Adult Education: September 2009

Celebrating the Year of the Priest

By Lorene Hanley Duquin

Pope Benedict XVI declared June 2009 to June 2010 as The Year of the Priest.  The theme for the priestly year is "Faithfulness of Christ, Faithfulness of Priests."  Its purpose is to encourage what the Pope calls “the yearning for spiritual perfection” in priests.

But the Year of the Priest also gives lay people a special opportunity to learn more about priesthood, to recognize and honor priests, and to encourage priestly vocations.

Here are some simple ways that you can celebrate the Year of the Priest in your parish:

• Plan an evening of prayer and information about vocations.  Help people understand that a vocation is a call to the single life, the married life, priesthood or religious life. 
• Teach parishioners how to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in their lives.  Help them to recognize and appreciate their own vocation and the vocation of your parish priest.
• Ask your priest to share the story of his vocation in a homily or in a bulletin article.
• Plan a special reception or coffee hour in your parish to show gratitude to your priest for giving his life to you and to the Lord.
• Recognize your priest’s unique attributes, gifts and talents.
• Affirm your priest.  Tell him when you like something that he did or the way in which he handled a situation.
• Encourage everyone to pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood.
• Ask your children and grandchildren if they ever thought about becoming a priest.
• If you know someone that has the qualities of a good priest, point it out to him.
• Pray for young men discerning priesthood.
• Find ways to support and encourage seminarians in your diocese.
• Let your priest know that you are praying for him. During difficult moments he will know that your prayers are helping to sustain him
• Trust God to work through your priest to meet the needs of the parish.  Let him know that you support him.