I grew up in what you’d consider an ordinary Catholic family. I am the only child. My parents were faithful to Sunday Mass and devotions and supported parish events.
When did you first think about becoming a priest?
Probably in the seventh or eighth grade, when I became an altar server and had closer contact to observe priests.
Did you have a priest you looked up to in your youth?
One of the parish priests [at St. Kevin’s in Flushing, N.Y.] was an inspiration to me. He conveyed a sense of joy in the priesthood. A Christian Brother at Bishop Loughlin High School strongly encouraged me to consider diocesan priesthood. At St. John’s University [where Father Russell majored in history], Father James King encouraged me to consider a vocation. At St. John’s I knew Philip Siry and John O’Brien [future priests of the Wilmington diocese]; we were all connected there through CCD. Father Siry, a year ahead at St. John’s, had already connected with the Wilmington diocese. Brooklyn had plenty of priests, and I had already become interested in other dioceses.
Mom used to subscribe to Extension magazine, about Catholic life around the country. I thought Wilmington was close enough to New York, but not too close. I wanted to fulfill my duties as a son.
How did your parents react to your decision?
I’m sure they were kind of disappointed they would not have grandchildren. But they said whatever you feel is your calling, we want you to be happy. There had never been a priest in my family.
What did you envision your priesthood to be?
When I thought of priesthood it was celebrating Mass and the sacraments, preaching, teaching visiting the sick.
With the [Second Vatican] Council there was an opportunity to work for the implementation of its spirit and decrees. It was very exciting. There were many of us who were hoping to take that direction.
What has played a bigger role in your work than you expected?
Looking back at it now, I would say working with people on different committees and organizations. And parish carnivals; everywhere I’ve been there’s been a carnival. It’s great for building up a sense of community and family in the parish. We’re now preparing for our 39th annual parish carnival [which starts April 26].
What is your greatest joy in ministry?
Celebrating the Mass, baptisms, hearing confessions. With the sacraments I feel closest to Christ the priest as he’s touching the lives of people.
What do you tell someone who is considering the priesthood?
Pray, pray, pray. Stay close to the Lord. Talk to priests, talk to other people for advice, seek to know what God wants of you. It’s a process of discernment.
Do you have a favorite devotion?
The Liturgy of the Hours. I enjoy praying the rosary. Praying psalms and reading Scripture are very nourishing to my prayer life.
Do you belong to any church devotional or social groups?
Knights of Columbus, 4th degree.
How do you relax?
I like to get at least once a week to the health club. I enjoy walking along the Wilmington waterfront. I also like to read history. I’m into a series of volumes on the history of the church. I have a love of travel. I’ve been all over the U.S. in recent years.
Do you have a favorite vacation and/or retreat spot?
A Trappist monastery in Berryville, Va.
Describe a good day at work.
I have a problem with the word “work.” I really don’t think of priestly ministry as work. It’s a vocation. If you do what you love, you never have to do a day’s work. If you love the Lord, it’s a joy to serve him.
It would surprise people to know that I…
… almost didn’t enter the parish priesthood because I couldn’t imagine me getting up in front of hundreds of people and giving a talk.
— Joseph Ryan, assistant editor

April 8, 2010

Father Timothy Nolan
Age: 43
Current assignment: Pastor of Holy Spirit Church, New Castle
Hometown: Born in Philadelphia, raised in Claymont
Ordained: 2002

