive the passage of time and the curtain of death – is the word of the Lord. It is he who said: “Heaven and earth will pass away; my words will not pass away” (Mt 24:35). Your obedience is, etymologically, a “hearing”, for the word obey comes from the Latin obaudire, meaning to turn one’s ear to someone or something. In obeying, you turn your soul towards the one who is the Way, and the Truth and the Life (cf. Jn 14:6), and who says to you, as Saint Benedict taught his monks: “Hear, my child, the teaching of the Master, and hearken to it with all your heart” (Prologue to the Rule of Saint Benedict). Finally, let yourselves be purified daily by him who said: “Every branch that bears fruit my Father prunes, to make it bear more fruit” (Jn 15:2). The purity of God’s word is the model for your own chastity, ensuring its spiritual fruitfulness. "

Pope Benedicts XVI at Vespers with Priests, Deacons, Seminarians, and Religious in Notre Dame Cathedral

VATICAN CITY, 12 SEP 2008 (VIS) - At 7.15 p.m. today, in the Parisian cathedral of Notre-Dame, the Pope presided at the celebration of Vespers with priests, religious, seminarians and deacons. Also present at the celebration were a number of representatives from other Churches and Christian communities.

Commenting in his homily on Psalm 126, 1 - "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain" - the Pope asked: "Who is this Lord, if not our Lord Jesus Christ? It is He Who founded His Church and built it on rock, on the faith of the Apostle Peter". St. Augustine asks "how we can know who these builders are, and his answer is this: 'All those who preach God's word in the Church, all who are ministers of God's divine Sacraments. All of us run, all of us work, all of us build', yet it is God alone Who, within us, 'builds, exhorts, and inspires awe; Who opens our understanding and guides our minds to faith'".

"What marvels", the Pope added, "surround our work in the service of God's word! We are instruments of the Holy Spirit; God is so humble that He uses us to spread His word. We become His voice, once we have listened carefully to the word coming from His mouth. We place His word on our lips in order to bring it to the world. He accepts the offering of our prayer and through it He communicates Himself to everyone we meet".

Benedict XVI highlighted how "our earthly liturgies, entirely ordered to the celebration of this unique act within history, will never fully express its infinite meaning. Certainly, the beauty of our celebrations can never be sufficiently cultivated, fostered and refined, for nothing can be too beautiful for God, Who is Himself infinite Beauty. Yet our earthly liturgies will never be more than a pale reflection of the liturgy celebrated in the Jerusalem on high, the goal of our pilgrimage on earth. May our own celebrations nonetheless resemble that liturgy as closely as possible and grant us a foretaste of it!

"Even now the word of God is given to us as the soul of our apostolate, the soul of our priestly life. ... Throughout the day, the word of God becomes the substance of the prayer of the whole Church, as she bears witness in this way to her fidelity to Christ".

The Holy Father encouraged the priests not to be afraid "to spend much time reading and meditating on the Scriptures and praying the Divine Office! Almost without your knowing it, God's word, read and pondered in the Church, acts upon you and transforms you".

Turning to address seminarians, he said: "You are called to become stewards of this word which accomplishes what it communicates. Always cultivate a thirst for the word of God! Thus you will learn to love everyone you meet along life's journey. In the Church everyone has a place, everyone! Every person can and must find a place in her".

To deacons he said: "Without seeking to take the place of priests, but assisting them with your friendship and your activity, may you be living witnesses to the infinite power of God's word!"

Benedict XVI reminded men and women religious, and all consecrated people, that their "only treasure - which, to tell the truth, will alone survive the passage of time and the curtain of death - is the word of the Lord. ... Your obedience is, etymologically, a 'hearing', for the word 'obey' comes from the Latin 'obaudire', meaning to turn one's ear to someone or something. In obeying, you turn your soul towards the One Who is the Way, and the Truth and the Life. ... The purity of God's word is the model for your own chastity, ensuring its spiritual fruitfulness".

Finally, Benedict XVI greeted the representatives from other Churches and Christian communities who "have come to pray Vespers together with us in this cathedral".

"I implore the Lord to increase within us the sense of this unity of the word of God, which is the sign, pledge and guarantee of the unity of the Church: there is no love in the Church without love of the word, no Church without unity around Christ the Redeemer, no fruits of redemption without love of God and neighbour, according to the two commandments which sum up all of Sacred Scripture!"

Vocations Awareness Day

STEUBENVILLE, OH (AEPTEMBER 12, 2008) – More than 100 religious communities and dioceses from across the United States and abroad will send vocations directors to participate in Franciscan University of Steubenville’s annual Vocations Awareness Day, which is one of the largest vocation fairs in the nation.

The event, sponsored by the Pre-Theologate Program and Chapel Ministries, will be held on Friday, October 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Finnegan Fieldhouse. It is free and open to the public. Afterward, a 4:45 p.m. Mass in Christ the King Chapel will be celebrated for those discerning religious life or the priesthood.

Last year’s Vocations Awareness Day attracted about 800 attendees. University and high school students, home school families, and local individuals took advantage of the opportunity to meet with vocations directors, ask questions, and learn about their unique missions and charisms.

Some of this year’s orders include: Franciscan Friars of Renewal, Dominican Order of Preachers, Carmelite friars and nuns from California, Washington, and Oklahoma, Benedictine monks, Marians of the Immaculate Conception, Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, School Sisters of St. Francis, and sisters from Madrid, who are especially seeking Franciscan University education or Spanish majors to teach in Spain. Religious directors from many dioceses across the U.S. will also be present.

Father Ken Cienik, SA, director of the Pre-Theologate Program, encourages the public to attend. He says this is a great opportunity to encounter “a wide variety of religious orders and dioceses at one time and to discern if one might be right for you.”

For more information, call 740-283-6495 or e-mail vocationday@franciscan.edu.

Contact: Franiscan University of Steubenville
http://www.franciscan.edu OH, 43952 US
Tom Sofio - Assistant Manager, 740-284-5893

Spike in enrolment at the North American College

ROME — The Rome seminary considered the West Point for U.S. priests has its largest incoming class in 40 years.

The Pontifical North American College is welcoming 61 seminarians in its fall classes beginning in mid-October, according to Catholic News Service.

The school, on a hill overlooking the Vatican, opened in 1954 with room for more than 200 students, but has not been full in recent years.

Msgr. Robert Gruss, vice rector for student life, told CNS that the college, which is sponsored by the U.S. bishops, will have 208 seminarians total this year.

Pontifical North American College

Great vocations news from the Salesians

Fr. Steve Leake, SDB sends word of good vocations news for the Salesians:

"We had 2 Salesians make Final Vows this year and 2 first professions. Also we are able to celebrate 19 men in our house of initial formation! Also, we have 2 men in our province Novitiate as well. Let's pray that we can continue to see such good news! Worldwide I think the Salesian Congregation has 500 novices... while we are not that full yet... we are still happy with our number here in the States. The Vietnamese Salesian province has 36 novices this year! God is really so good to us."

Please visit the links above to read posts about the brothers making final vows and first professions.

Vocations Update from the Anchoress

The Anchoress has posted another great list of vocations news from religious communities around the country. It starts with news that the Dominican Nuns of Summit New Jersey are beginning a capital campaign because they need more room for incoming sisters - yet another community that continues to grow! The picture below is their Public Chapel, Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary

New Principal for Cardinal Hickey Academy

From Southern Maryland Newspapers Online
By GRETCHEN PHILLIPS

Sister Mary Juliana Cox stepped out of her office for a few moments one afternoon only to return to a small piece of chocolate that had mysteriously appeared on her desk. These sweet surprises have helped Sister Juliana feel welcomed as the new principal of Cardinal Hickey Academy.

Sister Juliana comes to Cardinal Hickey Academy from her Motherhouse in Tennessee, the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia congregation. Before joining the private school in Owings, Sister Juliana taught for five years in the Tennessee area.

Sister Juliana said she has brought with her a focus on community, faith and excellence.

She said she is working to ensure that teachers at Cardinal Hickey are provided ample time in their classroom for instruction to take place.

