12-12-06
Greetings!
There are some neat trends among bishops in recruiting and supporting seminarians today. Bishop Robert Carlson, Saginaw, MI, gives his seminarians his cell phone # and they are allowed to call anytime. In fact, Bishop Carlson named himself Vocation Director for his diocese. Not surprisingly the number of seminarians has gone from 4 to 19 since he arrived. The article on him is below.
In a similar fashion a few stories about some other successful vocation promoting bishops:
1. Archbishop Timothy Dolan, Milwaukee—When he went to Rome for his Ad Limina visit with Pope Benedict, took the seminarians of his diocese with him.
2. Archbishop Raymond Burke, St. Louis—He arranged for his seminarians to make a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in LaCrosse, WI. They would take a bus for the trip. The Archbishop had a scheduled appointment at the Shrine a few days prior to the pilgrimage. He could've waited there for the seminarians to arrive. Instead, he went back to St. Louis so he could ride the bus for the 8 hour trip with the seminarians.
3. Bishop Morlino, Madison. A college student and I were in Madison for a pro-life Mass and rally with the bishop. After the Mass, Bishop Morlino made the rounds, and upon seeing myself and the young man with me, promptly asked us if we had considered the priesthood. Keep in mind, this was the first time we had met him!
These personal and pointed efforts, led by true shepherds are already bearing fruit and will continue to do so. Let us continue to pray for seminarians, priests and the bishops who lead them!
A 'Culture of Vocations' Brings Vitality to Saginaw Diocese
Bishop Robert Carlson's success in developing priestly vocations in the Diocese of Sioux Falls, S.D., received national attention, and now he's doing the same thing in Saginaw, Mich.
BY JOSHUA MERCER
Register Correspondent
December 10-16, 2006 Issue
Posted 12/7/06 at 8:00 AM
SAGINAW, Mich. — Seminarian Rich Budd, 25, knows exactly how to reach Bishop Robert Carlson if he has any questions or concerns.
"On my cell phone — on speed dial — is the bishop's cell phone number," said Budd. "And there's definitely been nights where I've had to call him."
He noted that seminarians elsewhere are unsure if their bishop is as accessible.
"We have a real personal relationship," Budd. "Not every seminarian has that gift."
Budd is one of 19 men from the Diocese of Saginaw who are discerning a call to the priesthood. That's a big increase from just three years ago, and given Bishop Carlson's emphasis, that comes as no surprise to Budd.
"He's said from Day 1 that he wants to create a 'Culture of Vocations,'" the seminarian said. "It starts with the bishop, but it goes all the way down the line. We all have to be 'vocation aware.'"
Bishop Carlson recently became chairman of the U.S. Bishops Committee on Priestly Life and Ministry. He had been chairman-elect for a year, familiarizing himself with the job.
But he already had a reputation as being a bishop with a successful approach to vocations. When he became bishop of Sioux Falls, S.D., in 1995, the average age of priests in the diocese was 60. When he was appointed to Saginaw in 2005, that age had dropped to 48.6. By then, Sioux Falls had 25 seminarians, while Saginaw, with about the same number of Catholics at 135,000, had four.
When he was installed in Saginaw, he announced that he would "personally work to build up the priesthood" in the diocese and named himself director of vocations. That action convinces young men that vocations are a top priority, said seminarian Ben Moll.
To read the full article: http://ncregister.com/site/article/1578/
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More good vocation news!
Vocations Booming in Mexico
KOENIGSTEIN, Germany, DEC. 5, 2006 (
Zenit.org).- Mexico is seeing a veritable boom in vocations to the priesthood and religious life, says an official of Aid to the Church in Need.
"There are about 12,000 young men preparing for the priesthood in Mexican major seminaries, while 15,000 active priests are serving the faithful," said Xavier Legorreta, head of Aid to the Church in Need's Latin America I section.
"In addition, there are some 32,000 religious sisters," the expert said today upon his return from a visit to the country, where he attended the general assembly of the bishops' conference.
"One of the fundamental reasons for the Church being lively and rich in vocations is the persecution it suffered during the 1930s, which 'helped' Catholics to defend their faith," Legorreta said.
The official said that "the formation of seminarians and support for contemplative sisters are priorities for our charity."
He added: "Today, Mexico is -- together with Colombia -- one of the countries that send out most missionaries to the world and especially to
Europe."
ZE06120522
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Civil Rights Group To Honor Morlino
The Madison , WI newspaper grudgingly acknowledges an award given to Bishop Morlino. The article itself is almost comical, one can picture them writing it through clenched teeth. Nonetheless, kudos to Bishop Morlino!
Free Speech Award Riles Critics
The Capital Times
Thursday, December 7, 2006
By Pat Schneider The Capital Times
Madison Bishop Robert Morlino will be honored Friday by one of the nation's pioneer civil rights organizations for his support of free speech amid controversy over the state's same-sex marriage amendment.
The Congress of Racial Equality's Lifetime Achievement Award will honor Morlino "for resisting groups seeking to deprive him of his fundamental right -- as an American and as a Catholic leader -- to express support for a state constitutional amendment to protect marriage as a man and a woman," a joint statement by CORE and the Alliance for Marriage said.
The full article can be read here: http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/tct/2006/12/07/0612070434.php
The Vatican website continues to be under attack from "jihackists" following an appeal by Al-Quaeda and others. As the news story states:
Vatican electronic defenses include a firewall named Michael, after the Archangel who was said to have battled Satan. Other Vatican servers for the Web site are named Gabriel and Raphael. So far, the Vatican's virtual Archangels have won the battle against cyberterrorists.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/11/28/123046.shtml?s=al
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It's rare to see such a strong statement on the goal of Catholic schools. What a beautiful and inspiring goal it is!
US Bishop: making saints should be the goal of Catholic schools
By: Bishop Robert Finn, Kansas City-Saint Joseph Missouri Diocese
The work of our Catholic schools is about nothing less than seeing and living Jesus Christ in the midst of everything we do. Let us not apologize about that. We need our faith. Students deserve to receive their learning in a context of spiritual formation.
Catholic schools have earned a reputation for academic excellence, but that is not enough. We are here to do something much more. Our schools must be thoroughly and unashamedly Catholic. Day after day, every day, in a way that permeates all the teaching and learning that takes place, we are charged to proclaim a Pentecost message of Jesus Christ with enthusiasm, faithful perseverance and steady determination.
***The goal of Catholic schools is to make saints out of their students. That is what salvation in Jesus Christ means.****
http://www.ad2000.com.au/articles/2006/jul2006p20_2304.html
I just received this…sad but true.
Twas The Month Before Christmas
Twas the month before Christmas
When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying
Nor taking a stand.
See the PC Police had taken away,
The reason for Christmas - no one could say.
The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say
December 25th is just a " Holiday ".
Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!
CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod
Something was changing, something quite odd!
Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa
In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.
As Targets were hanging their trees upside down
At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.
At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears
You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.
Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty
Are words that were used to intimidate me.
Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen
On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !
At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter
To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.
And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace.
The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded
The reason for the season, stopped before it started.
So as you celebrate "Winter Break" under your "Dream Tree"
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.
Choose your words carefully, choose what you say
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holiday
-Author Unknown
God bless you! Phil Lawson For the latest info on St. Peter's, check out the parish website: www.saintpetercatholic.com (You can also find old editions of the Areopagus here)
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