What kind of Catholic home did you grow up in?
We would go to Mass every weekend. My mother was amongst the first to become an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion when that was introduced in the 1970s. My father’s a Knight of Columbus. I went to Catholic schools. My parents are daily Mass attendees when they can.
When did you first think about becoming a priest?
I was probably around 12 years old. I was a student at Holy Rosary School and it was a time when I was thinking about what I would be. It waned a bit when I started to notice girls [but] it never really went away. Whenever there would be priests or sisters giving vocation talks, I always had this distinct feeling they were speaking directly to me.
Did you have a priest you looked up to in your youth?
I remember my pastors as a boy were good role models: Father Stanley Russell when I was in grade school and then Father Raymond Forester when I was in high school. As a young man, I was a parishioner at Christ Our King and I got to know Father Kempski and Father Brubaker. It wasn’t until then that I got more involved in church activities besides simply going to Mass every week.
What did you envision your priesthood to be?
As a boy I looked at it mostly from, I would say, the visual sense. I would see priests celebrating Mass and they’d visit the classrooms and they would be around there to teach and very present at the church. When I got to be older I got to know priests from a wider range, I would say, hearing them talk about their lives and trying to envision myself in that life. I got a pretty good picture of it, I would say.
How has being a priest differed from your early expectations?
I wouldn’t say there is anything that was a major surprise or a shock. I’ve gotten to know people in a much more intimate level of their experience, their faith, their motivations, realizing that so many of them are so dedicated to their faith. It’s been a very moving kind of experience in that way — people’s kindness and goodness and generosity.
What has played a bigger role in your work than you expected?
How much planning goes into the things that people actually see. With any type of liturgical event it doesn’t just happen; to make it right and to make it smooth and to make it the best experience takes a lot of preparation beforehand. I’ve seen priests do things so well over the years I just kind of assumed it was easy, it just happens.
What is the most difficult thing in your ministry?
As a priest we’re called to minister in the name of Christ; however I know I’m not him, not the Messiah. I want to be able to do the things Christ does, but I’m always faced with my own limitations. There’s a lot of people who are suffering in this world, and when I minister to them it’d be nice to give them immediate healing.
What is your greatest joy in ministry?
Everyday being able to celebrate the Mass — that is the high point of my day every day. There’s also a close second, hearing confessions. To be able to listen to someone speaking completely from their hearts, being completely honest. It’s really like treading on sacred ground.
What do you tell someone seriously considering the priesthood about it?
I would say one thing I did that really helped me is to get involved in the parish. Working in the parish gives a person a greater sense of what ministry is. The thing that I didn’t do, but I think is a good thing, is to talk to their priests, discuss it and have a conversation. There are many good priests in this diocese who would walk the journey with somebody and not try to simply sell them on the idea or close the door on them either.
What kind of car do you drive? How many miles on it?
I drive a 2006 Chevrolet Impala. I’m not sure (now many miles). It’s been a while since I looked at the odometer. I also drive the parish truck; I actually use that more often when I’m going about my ministry. That gets a lot of remarks, too. I concelebrated a funeral Mass and one of the altar servers remembered me from the parish before. He said, “I can’t believe you drive a truck,” a priest driving a truck. I said well I’m the maintenance man as well as the pastor.
Do you have a favorite devotion?
The devotion I really, really love is the Stations of the Cross. I’ll do them sometimes outside of Lent as well as during Lent. The particular one I like the best is a scriptural one — the prayers of it, the progression, the sense of walking in the footsteps of Christ.
How do you relax?
I like to be around family and friends, being with and talking to them. I enjoy long walks; I can walk several miles. If I’m given a large block of time I will. Here in the rectory I’ll play the piano. I also like to sketch and draw my little pictures. I don’t create any great artwork; usually I’ll sit and doodle and draw pictures and then throw them away. Sometimes it’s fun and relaxing to sit and draw something and then look at it and say ah, I don’t want to be remembered for that.
Do you have a favorite vacation and/or retreat spot?
There’s a retreat house right on the ocean in northern New Jersey, which is a very pleasant place to go. But I like trying various types of places. In the summer if I’m going to go some place, I might go up to New York City or something like that. I’ll stay in a parish up there maybe. And I’ve been overseas a few times too. When I’m by myself I’d just as soon go to a retreat house and read a book.
What type of books do you like?
I never finish books; I always start them. I’ve actually really enjoyed reading Pope Benedict’s books. I find him to be a much easier writer to read than Pope John Paul II was. His book on Jesus of Nazareth was excellent.
Sometimes I’ll get a book that’s just an odd book to read, like a mystery book. Or if there’s some piece of classic literature that I realize everyone else read in high school that I hadn’t, then I’ll pick out that and read it, too.
Finish this sentence. It would surprise people to know ...
I am a descendant of the early English monarchy. The last was the early Plantagenet king; I believe it might have been Edward Longshanks [Edward I, 1239-1307, whose nickname was Longshanks because of his height]; I could be wrong on which exact king it was. An aunt did the research on the genealogy. We descended from a lot of women and second sons so it’s not like a direct descendency.
— Gary Morton, staff reporter

March 18, 2010

Year for Priests: Commentary

By words and actions: Priest as teacher

By Father Leonard Klein

The priest is not only a teacher, but the priest is never less than a teacher.
The opening paragraph of the Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests from Vatican II states, “Priests by sacred ordination and mission which they receive from the bishops are promoted to the service of Christ the Teacher, Priest and King.”
Jesus might have drawn crowds more by his miracles than by his preaching, but he was often addressed as Rabbi, as teacher. The longest sections of the Gospels recount what Jesus taught, and in Matthew’s version of the Ascension scene Jesus instructs the disciples to go and teach all nations.
The theme is clear and consistent. Christ is a teacher, and priests in imitation of him are teachers.
First and foremost the priest teaches in the homily at Mass. It is in this context that his office as teacher is most apparent, and it is here that most Catholics encounter the priest as teacher. The people of God are nourished at the double table of the sacred Scripture and the Eucharist. As surely as the priest presides at the eucharistic sacrifice he presides at the table of the Word.
And the sacred Scriptures require interpretation.
The familiar stories of the Gospels are not just moral tales like Aesop’s fables. They are vibrant presentations of the risen Christ who comes to us with his promises and his claims on us. They need to be interpreted. The strong countercultural claims that Jesus makes on us need to be explored in light of the actual situations in which we live.
The first readings for most Sundays are from the prophetic books of the Old Testament and usually correspond in some way to the Gospel. The prophetic writings constitute one of the richest veins of Scripture and one of the most inaccessible for the hearer. The beautiful poetry of the prophets can be hard to penetrate without some teaching about the situation and purposes that produced it.
Then there are the second readings from the Epistles. Tightly argued and densely compact, they too require explanation.
Not surprisingly, therefore, a homily will often concentrate on just one of the readings from sacred Scripture, for there is in truth much to teach. Beyond that, the priest must use the homily to explain the liturgy, sacraments and moral teaching of the church.
All this may require the priest to tread on treacherous ground, for in charity he owes the people of God the whole truth of the faith, even when it is difficult or challenging.
The homily is only the most obvious ways in which the priest is a teacher. At times he will teach in classroom situations, but it is important to remember the less obvious ways in which a priest functions as a teacher.
They oversee parish schools and educational programs. They are the gatekeepers for programs and guest speakers. They make judgments about publications. Priests conduct meetings and participate in parish planning sessions. They set agendas. They select what items merit an announcement at the end of Mass. In all of this there is component of teaching, for the decision what to include or exclude subtly signals what is important and what is not.
Priests teach when they interview couples and prepare them for marriage and when they meet with families to prepare funerals or baptisms. They teach when they train people for liturgical roles and when they give instructions to altar servers.
They teach when they conduct the sacred liturgy. Actions, vestments, choice of prayers, decisions about ceremonial, oversight of music ministry, demeanor and emphasis — all of these teach and contribute decisively to the formation of the Catholic people.
Finally and most certainly, priests teach by their manner of life. This might be the most important teaching a priest does, for nothing teaches more powerfully than example. It is in the end not academic brilliance or professional presentation that is the most important. It is holiness of life; it is the love of God. These constitute the example by which every Christian teaches.
This is all the more true of the priest, for he is not only a teacher but never less than a teacher.

