PRIESTHOOD SUNDAY: Thank a Priest!

Bishop Paul S. Coakley

For Catholics who have lived long enough, it is stating the obvious to observe that in the last forty years or so the priesthood has changed a great deal.  The whole world has changed!  Certainly the demands and expectations placed upon priests in 2007 are far different from those of 1967!  For example, in coordinating the various ministries of the parish, priests today spend much more time meeting and consulting than in the past.  Today parish priests usually collaborate in a number of ways with religious and lay ecclesial ministers who serve as religious education coordinators, pastoral associates, parish life coordinators and in other roles of leadership and service.  

Our priests are a very resilient group of men.  As the saying goes, “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”  In spite of many changes in the life of the Church and in the role of the laity, the core identity of the priest has not changed at all.  He is still “Father”.  As our spiritual father he gives us a share in eternal life through the sacraments.  He instructs and guides and comforts us.  He celebrates Mass.  He hears our confessions.  He marries our children and prepares us for death.  There have been many changes in the outward form of ministry, but the essential mission of the ministerial priesthood remains the same.  The ordained priest shares in a unique way in the priesthood of Christ, the head and shepherd of the Church.  He dedicates his life to building up the Body of Christ.

Thanks to the initiative of the USA Council of Serra International and Worldwide Marriage Encounter, we are celebrating Priesthood Sunday this weekend.  Priesthood Sunday gives us an opportunity to express our appreciation to these ordinary heroes who give themselves so generously and courageously in the service of Christ and the Church.    I encourage you to take time to remember those priests who have accompanied you during the ordinary and extraordinary times of your lives.  Take time to thank your parish priest today, and to show your support throughout the year.

Priesthood Sunday is just one way to celebrate the importance of the priesthood for the life of the Church.  It gives us an opportunity to thank those who have served us and to affirm this holy vocation as a gift to be cherished by all. 

Published The Register

October 26, 2007