Her first week of a school full of students has been a good one, she said, and in an interview she repeatedly mentioned the respect she has observed from both staff and students.

Prior to the students’ first days, Sister Juliana prepared for school with staff meetings and got acquainted with her new building.

Sister Juliana said one of her priorities was making sure the eighth grade students had a memorable last year at the school. She met with each eighth-grader’s parents and the class to get to know them. She said she was hoping to get ideas from students on how they can ‘‘be leaders and take an active role in the leadership of the school.”

During the first week of school, Sister Juliana visited classrooms and said she was ‘‘impressed with the eagerness of children to learn and do their best.”

‘‘In a classroom you see how God is working with your group of [students] and those families but as principal you see the Holy Spirit working in the school and it is so very humbling to recognize that God has placed these souls into my care to guide, nurture and challenge to greater heights,” she said.

Students at the school should not be intimidated by Sister Juliana’s Habit because she said she enjoys being outdoors as much as possible, including boat rides, playing ultimate Frisbee and soccer—all of which, she said, she does while wearing the traditional nun’s attire.

Sister Juliana said she also likes getting involved with the community and religious activity is on the forefront.

‘‘As a member of the religious community, my interests involve community prayer, activities and outings,” she said.

Sister Juliana said she is full of ideas for the coming year and eager to work with students and staff.

Bishop Emeritus F. Joseph Gossman on Vocations

At the close of a Mass of Thanksgiving marking his 40th Anniversary of Consecration to the Episcopacy, Bishop Emeritus F. Joseph Gossman (Diocese of Raleigh) reflected on his vocation and the Priesthood. Bishop Gossman was ordained to the Priesthood on December 17, 1955 and became a Bishop on September 11, 1968.

"Indian bishops demand police take action against nuns' attackers"

By Catholic News Service

NEW DELHI (CNS) -- The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India is demanding police officials take action against people who attacked Missionaries of Charity nuns in central India.

On Sept. 5, about 300 Hindu fundamentalists barged into a train coach and took four infants from two Missionaries of Charity nuns and two helpers, reported the Asian church news agency UCA News. The nuns from Raipur were taking the babies, all younger than two months, to an orphanage their congregation operates with a government license in Indore, about 500 miles south of New Delhi.

Divine Word Father Babu Joseph, spokesman for the bishops, called the attack "heinous" and "most contemptible." In a Sept. 6 statement, he appealed to law-enforcement agencies to "take stringent action against the perpetrators of crimes against the hapless religious women who have given their life for the sake of the most unfortunate ones in society."

"It is most regrettable," he added, "that organizations that claim to represent Hindu interests show utter insensitivity toward those whose services are received by members of their own community."

Sister Mamata, one of the Missionaries of Charity nuns, recounted the incident to UCA News Sept. 8, saying that Hindu extremists entered their coach at Durg, about 25 miles into the journey.

The intruders shouted anti-Christian slogans and forced the nuns off the coach, she said. Some women among the extremists snatched the babies while others verbally abused Christian missionaries in general for converting the poor under the pretext of service, she said.

Police took the nuns, their helpers and the Hindu extremists to their office at the railway station. Sister Mamata said the police and Hindus had closed-door talks, while the police denied the nuns permission to use the station's telephone to seek assistance. She said the radicals forcibly took the adoption papers from the nuns, alleging they were false.

Someone who happened to arrive at the station allowed the nuns to use his cell phone to contact the Raipur archbishop's residence. Priests at the residence informed a Missionaries of Charity convent in Bhilai, and two nuns came to help their colleagues.

However, the Hindu radicals beat up one of the Bhilai nuns and their driver and deflated their vehicle's tires before police intervened, Sister Mamata said.

She said that even while the nuns were under police protection the Hindu extremists continued to abuse them.

"They even threatened to kill us, saying, 'This is your last journey,'" Sister Mamata recalled. She said the police kept the nuns and their helpers in custody and returned the sisters to the respective convents in Bhilai and Raipur by 3 a.m.

The infants were reportedly admitted to a government hospital in Durg, Sister Mamata reported.

"Come what may, I will fight to get them back," she said.

The incident occurred on the 11th anniversary of the death of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who founded the Missionaries of Charity. On that day, nuns at the order's headquarters in Calcutta prayed for peace in Orissa, where Hindu-Christian violence that began in late August had left 27 dead by Sept. 9.

Video message about vocations

The Archdiocese of Boston has a new vocations website up (still under construction) and on it there is a great message about vocations and their promotion from Cardinal O'Malley. Go to the website here and click on the play button in the bottom left corner of the page.

It was a big weekend...

Some of you who know me personally, and live in the Diocese of Raleigh, probably know by now that when my posting level drops off, it probably means I'm busier than usual. This past week that was certainly the case, and looks to be the same for the foreseeable future.

This past weekend was a big one. On Friday, Bishop Burbidge celebrated a Mass for Vocations at one of the Diocesan parishes with the students from the school present. About an hour later he joined the 7th and 8th grade classes in praying a rosary for vocations before Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament. That afternoon the Diocese celebrated the 40th Anniversary of Bishop Gossman's Episcopal consecration. What a wonderful celebration of the priesthood this was, and it really turned out to be an incredible vocations event with three different Bishops (Burbidge, Bolin and Gossman) all addressing the need for vocations and the joy of the priesthood. The Diocese videotaped the Mass and recorded Bishop Gossman's reflection on his vocation at the end - I will try to post it here when I get a hold of a copy.

Saturday it was back to Diaconate formation for me. Less than 24 months now to Ordination - God willing. Sunday saw a milestone on route to that day - Installation into the ministry of Lector in one of the most historic churches in the Diocese of Raleigh.

In the coming days we will be putting the finishing touches on our Diocesan Vocations poster, prayer cards, and other vocations materials to send off to the printers. Those of you still interested in a copy of the young boy "celebrating" Mass - it will probably be a couple of more weeks before they are available. Stay tuned here - I'll let you know when they come in, and how to get a copy.

Back to work and back to posting...

"New face at St. Sebastian's"

Below is a very good article about Fr. Valencheck who moderates the blog Adam's Ale.

Rev. John Valencheck is no stranger to Akron. He was guided to the priesthood at Sacred Heart Parish in Barberton

From Ohio.com

By Colette M. Jenkins
Beacon Journal religion writer

Photo by Karen Schiely/Akron Beacon Journal

Catherine Paparella nudged her college buddy more than 20 years ago during a Mass and told him he had the perfect personality to be a priest.

''We were listening to a seminarian who was talking about the vocations and who might consider being a priest,'' Paparella said. ''I elbowed him and pointed to him, saying, 'That's you.' ''

Two months ago, that college friend — the Rev. John Valencheck — showed up at Paparella's parish, St. Sebastian in West Akron, as the new priest.

''I'm really blessed. This is such a nice place to be. The people here are so involved with their parish,'' Valencheck said. ''We're still getting to know each other and I come with no intention to change who they are. I'm trying to get to who they are as a people so I can love them for who they are.''

Valencheck, who celebrated his 43rd birthday on Aug. 24, was assigned to St. Sebastian on June 24, succeeding the Rev. William Karg, who retired after 44 years in ministry. He came to St. Sebastian from St. Clare in Lyndhurst, but he is no stranger to the area.

A Barberton native, Valencheck grew up in Sacred Heart Parish, the place where he says he received nurturing that guided him to the priesthood. That influence came from the late Rev. Joseph Ozimek, a longtime pastor of the Barberton parish.

''He is the priest who affected my life most and first got me thinking about the priesthood. I remember showing up to serve at a Mass and saying, 'I've got to serve again,' '' Valencheck said. ''Father Ozimek stopped me and said, 'No. You get to serve again.' He helped me recognize that it is a privilege to serve God.

''When I got here, I discovered one drawer that wasn't cleaned out. When I pulled the last thing from the drawer, it was a rule book from the seminary from 1942. When I opened the book, I saw his handwritten name, Joseph Ozimek. It was his old book from the seminary. I saw that as a confirmation that I am supposed to be here at St. Sebastian.''

