Take stock of priests� special year

by Letters Editor · June 10, 2010

From Terry Kingston, King Williams Town:

As the Year for Priests is coming to an end, it is opportune to reflect on how that special year has affected us, personally and on a parish level. Was there any change in our relationship with our priests and did priests derive any real benefit from this year dedicated to them? Was it business as usual?

Hopefully, through our actions, we have shown priests some appreciation and deep gratitude for their dedicated service to their communities.

At the Chrism Mass before Easter we were reminded of our priests �sacrificing privileges and ambition�. Many have left their loving families and have obediently travelled to destinations quite alien to them and sometimes very dangerous. The parish community should become that loving family giving support and encouragement.

We are constantly reminded every year on Stewardship Sunday to assist the Church and in so doing our priests by cheerfully giving of our time, talents and treasures which our Loving Father has so abundantly blessed us with. But what is the reality?

From talking to various people, on a relative basis, Catholics generally give substantially less to their Church than adherents of other denominations give to theirs. Yet we demand the world from our priests and expect them to be on stand-by 24/7. Less of everything means that representatives of Christ suffer as a result. In short, generally our priests and needy communities bear the brunt of our stinginess. From a financial support point of view, we need to reflect and be guided by what the Bible advises in Malachi 3:8-10.

We have been praying for vocations to the priesthood for decades with no real solution in sight. Why would our prayers to our Holy Lord for this noble cause go unanswered? Or could it be that our prayers have been granted, but we don�t like the answer.

Maybe the solution is on earth not in heaven. Maybe if we change the environment in which our priests have to operate by being a more supportive community it may enkindle in the hearts of young men the spark of a vocation.� Parents would then surely be more eager for the honour of giving helpers to the Church in the work of tomorrow.