Father Klein, recently named director of pro-life activities for the diocese, also serves as part-time assistant pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Wilmington and part-time chaplain at Christiana Care.

March 4, 2010

Father Stanislao Esposito
Age: 41
Current assignment: Associate pastor, Immaculate Conception, Elkton
Hometown: Naples, Italy
Ordained: 2003

What kind of Catholic home did you grow up in?
In Italy, when I was growing up ... Catholicism was as common as pasta. Everything you did was Catholic. Since very early, pretty much in middle school, I took religion to a whole different level. I was involved in parish activities, was going around preaching, because I wanted to live the Gospel.
When did you think you might have a vocation to the priesthood or religious life?
The first time I thought about the priesthood was in middle school. I did one year of minor seminary. Then I left, and I didn’t think about it until after I entered religious life [with the Holy Cross brothers]. What became important was for me to give myself totally to God, work for God, and that’s what led me to religious life.
The one who got me to think about the priesthood seriously was Bishop Saltarelli, who in a way was my vocation director. I was in religious life when he invited me to think about becoming a priest. [He approached me] several times, which made the brothers a little upset. I remember my superior said, “Bishop, Brother Stanislao is a member of our congregation.” Bishop Saltarelli said, “I’m just inviting him to think about the priesthood.” And I remember that question stuck.
Did you have a priest you looked up to in your youth?
My pastor played an important role. The pastor who baptized me was also the pastor who concelebrated my first Mass. He was in the same parish for my entire life. So when I was ordained and I went back to Italy to celebrate Mass there, he was still pastor of the same church.
Is there a priest today that you look up to or turn to for advice?
When I became a priest, I surrounded myself with priests that in my opinion are quite grounded and solid. We founded a support group, and we get together once a month. We just sound things off; we try to be as fraternal as possible. In times of crisis we call on one another, and in times of rejoicing.
What did you envision your priesthood to be?
Honestly, I always have seen the priest being another Jesus. Therefore, when I study the Gospel, I always was surprised that Jesus did mostly two things: presented the kingdom of God, but brought people together, created communities, and reconciled them to the Father and to one another. So I always envisioned the priesthood to be based on this — reconciliation and creating communities through the preaching of the Gospel and sacraments.
What has played a bigger role in your work than you expected?
I think the role of being a listener. I realize that people just need someone who loves them and who is there listening to them without expecting anything in return.
What is the most difficult thing in your ministry?
Balancing time, so that everything gets done and everybody has enough fair time.
What is your greatest joy in ministry?
Let’s say ordinary joys would be celebrating the Eucharist and preaching the Gospel. But I get a kick out of celebrating baptisms. When I do baptisms, there is a level of joy that is awesome.
What do you tell someone who is considering the priesthood?
I would say live your life as if you were called. One thing that is very important is that we do not call ourselves. It’s a discernment. So give it a try. Live your life as though you are called to this life of priesthood, and then discern with people who are in charge, and trust them. You don’t have to do all the work by yourself.
How often do you go back to Italy?
According to my parents, not often enough. I’m trying to make it every other year. When they had the lira, I was the rich uncle coming from the States. Change the dollar into lira, wow, I was inviting everybody to dinner. Now with the euro, it is very expensive.
Do you have a favorite devotion?
The rosary. And my favorite form of prayer, outside liturgical ones, is lectio divina, which I’ve been doing since ’86.
Do you belong to any religious groups?
I’m a Knight of Columbus, and I belong to this group called Focolare [a lay movement that promotes world unity through the living witness of Christian love and holiness in the family and small communities] and my priest support group.
What do you do to relax?
I play guitar, and I do taekwondo. I’m a martial artist. If I don’t get kicked too much it’s quite relaxing.
Describe a good day at work.
A good day would be when everything is done and the unexpected happens, and I’m still smiling.
It would surprise people to know ...
... that I’m preparing to test for my black belt, which should be in April.
— Mike Lang, The Dialog

Jan. 28, 2010

Father John J. Gayton
Age: 53
Current assignment: Administrator, Holy Rosary Parish, Claymont
Hometown: Philadelphia
Ordained: 1986

