My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

This weekend, the Church of Brooklyn and Queens rejoices in the ordination of six men into the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. Our men have studied at different seminaries, and yet all will serve eventually in the Diocese of Brooklyn.  Each ordination ceremony is like giving birth to a new members of the Church.   The road to the priesthood is one that is long in preparation, having its painful and joyful moments, culminating in ordination.

I only ordain men to the priesthood whom I myself have scrutinized and know well. Anticipating their new lives as an  Alter Christus, those to be ordained join me for a day of recollection.  Each year, the candidates are asked to write a brief paper describing their understanding of the priesthood as well as their hopes and dreams for the future.  Interestingly, I have never found any candidate to have a similar approach to the priesthood. Each has his own perspective derived from his own personality and experiences.

To give you a sense of the diversity of experiences, we have three young men who were about to begin formation for priesthood but were unable to do so because they lack the appropriate legal documentation.   To some, these young men were outlaws or people of the shadows.  The recent decision by the Obama Administration to offer work permits to some undocumented young people makes it likely that these three men will now be able to study to be priests in our diocese.

Allow me to share with you some insights and words from the priesthood papers I received this year.
One writes, “Today, some people would say that we are living in a ‘fatherless’ nation and raising a fatherless generation…The fatherless family is a late 20th-century innovation, as well as ‘fatherless parishes.’”

I cannot help but wonder at this young man’s insight.  The Church does not have enough “spiritual fathers.”  The priest must be a father to his people and how strange it is that someone 26-years of age can be called “Father” by those many times his senior.  Yet, there is no more sincere appellation for a priest than “Father.”  And a young priest quickly understands the love and devotion of God’s people as they call upon him as a spiritual father.

Another writes, “Every day in the life of the priest, he will hear some of these things: ‘Father, there is a crack in the ceiling.’  ‘Why is the Church cold?’  ‘The toilet in the girls’ bathroom is leaking.’  ‘When are you going to fix the windows?’  ‘How much do we owe the diocese?’  All of these issues and concerns, which really can be fun or annoying, depending on the priest’s outlook, really focus in on the reality that our parishioners are trying to build the Kingdom of God at the parish level.”

This man obviously seems to look at the reality of the priesthood as one of service and willingness to sacrifice in making even the small things important to the life of the priest.  What good this young aspirant to the priesthood has for priests many times his senior!

Finally, another writes, “A priest is a hero in the world.  People are drawn by heroes.  As Christ selflessly died on the cross to be the hero of humanity, so too must a priest be selflessly heroic in his ministry.  There is no such thing as a ‘selfish hero.’”

Yes, priests are heroes.  They are my heroes!  As Bishop, I am aware of their struggles, the difficulties under which they labor, the discouragement that they sometimes feel.   In this way our priests are united to Christ on the Holy Cross.  I wish our priests knew the profound difference they were making in the world.  That they would value the affirmation that comes from the people of God and not simply dwell on complaints and criticism.

Recently, a book was published, “Same Call, Different Men: the Evolution of the Priesthood Since Vatican II.”  One of the chapters is entitled, “Looking to the Future: Who is Encouraging the Next Generation of Priests?”   In the past, most priests would say that it was a teacher who was a dedicated nun; my parish priest; my mother and father or my relatives.  Today, who will encourage the next generation of priests?  Who is left to issue the call in the name of Christ that they become the heroes for the next generation?

Tragically, there are some priests and laity who are not content in the priesthood.  Not surprisingly, they are least likely to encourage anyone to accept a vocation to priestly life.  This should challenge us all to find ways to help those who are feeling disaffected to recognize the value and significance of their lives and vocations.

A sign of hope is that our younger priests are more apt to encourage others to consider the priesthood.  I suspect that youthful zeal is only natural.  Nevertheless, I as a Bishop and indeed all the people of God must continually stoke the flames of faith of our priests to ensure that the enthusiasm for Christ and his ministry never dampens.  For without them, who would make Christ present to us under the appearances of bread and wine?  Who would offer us forgiveness when we fall into sin?  Who would offer us the healing presence of Christ when faced with illness or death?

I pray in a special way for those whom I ordain that they will become new disciples and Apostles, ever willing and ready to put out into the deep.  May they always encourage others to consider listening to a call from Jesus Christ, the High Priest, who asks us to share in a ministry unique in the world and so vital to the Church in the establishment of the Kingdom of God.