Valencheck was ordained a priest in 1998 and his first assignment was at St. Ambrose in Brunswick. One of his fellow seminarians, the Rev. G. David Bline, who was recently assigned to lead St. Francis de Sales parish in Coventry Township, describes Valencheck as a thoughtful, authentic, down-to-earth person and a great preacher.

''He's one of my favorite preachers. He has such a love for finding truth and as he works his way through finding that truth, he helps others find truth,'' Bline said. ''He's a genuine person who loves tradition. He's a throwback, but he has a great blog. He has a passion for traditions but knows how to bring them into the present.''

Among the traditions that Valencheck is attached to are a cup, foam, brush and razor for shaving, and windup clocks. He also has an affinity for 1930s radio shows and soundtracks from old movies. He continues the tradition of accordion playing from his Slovenian upbringing. He also wears the traditional black cassock.

Before embarking upon his six years of seminary study, Valencheck received a degree in theater arts at the University of Akron. He worked as a director, designer, prop master and set builder, but acted only ''if people were desperate,'' he said.

Nothing, however, compares to his current role.

''I cannot believe this is what I do. I serve Christ and I serve people,'' Valencheck said. ''My job is to make sure that I get into heaven and that other people get into heaven. What could be better?''

Valencheck said his hope for St. Sebastian is for it to continue to be a beacon of light in the community. He said his goal is for everything at the parish to be centered on the Eucharist.

''I like to take credit for his being in the priesthood,'' Paparella said. ''But I think the good Lord had much more to do with it than I did.''

H/t to Chrsitian

Clergy in crisis: Ireland is running out of priests

"With precious few candidates for the priesthood and rapidly emptying pews, the Catholic Church is being forced to accept radical change."

From The Independent

By David McKittrick

When the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, solemnly ordained this year's crop of new priests in his diocese last month, he called them all by their first names.

This did not involve any great feat of memory on his part since there were, after all, only three of them. Michael, Richard and Dan are the only newly ordained priests for Dublin's million-plus Catholics.

The tiny number is an ominous indication that Ireland, which once exported Catholic clergy around the world, is running out of priests. The manpower crisis for the Irish church is one which may well change its fundamental character. A new order is taking shape in which congregations will be sharing power with an ageing, shrinking priesthood. The faithful are now being invited not simply to be passively supportive, but to help rescue a church in deep trouble. This will represent a huge change for a country which the Rev Ian Paisley used to denounce as "priest-ridden".

The old model of the priest as a stern and authoritarian figure has long since gone, swept away in a more prosperous society. Now the church is coming to terms with the fact that almost no one in Ireland wants to be a priest any more. Michael Kelly, one of Dublin's three new priests, said: "When I told people I wanted to be a priest they were shocked and disbelieving. Some of them thought I should be committed."

This is in dramatic contrast to the pride formerly felt by Irish families when a son joined the priesthood. Malachi O'Doherty, author of the new book Empty Pulpits, confirmed: "Now if a youth says he wants to be a priest, there is huge discouragement. It is seen as a very silly career move."

Joe Mullan, a senior Dublin priest, agreed the slump in vocations had been startling. "It happened extraordinarily quickly," he said. "I was ordained 22 years ago, and when I was in the seminary there were a hundred of us, just for the Dublin diocese."

Fr Mullan is now nearly 50 but is regarded as unusually youthful, given that the average age of a Dublin priest is 63. He smiled ruefully as he recounted: "A woman in the sacristy at a wedding on Saturday looked at me and said, 'Are you the parish priest? God, you're very young.'"

Ireland still has thousands of priests, but they are ageing and many are in ill-health. They are supposed to retire at 75 but the chronic shortage means bishops often ask them to stay on longer. The Irish Catholic newspaper estimated that 160 priests have died in the past year. The paper's verdict that this is a crisis which is affecting morale around the country is readily confirmed by many clerics. The irony is that Protestant churches report no such problems.

"It's an almighty struggle for a lot of priests," said Fr Dan Carroll of Kilkenny, "and it's not going to get any easier. Morale can be low at times – you are just working so hard and there's nobody coming behind you."

So how many are in training for his diocese? "None," he answered tersely. "We have had no candidates for the priesthood for 12 years, maybe 15, no intake in that length of time."

Kevin Mullan, a Tyrone priest, remembered the old days when Ireland helped stock the world with clerics. "We used to have a superfluity of clergy," he said. "Way back we had so many priests they were sent on loan to Glasgow or England or America."

The decline in numbers is seen throughout the church. With few new nuns and monks, many imposing former convents and monasteries have been sold and transformed into modern apartments as Ireland has moved from austerity to affluence.

The church is still heavily involved in education, but the crisis is affecting this too. The Christian Brothers, for example, have had to relinquish the day-to-day running of their schools because of their dwindling numbers.

So how did the church lose out so dramatically in terms of personnel, finances, power and standing? Fr Mullan offered one explanation: "It's the secularisation of Ireland, the reduction in family size. Ireland has just caught up with the more secular Europe with its more libertarian values – good values around freedom and individuality and personal choice."

Others believe the church has brought many of its difficulties on itself. In particular, the child abuse scandals of the past decade dealt the severest blows to its reputation, partly because of the abuse itself and partly because of its defensive reaction.

But long before that the old authority was ebbing away. The Irish, like much of the Western world, disregarded the 1960s Vatican strictures against contraception, but the episode significantly eroded the deference to Rome. While abortion remains illegal in almost all cases, divorce and contraception have been legalised. The triumphant 1979 visit of Pope John Paul II seemed to confirm Ireland's status as "the most Christian country in the world," as hundreds of thousands turned out to see the pontiff. Yet with hindsight it was just another staging post in decline.

In the years that followed, the Pope's two most prominent warm-up men, a bishop and a prominent priest, were found to have secret sons. Ireland goggled as the bishop's mistress told of their affair on television: "It was like I was on gossamer wings," she trilled. The resulting damage laid the Irish church low, to the extent that one bishop said sorrowfully that society had become "to a very large extent de-Christianised".

Attendance at Mass has dropped sharply, though this was from a very high level and it remains higher than in many other European countries. The picture is patchy, however: in some of Dublin's poorest areas it stands at well below 10 per cent. Yet in other places the pews are almost full; the veteran Derry priest Oliver Crilly, for example, said that his church can be filled to overflowing. "Eleven o'clock Mass last Sunday was a full house," he said. "It really bolsters you, buoys you up, to see that."

He attributed this high turnout to his practice of co-opting parishioners into the running of the church; he has been something of a pioneer in introducing congregational co-operation. "Some priests would be fearful of this," he said, "but there's absolutely no need to be. They can see it as a sort of competition, they're afraid that if they give people more power they're going to lose power.

"But it isn't like that – it's a collaborative effort, a sharing of responsibility. It takes a lot of weight off the priest."

Confronted with the priest shortage, Archbishop Martin and some of the hierarchy are now convinced that involving the laity holds the key to countering the present crisis. The informal co-operation introduced by Fr Crilly and others is now to be formalised with a new structure of part-time and full-time workers. In other countries this might seem little more than common sense, but in Ireland it will be a sea-change. The Dublin diocese is to have a new system of lay people who will work alongside its priests. In Dublin every parish has been mandated to have a pastoral council. Parish pastoral workers will be properly salaried – and women will, the church pledges, be employed on the same basis as men.

"For us to be able to survive we must share the workload, said Fr Mullan, "but it's culturally quite a challenge for the community – and for us – to accept that this is the change that circumstances now demand."

Not every priest is in favour of such radical reform. Fr Mullan conceded: "It's quite threatening to the professional identity of the priest when non-ordained people come into work in the parish. They're to be paid more than the clergy, and perhaps in time their status will be equal to or greater than the clergy."

Despite the lack of universal enthusiasm, some veterans are highly receptive to the idea. Fr Sean McKenna, who works on the Derry-Donegal border and has been a priest for 23 years, is relaxed and supportive.