What kind of Catholic household did you grow up in?
I grew up in a large, Irish Catholic family. My mother and father had 10 children (he was the fifth), and they were very involved in their faith and made a deep impression on us with their faith. A faith that was more expressed in how they lived their lives than anything else.
When did you first think about becoming a priest?
Not until I was a year or so out of high school. It wasn’t something that I considered when I was younger, and it was because I got involved in charismatic renewal at the time in Philadelphia and through that started to get involved in other activities in my parish and became more involved in doing some youth ministry.
You entered a religious order, the Marians of the Immaculate Conception. How did you choose them?
I read one of those vocation supplements out of the Catholic newspaper, and I got a hold of a vocation supplement book that gives you listings of religious orders. All those that sounded interesting to me I wrote to, and I got all their pamphlets, and I sorted out the ones that no longer sounded so interesting to me. I narrowed it down, and then I went and visited those I had narrowed it down to, about three.
Was there a priest you looked up to?
I was in the Cardinal Dougherty (High School) marching band and the color guard, and the person who is kind of most influential or had the biggest influence to me, who I really saw as a model for a priest, was Father John Danks, who was the director of the band at the time. He was a person who suggested to me that I consider going into the priesthood. He put it in my yearbook. I kind of dismissed it.
What did you envision your priesthood to be?
When I entered religious life, my greatest concern was spirituality and community living. My ideas about my ministry as a priest were not as formed as my desire for living a Christian life and growing in a life of prayer and the spirit. But as I began my studies, what became very important to me was the idea of preaching, of being able to lead people to Christ through preaching and teaching in that capacity.
How has being a priest differed from your expectations?
The model was that of parish priest, but in my 23 years of priesthood, I’ve done so many varied things. Working in prison ministry, working pilgrimages, working in a boarding school. Probably the most valuable, the most engaging experiences I’ve had have been as a military chaplain, especially in situations of combat. They’ve been very meaningful for me.
What has been most difficult or challenging?
I’d say the most difficult thing is balancing my commitment to the spiritual development, the sacramental life of my people and my own spiritual life and my own personal balance in life. And the demands that come from outside of those two things. Dealing with the administrative side of priestly ministry, having to deal with finances and budgets and buildings.
What’s brings you the most happiness as a priest?
Celebrating Sunday Eucharist is the thing that brings me the greatest joy. I greatly enjoy the feeling that I am able to bring people into the presence of God and that people are able to feel and experience God’s presence more tangibly.
What would you tell somebody considering priesthood?
Even if they have doubts or if they’re not sure, the important thing about it is that they should pursue and give it a try. The best way to find out if a shoe fits is to try it on and walk around in it for a little while.
Do you have a favorite devotion?
Even though I no longer belong to my religious order, my formation in my religious community was my primary formation in my spirituality. At the very heart and soul of me, my spirituality is still very Marian.
What kind of car do you drive?
I drive a 2004 Nissan Pathfinder and it has 62,000 miles on it.
What do you do to relax?
I go to the theater regularly in Philadelphia and in Delaware. I greatly love the performing arts. I enjoy going to the gym; that helps me to relax. The rest of the time, what I do to relax is spend a nice meal with a friend.
Describe a good day at work.
A good day at work is when, at the end of the day I feel like I have positively accomplished some of the things that are of benefit to the parish and I know that they’ve made a difference.
It would surprise people to know I ...
... have never been on a ship and I’m a Navy chaplain. It also surprises people a lot that I dance, like when I go to a wedding or something like that people are shocked and say, “Where did you learn to dance?” and I say, “Yo, I grew up in Philly.” I love dancing.
— Mike Lang, The Dialog

Dec. 17, 2009

Father George J. Brubaker
Age: 62
Current assignment: Pastor of St. John the Apostle-Milford and St. Bernadette-Harrington and judicial vicar o the diocesan tribunal
Hometown: Born in Ventnor, N.J., moved to Wilmington as a boy
Ordained: 1980

