By Michael Rizzo
WILLIAMSBURG — “We honor men tonight who have compassion, patience, wisdom, and deep faith. They show that the future of the Church is vibrant because of the young men they’ve led to the priesthood.”
The words of Cathedral Preparatory School and Seminary Rector and President Father James Kuroly captured the theme of the high school’s third annual Rector-President’s Dinner on Sept. 19 in Williamsburg, honoring eight past and present vocation directors for the Diocese of Brooklyn.
The school, located in Elmhurst, also helps some students discern a vocation to the diocesan priesthood.
The dinner recognized former Diocese of Brooklyn vocation directors Bishop Kevin Sweeney of Paterson (N.J.), Msgr. John McGuirl, Msgr. Fernando Ferrarese, Father Robert Whelan, Father Kevin Abels, Father James Rodriguez, and Father Sean Suckiel.
Father Christopher Bethge, the diocese’s current vocations director, was also honored. Seven of the honorees attended the dinner, which brought together nearly 200 people at Giando On the Water.
“In our world today, there’s a lack of commitment,” Father Bethge said before the dinner. “Logically, that would also affect the number of vocations to the priesthood.
“At Cathedral Prep we give the young men an environment to kind of say that they feel called to the priesthood and not face any outside people who don’t support it.”
Father Bethge noted that this past year, there were two new seminarians — one in college and one in the major seminary — and he expects eight men from different parishes and age groups to pursue seminary life next year.
“God is definitely working here,” he said. Bishop Robert Brennan reinforced in an interview during the dinner that vocations are a communal effort.
“We’re all in it together, and we absolutely rely on working together as a team, asking the pastors, all of us, as priests or vocation directors, to share the joy of being a priest,” Bishop Brennan said.
Paul Zwolak, who is in his third year of theology studies at St. Joseph’s Seminary, attended the dinner. Originally from Our Lady of Hope parish in Middle Village, Zwolak recalled how his vocations director, Father Suckiel, helped him discern his vocation.
“He was just very supportive, always saying, ‘Paul, if it is for you, go ahead and I’ll be here to support you,’ ” the 25-year-old explained. “I was always praying to God, saying ‘Lord, can you bring people that are going to help me to progress through the seminary?’ … Father Sean was one of those people.”
Father Bethge, who has been the diocese’s vocation director for three years and “God willing, a few more to come,” spoke of his calling for the future. “As diocesan priests, the reason we became priests is to work in parishes,” he said. “All these great priests, though they enjoyed the work of vocations, couldn’t wait to be pastors.
“That’s where the rubber meets the road. That’s what we signed up to do. We know that God gives us the strength we need to become priests and to be a pastor to people and lead them on their faith journey.”