"It's up to us to reorganise things and adapt to the change," he said. "We have to recognise whatever God is saying to us about combining the roles of the clergy and the laity."

And the idea holds no terrors for an even more experienced cleric, Sean O'Dwyer of Co Tipperary, a priest for almost 50 years. His attitude is shaped by the fact that he served as a missionary in Peru. There, he explained, one priest could be looking after 50,000 people, and could only do so with the help of hundreds of volunteers.

In his opinion: "We have to learn from the missions system. The only answer to all this is with lay involvement. The co-operation of the people is essential." And the future of the church in Ireland? "Humanly speaking you might think it's going to get worse and worse," he said. "But it's God's church, and maybe he's putting us to the test to find other ways of stirring people."

"Seminarians share thoughts on call to priesthood"

From the Florida Catholic
By Staffwriters

ST. PETERSBURG A few months ago, the diocesan Vocations Office Web site featured audio interviews with area priests who each took a few minutes to talk about his vocation.

Now, the Web site has a new feature that introduces men on the other side of the priesthood spectrum: those just discerning a call to the priesthood. In it, all six of the diocese’s new seminarians answer questions about themselves and why they are interested in becoming priests.

Lacking audio, the new feature doesn’t have the “in-the-same-room” feel of the priests’ interviews, but it does provide insight to the men, their past, their interests and their faith.

“This gives us a way to see who these guys are, what they are leaving behind and what they are looking (forward to learning),” said Father Len Plazewski, diocesan director of vocations. “A lot of the questions are commonly asked questions they get when they are out doing vocation talks.”
The diocese has 26 men actively discerning a call to the priesthood through seminary studies.

The new seminarians are a diverse group. Some just graduated from high school. One, Tim Corcoran, worked as an attorney and served as a federal bankruptcy judge. Together they show that a call to the priesthood can come at almost any time in a person’s life.

“It can be right for some people right after high school. That’s what I did,” Father Plazewski said. “For others, for whatever reason, it’s best to wait a year or two and go to college. For others, the best time is after college. Or, like Tim, it’s after a career.”

According to Father Plazewski, pursuing the priesthood parallels in many ways the process of dating and moving toward marriage. A young man who falls in love might get married earlier than he planned; others need to travel, go to college or have a variety of life experiences before they wed. Dating is not unlike the early stages of discerning a vocation. Entering the seminary is something akin to going steady. Reaching the theology stage of seminary is similar to an engagement, and the ordination can be compared to marriage.

In marriage or the priesthood, those involved have to give it time and attention before taking vows.

“I would say there are a lot of similarities between discerning a call to marriage and discerning a call to the priesthood,” Father Plazewski said. “You don’t rush into it. … It takes reflection. It takes time to see where it goes and, obviously, it takes a lot of prayer.

“The difference is that, when it comes to writing ‘thank-you’ notes, you don’t have anyone else to do it for you.”

Interviews with the new seminarians can be accessed through HERE.

"Chaplain to answer one call, make another"

From the St. Louis Review Online

by Jean M. Schildz

Former vocations director Father Michael T. Butler may be answering the call of the military, but while serving he plans to do a little calling of his own, too.

After about 14 years with the archdiocesan Office of Vocations — 11 of those years as director — the St. Louis native was released from duty this June by Archbishop Raymond L. Burke to serve with the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA.

Father Butler will join the U.S. Air Force at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio Sept. 25 as deputy wing chaplain.

The military, he says, is ripe for vocations. His new assignment "will be a good opportunity for me to challenge our young people in the military to think about serving as priests and religious."

Father Butler said jokingly, "You can take the priest out of the vocation office, but you can’t take the vocation director out of the priest."

In his new position, he will assist his commander in the training of chaplains and chaplain assistants.

"I’m going to be mentoring chaplains to make sure they’re doing their job," he said.

The post of military chaplain is not an unfamiliar one for him. In 1990, only one year after being ordained by Archbishop John L. May, Father Butler was permitted to serve as chaplain for the 131st Fighter Wing of the Missouri Air National Guard. The unit is based at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

Since then the 46-year-old has been on active duty about two months out of every year. The first time he was sent overseas was 10 days after the attack on the World Trade Center Sept. 11, 2001. He now has seven trips abroad under his belt as chaplain with the National Guard. Several of his assignments have taken him to the Middle East. He also has comforted U.S. soldiers at a military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, where the seriously wounded from Afghanistan and Iraq are taken.

Father Butler in an interview last week said that each time he has been deployed, he has made it a point to talk to young people about a vocation.

"And it’s amazing how many of them really do think about it," he said. For example, one young man he spoke with attended the archbishop’s retreat at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary last year, while another has just entered the seminary. "So I do know there are guys who have really thought about it, and I’ve encouraged them. I know there are vocations out there, too, even in the military."

Among his accomplishments with the Office of Vocations, Father Butler was instrumental in starting the annual archbishop’s retreat and the various vocation camps at the seminary. But what he is most proud of is his work in helping young men and women discern what God has called them to do.

Said the priest, "I hope that’s the legacy more than anything, that I’ve hopefully made a difference in their lives." He expects his work to continue to grow and prosper under the capable leadership of new directer Father Edward M. Rice.

On loan to the Military Archdiocese initially for three years, Father Butler said his assignment could be extended. He hopes to return to St. Louis to serve again as a priest, but doesn’t know when.

"A lot depends on the future archbishop and the military and myself," he said.

He leaves behind his parents, Deacon James Russell (Russ) and Betty Butler, a sister, two brothers, and lots of nieces and nephews. They are all supportive of his efforts, he said, because they understand his calling as a priest and know the military needs him desperately.

In the U.S. Armed Forces today there are less than 300 Catholic priests, he said. At the end of World War II there were 5,000. "My understanding is that in the U.S. Air Force now we have right about 74 active duty Catholic priests.

And in four years there will be half that number. Right now I understand we have 18 Air Force bases that have no Catholic priests, which shows it’s a huge issue."

Father Butler has gotten to know members of the military through his National Guard duty and has great respect for them.

They are "heroic people, who really come to defend their family and their nation from those who want to do us harm. Are they really happy about going out and perhaps killing people and even dying themselves? Certainly not. But they believe in this country, and they believe in their families. They want to protect them enough they’re willing to put their lives on the line."

He has a great love for the military, "not because I love war, for I certainly don’t, but for the people and what they’re willing to do."

He recalled one young man who came to see him after he had celebrated Mass in a Middle East desert. "He came to my office, which was a tent. I remember he was about 20, 21 years old. An all-American kind of guy. And I remember he cried, which is not unusual. But then he composed himself and said, ‘You know, I’ve been over here for some time, and I can’t wait to go home, but the only time I ever feel like I’m back home is when I get to go to Mass.’

"And then he said, ‘Thank you for doing this because I know we have a shortage of priests, and not many people would want to come over and do this.’ But, you know, he himself volunteered." That in itself, he said, was enough reason for him to volunteer, too.

As a Catholic military chaplain, Father Butler loves bringing Christ and being Christ to others, no matter where they are and no matter their faith.

Said the priest, "It’s a wonderful life when you serve Christ, in whatever way that is."

"Aren’t you afraid of giving up marriage?"

"Bancroft teen pursuing religious life"
From the Catholic Globe, Sioux City
By Kara Koczur

At 19 years of age, to the world, Emily Morse has her whole life ahead of her. She has time to travel, time to date and time to just “do whatever.” But, that’s not what she wants.

She wants to be a nun.

Not only does she want to be a nun, but she believes God is calling her to be one. Yet, this lively and energetic girl has encountered skeptics.

“A lot of times I’ll get, ‘Wow, you’re just finishing your freshman year of college. Don’t you want to see a little more of the world? Aren’t you afraid of giving up marriage?’” Morse said.

Her answer is simply “no.”

“If God is calling me to do something then I want to do that one thing,” said Morse, a parishioner at St. John the Baptist in Bancroft. “To grow in holiness, that’s what I want to do. So, why put that off by trying to entertain myself with a life God didn’t call me to? He called me first to be a sister.”

