Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have much to be grateful for as we celebrate the 60th World Day of Prayer for Vocations April 30. On this day, we pray that Our Lord will continue to provide priests and consecrated religious to serve in our diocese. The Lord has truly answered our prayers, and we turn to him with grateful hearts. In just over a month, I will have the privilege of ordaining nine priests. This will bring the number of our diocesan priests newly ordained in the last four years to 31. We also rejoice in the fact that there are 53 men and women from our diocese currently in formation with religious orders and 46 seminarians preparing to be our future priests.
During this second year of preparation for our Diocesan Golden Jubilee, we turn to Mary, our mother and model of Christian life. We ask her to continue to bless and watch over those who have given their “fiat” — their “yes” — by committing their lives to serving our Church. We ask her to accompany those who God may be calling today as they discern his will.
Finally, we ask Mary to help each of us as we live out our particular vocations in the Church, strengthening us to respond to the invitation of Pope Francis: “Priests, consecrated men and women, lay faithful: Let us journey and work together in bearing witness to the truth that one great human family united in love is no utopian vision, but the very purpose for which God created us.” (Homily for World Day of Prayer for Vocations, May 8, 2022)
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are called to greatness in our witness to the faith and commitment to God’s call in our lives. May you live out that witness and embrace that call today, and always.
