The following cover article was published in the St. Louis September 24, 2023 bulletin.
Today is Priesthood Sunday, and as such it is a fitting time for us to reflect on what is often called the “Vocations Crisis.” We all know that, over the last several decades, there have not been enough priests ordained to replace the priests who have retired or passed to their eternal reward. The reasons that this is the case, or theories about them, could fill volumes, but today I think that we should reflect on why the priesthood is so important to us as Christ’s Church.
As it has been put rather bluntly, without priests, there is no Mass. As Vatican II taught, Holy Mass is the source and summit of the Christian life. Persecuted communities can certainly endure without the regular celebration of Holy Mass, but the Holy Sacrifice helps to form our Faith and draw us closer to God since He becomes Truly Present on the altar and joins us to Himself when we receive Him in Holy Communion.
And so Our Lord ordained the Apostles High Priests of the New Covenant, and they ordained new priests as they traveled the world preaching the Gospel so that the new communities could join together in right worship of God. Ever since then, in all times and places, Christ’s priests have brought the Sacraments to the People of God in order to nourish them in their faith and keep them in the bosom of Holy Mother Church.
In my previous assignment in Auburn, there are six Roman rite churches within a mile of each other, as well as a Ukrainian Catholic Church and a Russian Orthodox Church. There are currently four active Roman rite priests in Auburn for all six of those churches. Each one used to have four priests assigned just to it. We see, then, the need to pray for vocations to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. It is Christ’s priests whom He has charged with caring for the souls of His People, and the ratio of priests to laity keeps falling. And so I encourage you all, families especially, to put your names in for the Vocations Chalice. Spend that week in focused prayer that more young men may hear Christ calling them to serve Him and the Church as priests, and do not be afraid to talk to your children about discerning their vocations, whether to marriage, priesthood, or religious life.
Christ’s Church is made up of every one of us, and He calls each of us to serve Him and the Church in a particular way. Let us pray especially that our young people may follow God’s call to their Vocation, and that those called to Priesthood may not be dissuaded or fearful of following the Lord where He calls.