Morse will be entering the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr of St. George on Sept. 8, the feast of the Nativity of Mary. She will be entering at their motherhouse in Alton, Ill. Throughout the United States, 122 sisters belong to the community, whose two main charisms are nursing and teaching, both which Morse said she loves.

“I was drawn to the order by their life of prayer and service, their very good balance between the both of them, and just their joyous spirituality there,” she said.

Morse, who would have been going into her sophomore year at Iowa State, will only be allowed to bring with her necessities for life, such as a coat and hat, and a few meaningful religious items.

Her first year of life at the convent will be her postulancy, where she will be mainly working with the community at a daycare, hospital or at the convent. During this time, Morse will wear a jumper instead of a habit and veil.

“It’s a year of discernment and immersing yourself in the life of these specific sisters of that Franciscan lifestyle,” she said.

At the end of her postulancy, Morse will receive the habit, white veil and religious name. The next two years will be her novitiate, after which she will make first vows and enter her juniorate, which lasts another four to six years. At this point Morse will be sent to school for either teaching or nursing, though she hopes nursing. From the time she enters, it will take about eight years before she is a fully professed sister.

The call

The religious life has always been very attractive to her, Morse said, but it was in high school that she began to take that attraction more seriously. She began to visit different communities, like the Missionaries of Charity, to get a feel for religious life. Morse said that was when she began to think she could live that life, and that God wanted her to live it.

“It was through prayer that I discovered that call initially, but through visiting the sisters and seeing how joyous they were and finding I could be myself there, . . .that was the moment that I knew this is it,” she said.

As a religious sister, Morse is giving herself to Christ as his bride, as a sign of the full communion she’ll have with him in heaven, she said.

“It’s saying, ‘God, I’m willing to give that sacrifice of a human marriage to you, in gratitude for the union that we will have in heaven, to draw the eyes of my friends and people that I meet throughout the world to that greater union that will be in heaven,’” Morse added.

This summer, Morse was a Totus Tuus teacher in the diocese. She said her experience in the program helped solidify her call to religious life by giving her a taste of community life, as well as having a structured prayer life that included the Liturgy of the Hours.

“It helped me have more confidence that I could live in a community,” she said, “and it helped me to be brutally honest with my brothers and sisters, which were my teammates throughout the summer.”

This isn’t the first time a Totus Tuus teacher from the diocese has gone on to pursue religious life. A teacher from 2007, Sarah Stodden, now Sister Mariela, also entered the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr of St. George.

Morse’s family has been a source of encouragement in her discernment of God’s call. The third oldest of five girls, she said having sisters who share her beliefs and who challenge her to do what’s right has been helpful. Morse’s oldest sister is also a religious sister, and having her as an example of what it means to be the bride of Christ has made religious life more tangible to her, she said.

Her mom has also been a great example of what it means to be Catholic, not just on Sunday, but every day of the week, Morse said, and has sacrificed a lot so that Morse and her sisters could grow in their faith.

“She has laid her life down so that we can be Catholic,” Morse said about her mother. “She has always taken us to daily Mass, since before I can remember. She encouraged us to go to confession regularly, as well as praying the family rosary. That has been a big thing in my life.”

Morse said it’s going to be hard for her family when she leaves, but that it will be hard for her as well. Once she enters on Sept. 8, she’ll only be able to see her family for a few days twice a year, including a home visit once a year, write letters once a week and call them a few times a year.

“It’s hard for them to give me up,” Morse said. “But, they also realize what the most important thing is. It helps me that they realize this too, is God’s will, and that’s when we’re going to attain the happiness that we’re seeking.”

Morse said one the things she’s most grateful for is the honor and privilege that God has called her to this vocation. She must depend on him for everything, she said, and in taking it day by day, she is able to do the Lord’s will. But, that doesn’t mean that it’s easy to contemplate what she’s about to do.

“Sometimes I’ll be thinking and I’ll be like, ‘What?! God is really calling me to be his bride? Are you serious Emily?’” she said. “It kind of blows me away sometimes, but it’s just [through] his mercy and his love that he allows us to have such a union with him even here on earth.”

"An Interview with a Carmelite"

From New Oxford Review

By Dale Vree

We recently had a chance to talk with Brother Simon Mary of the Cross, a monk at the Carmel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Clark, Wyoming. Fr. Daniel Mary of Jesus Crucified, the Prior of the monastery, offered us this rare occasion to speak with Br. Simon Mary, in the hope that the story of his vocation would help other young men in their discernment, and inspire the prayers and generosity of our readers to preserve this monastic way of life and provide for the young men God is calling. Br. Simon Mary took us from his early, formative years through to the realization of his vocation as a Carmelite monk. The Carmelite monastery in Wyoming is one of the most exciting new elements in the Church in America, and has proven -- in just a few short years -- to be fecund ground for vocations to the consecrated life.

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NOR: Greetings, Brother Simon Mary.

Br. Simon Mary: Praised be Jesus Christ!

NOR: Tell us a little bit about your background.

Br. Simon Mary: I was born in 1984. I grew up in Cambridge, a small rural town in New York on the Vermont border.

NOR: Only 24 years old -- you're still a young fellow! Tell us about your home life growing up.

Br. Simon Mary: I come from a faithful Catholic family; I'm the oldest of three children. I had a normal, peaceful childhood. My grandparents had a dairy farm in Cambridge, a portion of which they deeded to my parents. It was a great blessing to grow up in a small, rural town such as Cambridge.My mother was a devout Catholic, as were some of the older members of my family, especially my grandmother. They faithfully attended the devotions, Stations of the Cross, adoration, and Rosaries at the local parish, and always took us kids along with them. Being in a church, to me, was just a natural part of my childhood. And there were always holy pictures and crucifixes in both my parents' and grandparents' houses.

NOR: So these physical manifestations of the faith -- holy pictures, crucifixes -- and devotional practices were helpful in the formation of your faith?

Br. Simon Mary: Yes, absolutely.

NOR: Did you go to Catholic or public schools?

Br. Simon Mary: I went to a public school in Cambridge.

NOR: Looking back, who were some of the early influences who helped in your religious formation?

Br. Simon Mary: Apart from my mother and grandmother, I would definitely say the Augustinian Fathers. In Cambridge, when I was growing up, some priests from the Augustinian order staffed some of the parishes in rural New England. I first became aware of them at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and was blessed to have them for CCD classes as well, starting when I was six years old. These men were very impressive to me; they were men of deep prayer -- very disciplined, very devoted to our Lady. Their teachings were very orthodox.In my hometown, the population was roughly half Catholic and half Protestant, so to see these men in their black cassocks was a powerful witness to our Catholic faith. I realize now what a great visible witness they gave just by their presence.

NOR: Was there one person in particular whom you consider a significant early influence leading you to the religious life?

Br. Simon Mary: Yes. His name was Fr. Joseph Getz and, as you can imagine, he was one of the Augustinian Fathers. He married my parents, and he taught me and my brother how to serve at the altar during Holy Mass. What I remember most about him is his great devotion to the Blessed Mother -- Father always prayed the Rosary in the first pew before vesting for Mass. Watching him exercise his priestly office close-up during Mass was a very powerful experience for me as a young boy. His strong priestly character certainly demanded respect and admiration. He was a true spiritual father to me, and his reverence when saying Mass and his love for the Church and the Blessed Mother was inspiring.

NOR: With such an influence as Fr. Getz, did you entertain thoughts of becoming a priest?

Br. Simon Mary: Yes. Many people -- family, friends, people at Mass -- would tell me or my parents after I served Mass that I should consider the priesthood, that I would make a good priest. I would say that this encouragement at the time made me think of one day perhaps becoming a priest.

NOR: What would you consider the earliest influence that led you to consider the monastic, rather than the priestly, life?

