For Fr. Bob Avella, Second Time's a Charm

By Irene Lagan
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the issue of 10/24/02)

For Father Robert Avella, serving as the "new" vocations director for the Arlington Diocese is second nature. Indeed, Father Robert Avella is on his second tour in the office, having been vocations director under two previous bishops, Bishop Thomas J. Welsh and Bishop John J. Keating from 1978-1985.

According to Father Avella, just getting a man to the front door of the seminary is a demanding process that usually takes a number of months. The application process includes extensive interviews with Father Avella and Father Brian Bashista, promoter of vocations. In addition, a complete psychological evaluation that takes takes into account individual traits and family dynamics, intelligence testing, a criminal background check, a sexual misconduct form, and letters of recommendation from family, friends, the applicant’s pastor and employers are also required. Finally, the applicant must pass a complete physical examination and provide his sacramental documents to be considered for the priesthood.

During the interviews, applicants are asked to address why they feel called to the priesthood, what it means to them and they must clearly and unequivocally subscribe to all Church teachings. Father Avella, who also as the bishop’s delegate for clergy in addition to his role as vocations director, knows what is required of men to fulfill their priestly vows.

"I don’t rush the process. People in this area can put a portfolio together quickly. But what you produce for a government job or corporation is not the same as for the priesthood," he said.

"Instead, what we are considering in an applicant is a man of faith who practices regularly for a long period of time, someone who demonstrates involvement in Church apostolic work, the ability to learn and sustain good grades in the seminary and the willingness to not be self-centered or selfish and to live a truly celibate form of giving."

While the Diocese of Arlington does not have an age limit for applicants, later vocations entail a more extensive process. In addition, for 20 years the diocese has maintained a written policy of denying applicants who have a same-sex attraction.

Father Avella was eager to address concerns about the application process in light of scandals that have come to the forefront in recent months. He said it is important for people to know that candidates for the priesthood cannot espouse a sexual lifestyle contrary to Church teaching. "That includes men who identify themselves as homosexual," he said. "It is simply not fair to confine a person with a homosexual orientation forever to a male environment, though I have no doubt that there are men (and women) of good faith out there who are homosexual. But we must choose those whose character is best suited to priestly ministry. The priesthood is not a right; it is a privilege," he added.

While much media attention focused on screening seminary applicants, Father Avella said that in terms of psychological study, understanding family dynamics plays a key role in gauging whether an applicant will have difficulty living priestly vows. "People tend to discount family history and dynamics, but it can be very important because a person’s upbringing can reveal an emotional structure and poverties that can lead to wants and needs that are inordinate. Understanding family dynamics and emotional structure is a thermometer," he said.

In addressing the scandals directly, Father Avella expressed a sadness and anger that is shared by many Catholics over the tragic events of recent months. At the same time, Father Avella, who has also served as a pastor and is thus aware of the problems people face, said that in our anger we sometimes fail to recognize that our society in general has produced total sexual confusion. Consequently, he said, those who have lived a worldly lifestyle need even more of a conversion to the mind of Christ, and to be re-oriented by Church teachings.

According to Father Avella, while there are no psychological assessment tools that specifically measure sexual orientation or sexual deviancy, there are factors that indicate potential problems. These include the inability to make friends, or inability to make friends with peers of one’s own age group, an internal poverty or sense of emptiness, extreme self-centeredness, lack of self worth, self respect and sense of dignity, a history of abuse, an emotional upbringing that did not include expressions of love or respect and other traits.

Once accepted as a candidate to the seminary, a seminarian can expect at least five years of theological training and formation before reaching ordination. Candidates from the Arlington Diocese attend one of three seminaries for studies in theology and philosophy: Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Maryland, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Pennsylvania or the North American College in Rome. One year of seminary training is a "spirituality year," devoted to spiritual formation. The year is modeled on the concept of a novitiate year that is common to most religious orders, and consists of intensive prayer and work, usually in an apostolate. In recognizing the need for priests to have more than "book knowledge," the spirituality year was added to seminary training several years ago.

In addition to formal studies and spiritual formation, Father Avella said that ongoing evaluation of candidates is part of the process. "Most seminaries have peer evaluations," he said. "The faculty will write to each seminarian’s friends and get feedback on each candidate. This helps to know what is going on in other parts of the seminarian’s life."

There are currently 23 seminarians studying for the diocese, and over 40 inquiries already this year. Father Avella and Father Bashista work together to assist those who are well along in the formation process and those who are in the inquiry stages. While the two priests work together, Father Avella focuses more on the former and Father Bashista focuses on the latter.

"I like to see my role as one who can intervene and bring to bear whatever is good for them," said Father Avella.

Father Avella is confident that fears about a vocations shortage even in this diocese is not really a crisis. "I’d like to remind people that Christ will be with the Church to the end of time. We must have confidence in the power of God, and the graces given through the Holy Spirit to inspire young people," he said. "In every place and every time, God calls the perfect number of young people to religious life and the priesthood."

Copyright ©2002 Arlington Catholic Herald.  All rights reserved.