A recent article on who has competence to remove priests from ministry permanently is interesting and yet depressing. But it is a matter of reality that some men ordained to the priesthood of Jesus Christ do not remain priests. To think since the Second Vatican Council, as some researchers and commentators have claimed, 100,000 priests have left their vocation as priests. If true, this fact is overwhelming to grasp.One of my intentions is to pray for the priests who have left as well as though who currently serve as priests and seminarians preparing to be ordained. I am a bit selfish in mentioning the last intention since I fall in that category. Please join me in prayer in the coming year for these intentions.
Indeed. Count me in on our prayer.
What bothers me most in our time is the significant number of new priests who depart within the first few years of active ministry. It begs a lot of questions.
Thanks for joining in with prayer.
Yes, it's very interesting to see many of the younger clergy depart and often for no good reason, or at least many of the reasons given are not too persuasive. I can name tons who crashed and burned early in the ministry as priests. Questions ought to be raised not only of the men leaving as priests but the entire formation staff. While I am not a fan of intrusive measures of some formation programs, I think too often we overlook the obvious. Consider the recent case of Fr. Albert Cutie (of Miami fame) who is now a schismatic/heretical priest.
More dioceses should have a program similar to that of Tulsa whose spiritual mothers pray for priests. Details on Vultus Christi.
Yes, I agree completely. I've long thought that the vocation of spiritual maternity needs to be revived. Interested in the job?
I believe the approach in Tulsa is a good one: a spritual formation program for spiritual mothers of priests with a dedicated priest-director under the full support of the bishop. The first job to be filled would be the priest director. I and other women I know already pray for priests, especially young ones who are not receiving the necessary mentoring and support after ordination. It would seem, then, that the program in Tulsa with a mentor for priests (of any age and experience) is also very valuable.
Yes, the Tulsa initiative is a good one and I've linked to a brief note I wrote on my month a few months ago. I will be drawing my readership again to this spiritual work of mercy. This initiative is also on my list things to do with Bishop Lori and the vocation director. Bridgeport Diocese will have a group of women praying for priests, deacons and seminarians in the near future.