Br. Simon Mary: That influence, coincidentally, was also Fr. Getz. As mentioned, I attended the public school in my hometown. The Augustinian Fathers would take us out of school during the middle of the day for catechism classes -- I can't fathom how they managed to do that, given the hostility of most public schools these days toward anything religious! In one of the CCD classes, when I was around nine years old, Fr. Getz showed us a children's video about St. Thérèse of Lisieux. This was my first encounter with the cloistered monastic life. I don't recall the details of the video, but only wondering, "What is this?" I had never heard of anybody voluntarily living such a life -- a life behind walls and grilles. I was definitely intrigued. I didn't pursue it at the time; it wasn't until much later that I came to realize who this great saint was. But here the seed was planted.

NOR: So there were really two seeds planted in your heart and mind: the priesthood and the monastic life. How did this play out in your early life?

Br. Simon Mary: My hometown was part of the Diocese of Albany. At some point during my junior-high years, our parish became part of a "cluster" of three parishes that shared two diocesan priests. Ours was the parish without a regular priest. As part of this re-formation, the Augustinian Fathers were replaced by diocesan priests. When I found out that Fr. Getz would be leaving, I wrote him a letter. At the end of the letter I suggested to him that I too might become a priest.But when Fr. Getz and the Augustinians left town, that influence essentially left my life. Parish life changed drastically -- there wasn't the same strong Catholic identity or even the same activities for kids. I stopped serving at Mass. The priests who came from the surrounding parishes to say Mass were good men, but their presence wasn't as profound -- in part because they just weren't around very much.

NOR: So you entered your teenage years in a sense untethered from the profound influence of the Augustinian Fathers. How did your life change?

Br. Simon Mary: I would characterize my teen years as very normal. I still attended Sunday Mass and took diocesan CCD classes, but that was pretty much the extent of my involvement in the parish. I did well academically in school, played sports, and joined in the usual activities. I had a lot of friends. Looking back, it was a great grace, being able to try out so many different things, to see what the world has to offer.

NOR: During this time, did you still have a sense of a calling to the religious life?

Br. Simon Mary: By my junior year in high school I started to feel a pull between the life of faith and the worldly life at school. I had the sense that maybe I was trying to "run away" from my vocation.

NOR: How did you respond to that pull?

Br. Simon Mary: Like a lot of people, I guess. I decided that maybe I just needed to get away. Get away from the small-town life.

NOR: Did you?

Br. Simon Mary: My folks were of modest means; there wasn't much opportunity for travel simply because there just wasn't money for it. One trip I do recall making was with my family on a pilgrimage to Our Lady of the Cape, a Marian shrine in Three Rivers, Quebec. I recall evening processions and a large convent of cloistered nuns on the shrine grounds. I remember asking my grandmother what they do in there. She replied, "They're praying for all of us." We went inside to hear the nuns chanting the Divine Office and I was captivated by what I saw through the screen: the traditional habits and veils. I remember thinking, "Wow, here's a group of cloistered nuns who never leave the building. They constantly offer prayers for the pilgrims." The power of prayer really hit home for me.But back to my junior year: My parents didn't have enough money for me to travel, so I applied for a scholarship to study abroad for a year in Germany as part of an exchange program between the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag. The application process was grueling and involved six months worth of essays and interviews. There were thousands of applicants and I knew I would need a miracle to make it.On an inspiration of grace, I decided to pray the Rosary every day at the parish church on my way home from school, for the Virgin Mary's intercession for my scholarship application. I'll never forget one day -- one fateful day -- I prayed to the Blessed Mother, "If I can get this scholarship, I will maybe -- maybe -- think about becoming a priest again."

NOR: So you undertook some serious bargaining for this scholarship.

Br. Simon Mary: Indeed! But the prayer was so simple, so childlike. Yet I knew that I'd made a promise that I couldn't go back on.

NOR: What happened next?

Br. Simon Mary: Here's where it gets really interesting. The next day, like every day, I went back to the parish church. There in the vestibule was a table with newsletters and magazines and the like that I'd never bothered to look at before. A certain magazine caught my eye called Vision that described all the different forms of religious life, all the religious orders and their charisms. At the bottom it read, "If interested, call us." Then it suddenly dawned on me: This was a sign from the Blessed Mother! "Oh no," I thought. "What have I gotten myself into?" I quickly stuffed the magazine into my backpack, thinking to myself, "Don't let anybody know about this!"

NOR: What did you do next?

Br. Simon Mary: I took the magazine home, but I couldn't bring myself to look at it for a few days. Then, late one night, I finally got the courage to crack it open. I learned all about the different kinds of religious orders.

NOR: Did any particular one stand out?

Br. Simon Mary: Yes, absolutely. The Carmelite order really captivated me: a life so completely consecrated, so completely given to God. I then recalled the video on St. Thérèse that I had seen so many years back in Fr. Getz's CCD class, and how fascinating the whole idea of the cloistered life was.

NOR: What happened with your scholarship?

Br. Simon Mary: Wouldn't you know it, I got the scholarship! It was a complete miracle.

NOR: So now the cards are all on the table.

Br. Simon Mary: Yes, and I began seriously contemplating the religious life. At the same time, I began receiving information from colleges and universities. And now I had a year in Germany ahead of me. My head was spinning; I didn't know what was going to happen.One particular episode sticks out from that time. I was invited to board with a Protestant family in Germany, but there was one catch: I had to go to a Protestant church with them every Sunday. I contacted them and asked if I could go to Mass. Maybe, was the reply, but not every Sunday, because I had to go with them to the Protestant church.

NOR: That's quite a dilemma for a young man discerning a vocation. What did you do?

Br. Simon Mary: I wrote back saying that I wasn't willing to have them as my host family.

NOR: That took some guts! What was the reaction?

Br. Simon Mary: Let's just say it didn't go over very well! I upset a lot of people because the whole idea of the program was to foster understanding between the cultures. But there was no way I was going to miss Mass. By the grace of God, a devout Catholic family was finally found.

NOR: So here you are, now discerning a vocation, but preparing to ship off to Germany for a year.

Br. Simon Mary: It was an interesting time. I was visiting universities as well. I wrote around for information from a few different religious communities. I was looking for a community that had an intense contemplative life, with a devotion to St. Thérèse, and preferably with no exterior apostolate; the community had to be orthodox and faithful to the Magisterium. Through the Vision magazine I found a community of Franciscans in Boston, the Little Brothers of St. Francis, that had a strong life of prayer and a devotion to the Carmelite saints. We traded correspondence and I decided to visit them while looking at colleges in the area.

NOR: What did your family think about you corresponding with a contemplative religious community?

Br. Simon Mary: They didn't know! I was trying to keep it a secret. I didn't want any outside influence or pressure in any direction; I wasn't sure if my vocation was truly from God. But I'm sure they had some inkling of what was going on.

NOR: What about your friends -- did you tell any of them? Were there others you knew who were also contemplating the religious life?

Br. Simon Mary: I tried to keep it from everybody. None of my friends -- that I know of -- was discerning a vocation. But maybe they were trying to keep it a secret as well!But the attitude among my peers was pretty much to just prepare for college. College was really seen as the obvious "next step" in life by everybody I knew.

NOR: But first, for you, there was a trip abroad. Did your time away help or hinder your discernment?

Br. Simon Mary: I went with some trepidation, but my time in Germany was a wonderful experience. What's funny is that people there would ask me, "What are you going to do when you get back to the States?" My answer was, "Maybe I'll enter this Franciscan order in Boston." I really came to know there that I had a calling to the religious life.

NOR: When you got back, what was your sense of your calling?

Br. Simon Mary: I knew that if I were to do this, I would want to do it whole and entire. It would have to be a radical departure from everyday life. If I am called, then why not try to live the life of the saints -- exteriorly and, more importantly, interiorly? But, ultimately, I only sought, begged, and prayed for God's will to become clear.

NOR: So now it's decision time: college or community? Or maybe both?

Br. Simon Mary: I knew that, because my parents were poor, going to college would entail great cost and student loans and heavy debt. I realized that this would only delay my entering the religious life, possibly for years, if not forever.

NOR: Did you pursue the Franciscans in Boston?