What kind of Catholic home did you grow up in?
My mother’s family was very Catholic. My dad wasn’t a Catholic but I think he loved the Catholic Church almost as much as my mother, although he never became a Catholic. He supported our involvement with the church very much and did a lot of work for the church.
When did you first think about becoming a priest?
I used to play priest with the kids in the neighborhood. That was before I started school. Later, when we had moved to Wilmington and I was in grade school at Christ Our King, one of the nuns asked why I wasn’t going to the meetings with Msgr. [Paul] Taggart, who met with eighth-grade boys who were thinking of going into the seminary. I started going to the meetings. There were probably about six or eight eighth-grade guys going to this meeting. At least four of us started in the seminary at Catonsville, Md. At Christ Our King we had 26 seminarians in 1960.
Did you have a priest you looked up to in your youth?
Father [Gottfried] Keis, pastor of the Church of the Assumption in Pomona, N.J. I was kind of fascinated by him because he was such a strong figure in our church. He said he’d let me be an altar boy before I started school if I learned the Latin. So I learned the Latin and was serving Mass before I even started school.
What did you envision your priesthood to be?
The Second Vatican Council started in 1962, so my thinking about my priesthood had to do with what was going to be happening as a result of the council, which wasn’t very clear. I knew there was a possibility of a lot of changes.
What has played a bigger role in your work than you expected?
Working with Catholic Relief Services and with the Delaware Air National Guard [as a chaplain]. With Catholic Relief Services I took a group of seminarians to Eritrea in the summer of ’94, when the genocide in Rwanda had started. I got back to the States and it was only a couple of weeks later I got deployed to Rwanda by the Air Force. I was able to fly in with our guys and deliver to the sisters of Mother Teresa a gift from our military, because they were taking care of all the lost children in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. The fighting had ended at that time. In refugee camps the bodies of the dead were piled up each day. Our mission was to bring safe drinking water to the camps to save lives. That was a very emotional experience, to be able to represent the U.S. military and bring their gift to the sisters.
What have been among the more challenging parts of your ministry?
Some of the sufferings that I’ve seen visiting refugee camps, where suffering is a way of life, especially for children. But I’ve also seen the human spirit, especially of children who could still smile and sing and be happy in the midst of deprivation and want; that just kind of stays with you. It’s very hard to translate that to people in our society who have never really realized how most of the world lives.
Tell me about your work in the tribunal, the church court that handles requests for marriage annulments.
I’ve come to appreciate that while the tribunal is a kind of bureaucratic situation, it can still be a pastoral ministry in serving people’s need for healing after experiencing a failed marriage. All the judges and the staff understand this work as a service of healing for people. We take that very seriously. This isn’t just a court of the church, it’s also part of the ministry of reconciliation.
What is your greatest joy in ministry?
My greatest joy is being at the altar. The Eucharist is a source of love and unity in the church and really gives me hope for the people I’m with, the people I’m serving in the parish or in the tribunal. It never stops giving. That’s the source of my priesthood.
What do you tell someone seriously considering the priesthood?
I say it’s a wonderful thing because in my experience it’s been a continuing joy and a surprise day after day. What I think any day is going to be is very rarely what it is. It’s an exciting life. It’s been much fuller in a variety of experience than I could have imagined. I would encourage a young man to be very open to that call and to not have too set a notion of what it might prove to be. It may be different. It may be more wonderful than you can imagine. It may be a bigger grace and less of a real sacrifice than you think it’s going to be.
You are known for riding a motorcycle.
I have a BMW1200C Montauk. I’m just turning over 20,000 miles. I’m trying to put more on it because of the gas savings. I use it to come up [to Wilmington] on Thursdays. My family still has a house in Ventnor, so I normally go over there on my day off. As much as I can I use the motorcycle for that.
I also drive a Mercedes SUV. The president of our parish council asked me if I’d take his Mercedes and just take over the back payments. I put between 12,000 and 15,000 miles a year on it.
Do you have a favorite devotion?
I got into Nordic walking and I found I can pray the rosary when I do this. Saying the rosary as a devotion has become more part of my lifestyle plan for healthy living.
How do you relax?
Motorcycling is probably the closest thing I have to a hobby. I also read a lot of history and Scripture.
Describe a good day at work.
I believe that if I start my day well and I’m open to the opportunities God is presenting to me, I will be at the end of the day satisfied that it was a good day. If I can make the first hour of my day holy, give it to God in prayer and praise, the rest of the day just flows very well. I can’t say I do that every day but that’s what I try to do.
Finish this sentence: It would surprise people to know ...
... I went to law school at Villanova. It was only for one year, 1973.

Dec. 3, 2009

Father Bill Graney
Age: 66
Current assignment: Pastor, Resurrection, Pike Creek
Hometown: Wilmington, St. Elizabeth's Parish
Ordained: 1971

