Sunday, August 17, 2008

O Frabjous Day!

For the last several years we've prayed every Sunday for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life, especially from our parish. Today Fr. John announced that five people from our parish are committing themselves to trying their vocations. Two young men will be studying for the priesthood for our diocese, and one for another diocese. A fourth man will be taking his first vows as a Cistercian monk, and a young woman will be starting a life with the Dominican nuns.

This is truly wonderful! Over my lifetime we've had three priests from our parish: my brother Joseph, Msgr. Robert Coerver, and Michael Duca, the new Bishop of Shreveport. There have been a couple other men ordained, but they ended up leaving the priesthood for various reasons. We've also had at least two women become nuns. The older sister of a schoolmate has been in the convent for twenty years or so, and comes home every year for a few weeks. Sister Carol, the former music teacher at my parish school, also grew up here. However, she left the convent after about 15 years. She's been out 20+ years and I still don't know how to address her! LOL To me she'll always be Sister Carol, who taught me piano for one year (we agreed that piano was not for me), music for 8, and was my choir director for 3.

We must continue to pray for vocations. There is a serious shortage of priests in America, and the only way we will get more is by praying. You never know who will hear God's call and take heed -- it might be you!

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