Br. Simon Mary: I did. After visiting and talking with the Superior, I decided to join the community on probationary terms, first as an observer (a three-month period), followed by postulancy (a six-month period). What appealed to me was that they were not ashamed to be religious. They wore their habits at all times. When they went out to minister to the poor on the streets of Boston, they were a visible witness to the religious life and Holy Mother Church in a very secular place.In their spare time, the friars would often visit a cloistered monastery of discalced Carmelite nuns nearby. I was asked to serve at Holy Mass on the Feast of St. Thérèse at the convent. Again, I found myself intrigued by their life. It kept hitting me that all our work with the poor would bear no fruit if it weren't for the constant prayers of these cloistered nuns. The Franciscans have a very strong prayer life, but when it was time to go out among the poor, I found myself always wanting to stay behind to pray, to "practice the presence of God," as Br. Lawrence of the Resurrection put it. Br. Lawrence was an influential figure for me; here was a discalced Carmelite who was also a man. Then it dawned on me that that was what I longed for: A cloistered Carmelite community for men. The only problem was that there was none that I knew of.

NOR: So you came to realize that the Franciscan community was not for you.

Br. Simon Mary: Yes. It was a very sad, very painful decision to leave the Franciscan community. Many prayers and many tears accompanied my decision.

NOR: Once you left Boston, what did you do? What was your state of mind?

Br. Simon Mary: Well, my family was happy to have me home again. But for me it was really a time of confusion. I thought that since the Franciscan experience didn't work out, perhaps I was called to the married state. I really didn't know what was going to happen to me or what I should do. I knew the Lord had put a desire in my heart for the cloistered Carmelite life, but to my knowledge there was no such community in the entire world.

NOR: What did you end up doing?

Br. Simon Mary: I ended up, of all things, as a paralegal in Vermont, working under an attorney and studying to take the state bar exam. I worked there for a year and a half, living in an apartment in a country farmhouse.

NOR: How did you like that work?

Br. Simon Mary: The attorney was a kind man, and took me under his wing like a son. But I found that when I went to bed at night, I was very unsatisfied. The religious life was constantly on my mind. It soon became very obvious to me -- and I'm sure to everyone around me -- that I had a calling to the contemplative life. While doing some research, I came across an order of Carmelite hermits in Christoval, Texas. I had earned one week of vacation at my job, so I decided to go to Texas to visit.

NOR: Did you like what you saw?

Br. Simon Mary: As I told the prior, Fr. Fabian Maria, "I love your life, but I'm not called to be a hermit." I had finally found a community of Carmelite men living a cloistered way of life, but I knew that I was not ready for the solitude required of a hermit. I asked the Prior if there were any monasteries in the discalced Carmelite tradition for men. He said there weren't -- our monastery in Wyoming hadn't been founded yet. At the end of my retreat, the question remained: "Where can I find a monastic, manly way of life in community with all the devotions of the Carmelites?"

NOR: Did you find that community?

Br. Simon Mary: Amazingly, I did. I was looking on the Internet one day and I googled "new Carmelite monks." An article from the Casper Star-Tribune came up that reported on a new, strictly cloistered monastic community in rural Wyoming. I stopped reading and said, "Wait! That's the life of St. Thérèse!"

NOR: That sounds like a shot out of the blue.

Br. Simon Mary: It sure was. It's funny to think that you can find your calling to a cloistered community on the Internet. So I talked to my spiritual director, a young, humble priest of the Congregation of the Holy Cross in Vermont, who suggested I write to the Father Prior in Wyoming, which I did.It was a long, long time before I heard back. I had made the mistake writing just before the Easter Triduum -- a very busy time at the monastery! In his letter, Father Prior explained to me quite clearly what life at the Carmel in Wyoming was like. He explained that the monks always wear the traditional habits, are faithful to the Pope and the Magisterium of the Church and will have nothing to do with theological dissent, and that they only celebrate the Traditional liturgy.

NOR: What was your reaction to that?

Br. Simon Mary: Well, the part about their habits and faithfulness to the Magisterium was everything that I sought. But I'd never been to a Traditional Mass before. But it was easy for me to see that a Carmel with the traditions, customs, and discipline of the saints would also need the reverence, beauty, and awe of the Traditional Mass if it were to endure. Plus, the Carmelite Rite has the approval of the local Ordinary, Bishop David Ricken of Cheyenne, who founded our monastery in 2003.

NOR: So your vocation was really nurtured in the New Mass?

Br. Simon Mary: Yes, thanks to the very reverent and beautiful liturgies celebrated by the Augustinian Fathers in my hometown.

NOR: But now you are part of an order that celebrates the Traditional Mass.

Br. Simon Mary: Yes, but a distinction must be made: We celebrate the traditional Carmelite Rite of the Mass, which is very similar to, but distinct from, the Tridentine Mass. In the great tradition and richness of the Church, many ancient religious orders were honored to have their own distinct rites of the Mass. The Carmelite Rite is the great inheritance of a Carmelite, being imbued with so many feasts, chants, and rubrics proper to the spirituality of Carmel. Our community is dedicated whole and entire to preserving the fullness of the Carmelite liturgical life -- the Carmelite Rite is at the very core of our monastic existence and gives life and strength to our ancient and venerable tradition.

NOR: Tell us about the charisms of your monastic community.

Br. Simon Mary: Carmelite monks are consecrated to God through the vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty. Our time is spent in prayer and penance for the salvation of souls, interceding for the Church and the world, as well as in the study of Scripture and the fathers and doctors of the Church.Our Carmelite community has four pillars: The first is filial devotion to the Blessed Mother. Second is the Holy Rule of St. Albert, also known as the Carmelite Rule, in its original observance. Third is the Carmelite Rite of the Mass, the liturgy in use until the Second Vatican Council. And fourth, the discalced Carmelite charism: the spirituality, customs, and way of life as lived by St. John of the Cross and St. Theresa of Ávila, which entails a strict constitutional enclosure -- our monks don't leave the monastery at all, except for doctor appointments when no doctor is available to come to the monastery, or other emergencies, with permission from the Bishop.The structure and discipline of the Carmelite Rule protects our monks from modern, worldly temptations. That protection is very important -- you can't allow new things in, because then discipline breaks down. Modesty and chastity must be protected and our Carmelite way of life preserved for the young men who come after us. There is structure and objectivity to our life. The rules are kept closely; there's no guess work about what we're supposed to be doing. We strive to do what the saints have always done. The goal of our Carmel is to transform men into saints -- and not just our monks, but all the men united with our monastery. The Carmelite life is at once ancient and new. Nuns have had it for a long time, but it's new for men. The word "Carmel" means "the garden of God" in Hebrew. Here we know the power and beauty of living outside of time, living our lives completely for the sake of Jesus and Mary.

NOR: One could easily get the impression that cloistered monks are so far removed from the world that they have no concept of current events and the challenges facing the Church in the modern world, and that therefore their prayers can't be directed to specific problems. Is this true?

Br. Simon Mary: No. We get news of the outside world from visits and correspondence with our family, friends, and benefactors. We have a good idea of what's going on in the world, but we're spared the gory details. As far as current events, the sins of the world aren't new.

NOR: Are you allowed to read newspapers and magazines?

Br. Simon Mary: Yes. We are allowed orthodox Catholic publications in our library. But Father Prior looks over all material that comes in, to make sure that there is nothing that would offend against modesty and chastity. Our library also stocks a wonderful array of works by the Doctors of the Church and on the lives of the saints.

NOR: How does the monastery survive in such a remote area?

Br. Simon Mary: Wyoming is only marginally Catholic, so we need to be self-supporting. We follow the dictum of St. Paul: He who doesn't work shall not eat. One of the hallmarks of the monastery is manliness: we work with our hands, doing our own maintenance and upkeep of the building and the grounds. In the monastic tradition of small cottage communities, we roast Mystic Monk Coffee here at the monastery. [See the advertisement on p. 15 of this issue -- Ed.] Aside from that, we are dependent on alms. Our monastery was founded on the principle of poverty.

NOR: How do you get food to eat?