What kind of Catholic household did you grow up in?
It was a large family. My parents grew up in Wilmington also, so we were pretty connected with neighborhood and church. Everybody on that block was Catholic except for one family. We did pray together as a family. We went to church three times a weekend, on Saturday morning, Sunday morning, and Sunday evening, until the priest got tired (laughs). There was a novena in the evening.
How do you think those early days fit into your vocation?
I think that was the first way [I got] to know God — to talk to God. If you’re talking to somebody, you must believe they exist. Then you sort of know more about God as you grow up, and you love him in a more conscious way. So I think it was in that context where my vocation came from. If there is a God, why did he put me here?
When did you first think about becoming a priest?
It just evolved. I think people saw me as somebody who didn’t curse, didn’t smoke, didn’t drink illegally. So some of the people, even non-Catholics, thought I should be a priest. The biggest challenge was not to be a priest because somebody else wanted you to be a priest. My parents never suggested it, they never pushed one way or another.
Do you have a priest you looked up to in your youth?
That was an unusual part of it. Not until after I was in the seminary did I get role models. I think it was the opposite — it was like, you can do this, you can do it as well as other priests you know.
Do you have a priest mentor now?
I would say role models came in. Msgr. Taggart, Msgr. Reese were big figures since I was a young priest. Father Balducelli was the great administrator and wrapped a lot of talents together in one person. In the seminary, I came across significant people. Father Gene Walsh in terms of liturgy and pastoral sense for people. Father Jim Card was up on the Vatican II vision of what a church should be and what a parish should be. They were two good influences.
What did you envision your priesthood to be?
I think Bishop Mardaga and most people in the Wilmington diocese saw that the main need is parish priests. We grew up in the times of non-specialists, of being a general practitioner. And so that’s what I was looking forward to. As a seminarian, in summer I worked in industry to get a feel for the working class. I worked in social work a couple summers also.
I thought that was a good way of getting in touch with what a normal person might do.
How has being a priest differed from your early expectations?
Some of the differences would be the administration side of parish, running parishes. My vision was mostly service, having a pastoral feel for people. Once you become a pastor, you have to see that administration is one of those services that you’re providing.
What has played a bigger role than you expected?
The level of trust that some people put in a priest is always bigger than you can imagine. Over the years, the sacrament of penance and reconciliation provided great opportunities of people trusting you with their lives and sharing that. And the hospital work, especially, you would see people unburden themselves after 20, 30 years of something they were carrying around. It wasn’t that they knew me, it was that I was a priest.
What is the most difficult thing in your ministry?
I think today it’s keeping up with the culture and how to speak to a culture of the times and how to be in touch with people in society. I get a few publications (Homiletics Online, Preaching the News) that try to help me keep up with what’s happening in culture and society. Not particularly Catholic publications, but ones that sort of give you a pastoral insight into what’s going on. That’s hard to keep up with because I have a much more simple view of the world, a plain view.
What’s your greatest joy as a priest?
One would be gathering people around the altar, being the connector, being the bridge. Celebrating a Eucharist, trying to make all those words that we say during the Eucharist very real —there’s a lot of joy that comes from that ability. [Also] I can be at times a good listener and I get great satisfaction from helping people in that listening.
What do you tell someone who’s considering the priesthood?
I try to help them be realistic about it, to promote the idea that ministry is about people, not about themselves. I try to pass on the advice to avoid being arrogant or a know-it-all or dominant.
Do you have a favorite devotion?
Praying to the saints, keeping them in mind, has been a good thing throughout my life. I try not to limit the saints to canonized ones. Dorothy Day was a good inspiration.
Do you belong to any church devotional or social groups?
Jesus Caritas, a fraternity of priests. We have a couple groups of them in the diocese. They’re in other states and other countries. It’s a spirituality and sharing group. I belong to Pax Christi, a Catholic peace and justice network. It helps me focus on some of those issues.
What do you like to do to relax?
I like to walk in the woods, it’s very relaxing. I also like to walk along water. I usually watch TV for an hour or so just to unwind.
Describe a good day at work?
A good day is when you get some satisfaction of working together with people. Working with staff, you trust that they can do what they’re supposed to do. A good day is when you’re not in the office by yourself getting paperwork done, but rather connecting with other people. I was in seminary when Vatican II was being digested, and a lot of collaborative roles of church were being taught and spoken of — collaboration in praying the liturgy, collaboration in praying together with people, administering the parish.
Finish this sentence: It might surprise people to know ...
... the number of nieces and nephews, grandnieces and nephews I have. There’s about 40 of them. A lot of people just can’t imagine that, but it’s great. That can be surprising to people, but people from Wilmington know we’re a large family.

— Mike Lang, The Dialog

Nov. 26, 2009

Chaplain provides patients spiritual solace at hospitals

By Gary Morton
Staff reporter

Father Clemens Manista’s new congregation constantly changes even though it remains at a steady 250 or so admitted parishioners.
Their needs are similar yet unique, depending on each individual’s story. They and their families seek spiritual guidance during some of life’s most trying times, when they are hospitalized for injuries, illnesses or surgeries.
Since July, Father Manista has been a chaplain at Christiana Hospital and its sister medical center, Wilmington Hospital. He views his efforts as an extension of Jesus’ work. “The Lord promised to be with us until the end of days,” he said. As a chaplain, “you are helping make that promise come true.”
He is one of three priests whose duties include chaplaincy work at Christiana and Wilmington hospitals.
The Rev. Timothy Rodden, Christiana’s director of pastoral services and a pastoral associate at First and Central Presbyterian in Wilmington, believes Father Manista has what is needed in a chaplain.
“His personality seems well-suited to pastoral work in the hospital setting,” Rev. Rodden said. “He seems to have a good ability to connect with people, and that’s very helpful to providing care in critical situations. He puts people at ease.”
Rev. Rodden’s office coordinates the work of chaplains such as Father Manista, who is considered a volunteer by the hospital.

Anointing the sick
On a typical day he visits 20 to 30 patients, many in critical care units. The daily census includes about 200 patients registered as Catholics at Christiana and 50 at Wilmington, he said. “You may have about 10 anointings,” he said, referring to the sacrament of anointing of the sick.
In the years before the Second Vatican Council, anointing of the sick was known as last rites, given for forgiveness of sins when a person was near death. Vatican II restored the sacrament’s original intent in seeking spiritual and physical healing for those who are seriously ill. The sacrament may be received more than once.
When Father Manista anoints a patient, he includes family members in the rite. “Not only are you asking for God’s grace and spirit to be with the patient, but also for those same gifts to be with the family so that they are supported in their visiting, in their prayers with the patient and in caring for the patient.”
Some patients may request an anointing before undergoing surgery, he said, though more and more people are being anointed at their home parishes before entering the hospital.
In other cases family members may request anointing of a patient whose condition has worsened. In those situations, “one of the challenges is to be with the family to comfort them, to listen to their pain in terms of losing this person.”
Helping families
Families at times struggle to accept their relative’s condition. He recalled the relatives of a man who had suffered a heart attack while walking. He was not discovered for 15 or 20 minutes and suffered significant brain damage.
“At first, they were ambivalent about me anointing that person because they were still hopeful that he would survive. They were concerned that if the person would hear or be aware that he was being anointed, that he would become agitated or fearful that he was going to die,” said Father Manista, 61. “That’s a very difficult process, for a family initially hoping or thinking that the person will make a full recovery and then facing the reality that that is not going to happen. You have to be with the family to help them go through that process of discernment, and then to celebrate the life of that person up to the time of the heart attack.”
His duties also include Christiana’s emergency room, a major regional trauma center. “The one surprising thing about the ministry so far is that I have not been called to the emergency room as much as one would anticipate,” he said, only two or three times a month. “I think what happens is when people are in an emergency situation, they forget to call for a priest. Or if the person should die, they’re overwhelmed with grief.”
Can’t explain loss
In all cases, Father Manista never tries to explain why something happened.
“We will not fully understand this issue of suffering or loss until we ourselves are called to the other side and experience the larger mystical body of Christ and see how our lives fit into this larger grouping,” he said. “So I try not to offer explanations but to be with the family.”
Father Manista, who grew up in St. Hedwig Parish in Wilmington, previously was pastor of Holy Rosary in Claymont and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Bear. He attributes his interest in hospital ministry to three things: an aunt who talked about how fulfilling her work as a nurse was; his work as an attendant at Seton Psychiatric Center in Baltimore while in seminary, and his parish work visiting parishioners in hospitals. “I felt comfortable with this ministry,” he said.
Still, he’s had to adjust.
“There’s a certain rhythm to the liturgical year and things that you are missing to some degree and not participating in,” he said of parish life. “But then, you have to get use to the rhythm of the hospital, so one is replacing the other."

