Celebrate the priesthood – and our retired priests

    You celebrated the Chrism Mass during Holy Week, and St. Louis Cathedral was packed. What did you take away from that Mass?
    The Chrism Mass is one of the spiritual highlights for me every year because I have the privilege to bless the oil of catechumens and the oil of the sick and to consecrate the oil of chrism that is used during the year in every parish throughout the whole archdiocese. Through those sacred oils, I have a humble and spiritual connection with all those who are anointed throughout the year. At the end of the Mass, we ask the deans to come forward to symbolically take the oils back to their deanery. This is a powerful time for me as the shepherd of the archdiocese. This year’s celebration was overwhelming because of the large number of priests who attended – in my mind, it was about 200 – as well as the large number of young people from elementary schools and high schools and the young adults who came to witness this. It’s so encouraging to me to see the young church gathered in prayer with such enthusiasm and in such great numbers. The Chrism Mass also gives me the opportunity as the shepherd to publicly thank our priests for their priestly ministry, and we as priests and bishops recommit ourselves to priestly ministry and pray for those who have been entrusted to our pastoral care.
    You mentioned Pope Francis several times in your homily.
    I’ve been edified as well as challenged by Pope Francis. His example of humility and simplicity has invited me into prayer, asking the Lord Jesus to help me to be as humble and as simple as Francis is. This has prompted me to re-examine my priorities, my availability and my ministry so that it will in some way reflect the integrity of the Holy Father. I also invited all of our priests to look to Pope Francis as an example. He said right after he was elected that he dreamed of a church that is poor and is for the poor. He’s calling us as a church to be humbler and simpler. In so doing, our hearts and our hands will reach out to the poor. This is certainly a very specific challenge and invitation to me and to our priests, and also to all the people of God. I was pleased there were so many people to thank the priests for their priestly ministry. They provide ministry when it’s convenient and when it’s inconvenient, when they’re filled with energy and when they’re tired, when they’re confident and when they may be losing confidence in themselves, when they’re appreciated and when they’re taken for granted.
    Speaking of your priests, there is an important collection coming up next weekend (April 20-21) at all Masses for retired diocesan priests.
    Yes. This will provide an opportunity for people to express their appreciation for those diocesan priests who are retired – to help them in their daily sustenance. It’s important to note we have two special collections each year: one is for the retired religious – sisters, brothers and priests who belong to religious orders – and the other is for our diocesan priests. We need to provide for their retirement. I use the term “retirement” loosely, because many of them are still workng  40 or 50 hours a week in service to God’s people. We would not be able to provide the priestly ministry that we do in so many of our parishes without the invaluable contributions of our retired diocesan priests.
    You’re also announcing many changes in pastoral assignments in this issue. Why do you think it’s important to do this in April?
    I think priests need a time to make a healthy transition. It’s also helpful for the parishes to have time to thank and celebrate the priests who have served them and for the new parish to receive them. I think it has worked well in announcing these new assignments as soon as possible after Easter. Some of the new assignments were requested by the priests themselves. Others were necessitated by the death of a pastor, illness or other circumstances. Some are because of pastoral needs. I hope people will understand that these new assignments are the fruit of much prayer and discernment.
    Are you encouraged by the current state of vocations in the archdiocese?
    Last year we ordained four priests, and this year we will be ordaining five more and next year it will be four. So, in three years, we will have ordained 13 new priests. That’s a clear indication that the Holy Spirit is active and calling people to serve in the footsteps of Jesus Christ the priest. It gives us an opportunity to ask ourselves, individually and as parishes, what we are doing to promote vocations to the priesthood and to religious life. There are still many young men and women out there being called, who have not yet said “yes.” Please pray for them and encourage them.