Br. Simon Mary: Obviously, we can't go to the store and buy groceries. Most of our food comes from our neighbors in the area who donate food to us as acts of charity. By the grace of God, we have never gone hungry! But we hope in the future to have some farmland within the monastery grounds, and a milk cow and some chickens.

NOR: What is your daily life like?

Br. Simon Mary: Most of our day is spent in prayer. We pray the entire Divine Office, which consists of eight canonical hours of prayer, starting at 4:10 in the morning. We spend two hours in mental prayer each day, one hour in the chapel and one hour in our cells in solitude. Two hours are given over to contemplative prayer. And, of course, we pray the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass each day.The rest of our time is taken up with daily labor. We have a brother cook, a brother cobbler, a brother tailor, and so on. There are household chores to be done, cooking, correspondence, answering the phone, etc.We are also allowed one hour of recreation each day. This is an extremely joyful time to relax as a community, share a good laugh, or get some exercise -- we'll get a football game going, or hike around the monastery grounds. I would say that monastic joy and fraternal charity are hallmarks of our community.

NOR: Do you observe a vow of silence?

Br. Simon Mary: No, but we refrain from unnecessary conversation outside of recreation, preferring rather to foster that interior conversation between the soul and God.

NOR: Was the lack of ongoing conversation a big adjustment for you?

Br. Simon Mary: Yes, but by fostering an interior life, one practices the presence of God. Prayer becomes more interior, more silent. Prayer really involves many acts of the will, not many words. In the contemplative life we don't get to see the visible fruits of our labors; those fruits are given over to God in prayer.

NOR: What were the hardest adjustments you had to make?

Br. Simon Mary: There were a few adjustments, but none was insurmountable. From the outside, one might say oh, there's no TV, no radio, none of those modern conveniences. But I really don't miss them. Probably the biggest adjustment was my unfamiliarity with the Carmelite way of life -- it's at the same time ancient yet unknown. It hasn't been widely studied or promoted in our times.I'd say the hardest thing here is that as a contemplative monk, you are constantly faced with yourself -- your humanness, your sinfulness, your struggles and failures to grow in the imitation of Christ. In the world there are so many distractions --TV, radio, and computer, for instance -- but here you are confronted with yourself, you find yourself, see who you truly are. And only by seeing our weaknesses can we make progress in the spiritual life. The monastic life is so completely contrary to modern life.

NOR: Are visitors allowed?

Br. Simon Mary: In the Carmelite tradition, we welcome visitors who come to the monastery each day during visiting hours. For the monks whose families are local, they are allowed visits once a month. For the rest, we are allowed phone calls and letters once a month. My family comes out about two times a year.

NOR: Do you miss your family?

Br. Simon Mary: You know, joining a monastery is easier for the monk than for his family. When I announced that I was joining the Carmelite Order, my family struggled deeply with my vocation to the contemplative life. But they have since found consolation in the prayers of the monastery.

NOR: What would you say to those who think that the monastic life is "boring"?

Br. Simon Mary: Life here is anything but boring! Life as a monk is filled with great peace and joy. Here we are in the ante-chamber of Heaven -- our lives are given over completely to the love of God. The life of a monk is a life of great peace.When I left New England, some of my extended family members said, "Oh, he's dead to us now." But our life here is a life of such great joy. It's not boring or like a prison at all. Here one comes to understand that the power of prayer opens up channels of grace for the active members of the Church's apostolates. The religious life is so different from people's preconceived notions of old, lonely men wandering in solitude around empty halls. All the monks here are in their twenties and thirties. It's a vibrant community.

NOR: Where are you in the process of your vocation?

Br. Simon Mary: I have professed temporary vows. The first year in the order is called the postulancy. That's followed by a two-year novitiate. And then temporary vows are professed for a period of three years. Finally, perpetual vows are professed, and those are for life. I have two years left before I profess perpetual vows.

NOR: How many monks are there at the monastery?

Br. Simon Mary: There are ten of us now. There are an additional forty men who are in the process of discernment. Discernment is a very strict process. We are very strict about not allowing in any homosexuals or drug or alcohol abusers, only men who are truly dedicated to serving Holy Mother Church. By year's end, it seems we will have between fifteen and twenty monks.

NOR: Such growth is almost unheard of these days. Can the monastery accommodate all these young men?

Br. Simon Mary: We have been blessed by rapid growth, but we are in great need of housing for these exceptional young men. Our monastery has located an ideal, remote setting on 500 acres in Wyoming's Rockies, where our life might be taken up in the fullness of its splendor and power. This property would allow us to realize our vision of strict enclosure and the fullness of the eremitical life. In God's Providence, this mountain setting already has an existing lodge, guesthouse, and caretaker's house, which are suitable for our immediate growth and would allow us to start offering retreats. All the same, our monastery is truly founded in poverty and in need of a miracle if this property, known as Irma Lake, is to be secured as the New Mount Carmel here in the U.S. We must find individuals capable of helping us acquire this setting for the honor of the Immaculate Mother and the glory of Almighty God. Please pray for God's blessing in this time of great necessity. As monks, we humbly place our trust in the Infant of Prague, the Virgin Mother, and our good father, St. Joseph.

NOR: What advice would you give to a young man who's considering the religious life?

Br. Simon Mary: For the young man -- for everybody, really -- it is important to develop a prayer life. Without prayer and the reception of the Sacraments, discernment is just not possible. You must develop a love for the saints, especially the Blessed Mother. Without devotion to the Blessed Mother, you won't make it. The Blessed Mother leads us to Christ.It's also important to have an orthodox spiritual director to whom you can confide your soul. He can help you properly discern the events and the course of your life.But the best advice I can give someone is to be bold. Don't accept the status quo in life; don't presume that going to college is the obvious next step after high school just because everybody else is doing it. Don't presume that you are automatically called to the married state just because all those around you have taken it for granted. Start instead by thinking that God might be calling you to be completely consecrated to Him, and that you were made for His glory. The first priority in your life should be to do God's will, and to do that you must discern His will in your life. Just think: What will I have lost by trying out the religious life for just one year? We are living in difficult times; now is the time to become great saints.

NOR: But how does one develop a prayer life when most young people have received such poor catechesis?

Br. Simon Mary: Start by praying the Rosary. It's easy to learn and easy to pray. Meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary opens up one's heart to God. Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Spend time in Eucharist Adoration. These profound acts of prayer don't require great learning or in-depth instruction. But to really develop a potent prayer life, you must first root out sin from your life. Not coincidentally, prayer is one of the best aids in doing that. Also, it's important to read the lives of the saints. Anybody can do this. You will become a witness to their heroic virtues. You will see the simple ways they approach God and bare their souls to Him.I can't stress enough, though, how vital a prayer life is. It helps us grow in our relationship with God. He's there waiting for us; He will help us reach Him, if we are willing. We are all -- each one of us -- called to union with God.

NOR: Any final thoughts?

Br. Simon Mary: The contemplative life is necessary for the strength and well-being of the Church. This must be understood by all Catholics, especially the young. The Church's timeless teaching on prayer is really gone now, replaced by such oddities as centering prayer and yoga. These are not traditional; these don't build up the Church. The life of prayer must be instilled in the home, because -- and this is the thought I'd like to leave you with -- without prayer we can do nothing.

NOR: Thank you, Brother Simon Mary, for sharing your insights and your story with us.

Br. Simon Mary: At your service. May Our Lady of Mount Carmel lead your readers ever nearer to her Divine Son and protect them under her pure white mantle of maternal tenderness. Your readers are certainly in our prayers as together we work for Christ and His Holy Church.

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Those interested in learning more about the Carmel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary may write to: Carmelite Monastery, 35 Road AFW, Powell WY 82435, or phone: 307-645-3310. The monastery can be found on the Internet at www.carmelitemonks.org

[The forgoing article was originally published as a New Oxford Note, "An Interview With a Carmelite," New Oxford Review (July-August, 2008), and is reproduced here on Roman Catholic Vocations by kind permission of New Oxford Review, 1069 Kains Ave., Berkeley, CA 94706.]

H/T to Pertinacious Papist