Nov. 19, 2009

What kind of Catholic home did you grow up in?
My mother is a very devout Catholic. We grew up with Catholic school (Little Flower in Great Mills, Md.), Sunday Mass. Our family was very close to the priests of our parish, and I know that had a tremendous influence. The Catholic school also had an influence, which was to surface later on. But I didn’t grow up thinking I wanted to become a priest.
When did you first think about becoming a priest?
I guess I started thinking about it when I was a policeman (eight years with the Ocean City, Md., police). I think it was having been exposed to so many facets of life, the good and the bad, and kind of seeing death up close and personal sometimes, and seeing the effects of sin in the world, original sin, whatever you want to call it. It just got me thinking about, is there more? What’s my place in the world, and what can I do to make a difference? My faith was very important to me, and having met so many priests and having seen that they’re human like everybody else, the wheels just started turning. The Holy Spirit was there, nudging me, pushing me sometimes.
How did you end up in the Diocese of Wilmington?
I went to college and graduate school at Salisbury State. My father’s family is from the Eastern Shore, so I was familiar with this region. Living in Ocean City and meeting priests down there at that time, there were so many priests who had office jobs up here (in New Castle County) that were going down and helping out on weekends. When the decision became clear that I was going to be exploring the seminary, it was never really an option to go back to [the Archdiocese of] Washington.
Were there any priests that had an influence on you?
There’s one priest, and he’s deceased for many years now, Msgr. Smola. We were his altar boys for many years, and he’s somebody we looked up to. He was like a star for us, just a great guy. It’s that kind of connection that leaves a lasting impact.
How has been being a priest differed from your early expectations?
I think my idea of priesthood has changed and evolved with certainly my education in the seminary but also with my experience and interaction with other priests and getting a feel for it. There are such wonderful moments for us in reaching out and dealing with people and assisting them and kind of bringing a sense of peace to their lives and God in their lives and reminding them of the good things that life is about.
Tell us about the experience of celebrating Mass.
Celebrating Mass every day, even if it’s the 6:30 a.m. Mass, is a joy. I think to celebrate the Eucharist is a privilege. To do that as a service to God’s people is wonderful because it means so much to everyone. As the church tells us, it’s the source and summit of our lives.
What has played a bigger role in your work than you expected?
If anything has surprised me, it’s that there are so many people out there that have such a deep faith and have such a wonderful outlook and understanding of their faith, of the world, of God. That’s certainly inspirational to me.
What is the most difficult part of being a priest?
Dealing with unexpected death and trying to help people through the grief process. What can you say in a situation like that? There’s part of you that wants to say, “I wish I had something I could say that could make everything go away,” but life’s not like that. But at the same time, I think it’s an opportunity for us to bring God’s presence into that moment. People need to realize that even in tragedy, God has not abandoned them and continues to be with them. Over time, and it does take a lot of time, people can find meaning in suffering, meaning in tragedy.
Do you have a favorite devotion?
The rosary, if I had to pick one.
Do you belong to any church devotional or social groups?
I’m a Knight, fourth-degree.
What do you do to relax?
I love music. My taste in music is rather eclectic; everything from Mozart to Metallica you will find on my iPod. I like to go to the movies when I can. I enjoy live performances, theater or orchestras or whatever. I do work out — going to the gym is a good way to blow the stress off a little bit or burn off nervous energy.
Describe a good day at work.
Every day is a good day at work. A good day at work is any time I can maybe reflect a little bit of God’s mercy and compassion to the world. I think that’s what this is about, not just the ordained, but everybody. It’s nice to have a school in the parish, too. It brings a certain level of vibrancy.
Are there any recollections from your police work you want to share?
All the stories that come to mind are not fit for print. People would just get themselves into the craziest situations. A lot of police work was very, very funny. As a policeman, you develop a sense of humor that most people would find crass. I laughed a lot as a policeman. It was an interesting situation always, but it was also an opportunity to help people out. I’ve not encountered anyone I arrested yet. But there’s plenty of time, so we’ll see. Everybody should be out of jail by now.

