The first week after "the change"

Greetings and thank you to all of you who have prayed so fervantly for me. I meant to post something earlier this week, but simply did not have the time to. As it turns out my first week as a deacon has been a pretty busy one.

After preaching my first homily on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, I saw my family off as they returned to Illinois. Upon arriving in Anderson, I was greeted by Fr. Bob who promptly informed me that I had a funeral on Wednesday. Fr. Bob, you see, was leaving for the annual priest convocation on Monday and so as it turns out, I was the "pastor" of the Anderson parishes for the week!

I had already been informed that I would preside at the 6th grade graduation at St. Ambrose that Monday, so I had to prepare a homily for that. I had two communion services scheduled and now this funeral (obviously, for each, I would need a homily). I also found myself making all of the hospital visits. Needless to say, I quickly found out why being the pastor keeps one quite busy.

Some folks have asked me what it feels like to be a deacon and all that I can tell them is, "normal." I've been preparing for this for years and so aside from my change in responsibilities/capabilities I really don't feel a whole lot different. But I think that is really good because I think that means that "putting on" the clerical state, well, just fits.

This weekend we have celebrated the ordination of four men from our diocese. I've been with these men for five years and it is such a joy to see them ordained to the priesthood. As I was kneeling by the altar during the Eucharistic Prayer at the Ordination Mass, I was moved as I heard these four men reciting the words of institution for the first time. They are living signs that God wants the Eucharist and all the other sacraments to continue for some time to come. What a great day for the Church and for us all.

After completing the circuit of First Masses of Thanksgiving for the four newly ordained priests, I will be joining a group of young people from St. Mary's in Anderson for a Catholic Heart Work Camp in Toledo, OH. Please pray for our safety and that this experience will lead us to a deeper and more profound experience of God. I'll post again after my return!

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, pray for us! Verso l'alto!

Destination: Jesus

This past weekend, I was able to participate in my diocese's annual youth retreat weekend, entitiled Destination: Jesus. It is a Eucharistic retreat built off of the model of the Youth 2000 retreats. This is year is the sixteenth year that our diocese has sponsored this event and it has grown every year. Nearly 950 youth attended this year's event and I came away exhausted (and all I did was support all of the people that were making everything happen) because the experience of being around so many young people who are being lit on fire for Christ, who are finding healing in the Sacrament of Confession, and who are allowing Christ to touch their heart, possibly for the first time in their lives, inspired me to pour myself out for them in anyway that I could think of.

Listening to some of these youth tell me about the great experience that they had, about some incredibly difficult situations that they are dealing with, and then worshiping our Eucharistic Lord with them made me want to be a priest more than ever. Part of the last day of the retreat is reserved to ask the youth to consider vocations to the priesthood and religious life. They've seen the seminarians and nuns running around all weekend, but on Sunday we get officially introduced. Our Director of Vocations, Fr. Brian Doerr, introduced us and bragged that our seminary rectors all agree that we are some of the best men studying for the priesthood that they've seen. I was feeling a little embarrassed by this, but then the entire crowd of 950+ people erupted into a standing ovation for us and I was brought to tears. I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love. I am invigorated to continue to give myself to completing formation and to being ordained a priest. I am also hopeful that our witness this weekend will inspire a few young men and women to consider whether or not God might be calling them to a religious vocation.

Fr. Brian has an e-form that anyone can fill out if they are considering a vocation to the priesthood or religious life up on our website. It can be found at http://www.priestforever.org/DJ. Click and submit the form if you are interested in getting information about discerning a religious vocation. Or, if you know someone who participated in the weekend, please send them the link in case they forgot it after the weekend.

Most of all, let us continue to pray for vocations, both that we may have the courage to fully live out our own and for others to courageously accept their own, and for the youth whose lives have been changed forever by their encounter with Christ this weekend, that in all things God may be glorified!