Vocations – State of the Diocese By Fr. Kent Bowlds, Vocation Director
How many seminarians do we have?
There are currently 11 seminarians studying for the Diocese of Jackson, which is certainly encouraging, but I always keep in mind the Lord is the ultimate “Vocation Director,” and only the Lord knows who will actually be ordained.
Seminaries are places to form men academically, psychologically, and spiritually, and much can happen over the course of one’s formation, including the decision by the diocese, the seminary, and/or the seminarian that he is not actually being called to the priesthood.
Few men are 100 percent sure when they enter the seminary, and part of the intense process of formation is to help the seminarian discern if this is truly God’s call for him. We ask the men to be honest with God, themselves, and us, and to give it their best; if they do this consistently and end up leaving the seminary, then there is no scandal in that whatsoever.
When will the seminarians be ordained?
Our next ordination will be that of Deacon Lincoln Dall at 10:30 a.m. at St. Peter Cathedral on Saturday, May 31. (Everyone is invited!) Not factoring in unforeseen “pastoral years” (temporary time out of seminary so that a man can get parish experience or other sorts of formation) with our current seminarians we could then have one ordination each in 2009 and 2010, three in 2011 and in 2012, then a couple more after that.
However the priest shortage will continue to be felt more acutely throughout our diocese due to the number of priests retiring – two or more in 2008 alone and similarly every year following. We simply cannot replace our hard working, long serving priests fast enough.
Where are the seminarians from?
Of the current 11, eight are native Mississippians. Grant Holzhauer is from Arkansas (he became Catholic while enrolled at Mississippi State University), and Lincoln Dall had lived in many places before coming to teach in Greenville with the “Teach For America” program, where he began to express an interest in studying for our diocese.
Our newest seminarian, Rafael Anguiano, is from Leon, Mexico, having come to us from a seminary and already finished with philosophy (in preparation for theology studies) and knowing some English when he arrived; he is currently in ESL studies at St. Joseph College Seminary in Covington, La.
Would it help to have more permanent deacons?
My own brother-in-law in Tennessee is a Catholic deacon (married with 10 children!) so I greatly appreciate that unique calling. But even with a renewed diocesan formation program for permanent deacons, we would still need more priests to preside at the Eucharist, hear confessions, anoint the sick, and to do much more.
And although there are a number of very fine permanent deacons working hard throughout our diocese, Bishop Joseph Latino has decided, wisely I think, to concentrate on the formation of lay men and women for ministry – some of whom are becoming officially installed by the bishop to lead parishes in the absence of a priest (lay ecclesial ministers).
Rather than create a newly expanded class of male clergy in the diocese, this opens up leadership opportunities to both lay men and women who can be delegated to do almost everything that a permanent deacon can do, helping our priests and all parishioners.
What about married priests?
I try not to get involved in the discussion of matters that are much beyond my influence or control (“the serenity to accept . . . .”) and though I have no doubt this would make a difference, I refuse to accept this as the main reason for the current shortage of priests.
I am not in denial, but I know too many celibate priests who are very happy with the choice they made a long time ago which led them into a lifetime of celebrating and sometimes crying with people at the most significant moments of their lives, along with the daily opportunity to walk with them as we all praise God and reflect on Christ’s Word.
I don’t think it is fair, really, to jump to the assumption that a young man would probably see celibacy as an impassible stumbling block when we priests ourselves have enjoyed our ministry, even with celibacy and countless other great challenges. I think we have to keep inviting others to have the same incredible opportunity we have had.
Are foreign-born vocations the answer?
Father Lenin Vargas, associate pastor at St. Francis, Madison, was named assistant vocations director mainly for just that purpose – to cultivate contacts with bishops from other countries, Spanish-speaking in particular, to find seminarians who might want to study for our diocese. He is just getting back from a trip to Mexico, so our next step will be to follow up on the leads he discovered there.
We are also working on obtaining a religious worker visa for a seminarian from Guatemala; since he is almost finished with his formation there, we want him to work in one of our parishes for a while, learn English, and get to know our diocese before we decide whether to put him into seminary to finish formation.
When we talk to a potential seminarian from another country, we look for that same sort of missionary spirit that called so many great men from Ireland to serve here over many years. But I don’t think the only solution now is simply to “out-source” and find seminarians from other countries. Why would we ask parents in another country to give their sons to us to do something we will not ask of our own sons?
What about the future?
“Look up and see the fields ripe for the harvest!” we heard Jesus say on the 3rd Sunday of Lent. Our diocese is blessed with so many great young men and women who could be the leaders of the next generations of Catholics.
When I assist at Search, travel to Saltillo with teenagers, or celebrate Mass at college retreats, especially among the youth leaders at those events, I meet people of deep faith who are already living a life of service to others. They are already experiencing the joy a religious vocation can give. I have invited some of them to seriously consider the priesthood and religious life, and have no doubt that some of them will do so someday.
Father Jeffrey Waldrep shared with me recently that when he was accompanying Bishop Latino on several confirmation trips last year, in every parish there was at least one young man who volunteered, “I’m thinking about becoming a priest.”
They are out there! Do we see and encourage them? Will someone invite them? Our next diocesan vocations project, a version of “Called by Name” (which we have done in the past) will be designed specifically to help parishioners recognize and invite people to consider a vocation.
What can we do to help?
Pray, then pray some more, then get down on your knees and really pray! And invite – such as in the way a woman told me recently — she noticed the reverence with which a teenager served Mass at her parish and afterwards she asked the young man if he had ever considered the priesthood (it turns out he has thought about it).
Keep encouraging your pastor; let him know what you appreciate about his ministry and the fact he has given his life for God and God’s people. Priests who know how much they are appreciated are more likely to invite others to consider following in their footsteps.
And give! The Easter special collection is for vocations, and it only provides a very small part of the total vocations budget. The blessing is that we have 11 seminarians; the incredible challenge is that it costs well over $20,000 per year to educate and form each one of them.
Over the past few years in order to fund vocations the diocese has had to dig deeper and deeper into its reserve account, a limited resource that is about to be depleted. Consider other options, such as giving a large donation, and challenging others to do the same, especially to one of the many vocations trusts within the Catholic Foundation. Designate a donation to vocations in your will so your grandchildren can have the same access to the Eucharist and other sacraments that you now enjoy.
God bless you all. (Fr. Kent Bowlds, Vocation Director, 653 Claiborne Ave., Jackson MS 39209, 601-944-9844, frkent@bellsouth.net, website: www.jacksonvocations.com)