— Mike Lang, The Dialog

Nov. 5, 2009

Father Leonard J. Kempski
Age: 72
Current assignment: Retired, in residence at St. Thomas the Apostle, Wilmington
Hometown: Born and raised at Second and Jackson streets, Wilmington, St. Paul's Parish
Ordained: 1966

What kind of Catholic home did you grow up in?
It was pretty traditional. We all went to Catholic grade school. My mother was Irish and Italian. I had five aunts and uncles living within a block of my house. My father was Polish and lived out where Conrad High School now is. It was the country in those days. They had a 10-acre farm.
When did you first think about becoming a priest?
I was a senior at the University of Delaware. I looked in the back of Sign magazine: “Come to St. Francis College of Loretto [Pa.] — become a Franciscan.” I went out there … but I didn’t know there was a difference between a religious order priest and a diocesan priest. My second revelation was that basically I’m a Wilmington boy. I was in the Franciscan seminary from September to December; I came home and finished at the University of Delaware.
Did you have a priest you looked up to in your youth?
I never really spoke to a priest until I was in college.
Did you have a priest mentor?
After college I got a job teaching at Corpus Christi High School. I got to know Father Edmund Julien, Msgr. Paul Taggart and Msgr. Henri Foltz. After I got a master’s in history, I figured if there’s room for those three personalities in the priesthood, there’s room for my personality.
What did you envision your priesthood to be?
I was ordained 43 years ago. Seminaries were very different then. We had very little pastoral experience. Our class was the last class of Vatican I. We went to the old school, so to speak.
How has being a priest differed from your early expectations?
It was a real eye opener after ordination. I was the second assistant pastor. My first pastor’s philosophy was, “Don’t cost me any money or any time.” We didn’t get much direction. You just learned as you went along.
What is your greatest joy in ministry?
I like to say Mass and preach. The nicest thing about being a priest is you interact with people at all levels — children, adults, men, women, organizations. It’s a broadening experience of human nature. You’re not just stuck in an office. I enjoy the sacraments. If a priest can’t say Mass, what can he do?
What do you tell someone seriously considering the priesthood about it?
I’d have to get to know them first. As a vocation director I had to tell people, no, we’re not going to take you. The second hardest part was telling someone to leave. One of the things I would do would be to try to judge on how this person without a collar on would treat children and adults.
What kind of car do you drive?
A Jeep, ever since I missed a wedding in a storm. I put about 8,000 miles on it a year.
Do you belong to any church devotional or social groups?
I’ve just been appointed Knights of Columbus chaplain at St. Mary of the Assumption in Hockessin.
How do you relax?
Reading. My second year retired I read 50 books. When I was working, if I read five books a year I was lucky. [He favors history, philosophy, theology, and Scripture commentaries.]
Do you have a favorite vacation and/or retreat spot?
No. I used to go on a lot of cruises. But I take after my father, he was a homebody.
Describe a good day at work.
I don’t really remember too many bad days. My biggest problem was I would get myself caught having three different appointments at the same time.
Finish this sentence: It would surprise people to know I…
… used to stutter as a kid. I don’t preach from a text — I did that once and it was the worst sermon. I rely on the Holy Spirit.

— Joseph Ryan, assistant editor

Oct. 29, 2009

Father John S. Grimm
Age: 44
Current assignment: Faculty member of Immaculate Conception Seminary, Seton Hall University, South Orange, N.J.
Hometown: Wilmington
Ordained: 2002

What kind of Catholic home did you grow up in?
We never missed a Sunday Mass or a holy day of obligation even if we were on vacation or at the beach. We all went to Mass together and we always said grace together. I was taught to say my prayers at night.
When did you first think about becoming a priest?
Sister Marie Antoinette [in fourth grade] at Immaculate Heart of Mary School would always give a talk: “You’re young but you don’t think about death. In 60 or 70 years you’re going to die and give an account to God on your life. Why not live by serving him?” Sister St. Mark in sixth grade asked us again if any of us felt called to be priests. I said I don’t think I could make up a homily every Sunday. She said, “Don’t worry about that, they come in cans.”
Did you have a priest you looked up to in your youth?
I looked up to Msgr. John Donohoe a lot, a very strong, manly figure. He was the pastor. I never really felt like a wanted to be a diocesan priest. I wanted to be a Franciscan and a Capuchin.
Did you have a priest mentor?
Father Bob Connor, a priest of Opus Dei. I’m not a member of Opus Dei but I’ve benefited from their spiritual work with priests. And Father Marius Koch, a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal, who was a diocesan priest for 20 years. Both are at Seton Hall.
How has being a priest differed from your early expectations?
I haven’t been in a parish since 2005. Popping in and out to help on Sundays is a poor substitute.
What has played a bigger role in your work than you expected?
The ministry to the dying. Everything has to change when someone dies. That can take up the priest’s next 24 hours. Often you’ve anointed the dying person, then you see the family after the death. The day of the funeral you’re very much on your own. You set up the church, say the Mass, conduct the cemetery burial. It’s important to do all those things. People will say that’s depressing but it’s not the experience of the priest. This is a time we can really help people.
What is the most difficult thing in your ministry?
The goodbyes. I’ve been transferred around a lot. You make relationships with people — friendships. It’s hard to be uprooted and move on. I think that is part of the current discipline in the church that might want to be looked at.
What is your greatest joy in ministry?
Saying Mass. Celebrating the Eucharist is such a gift and a privilege. It’s indescribable and beautiful. You’re probably never more a priest than when you are standing at the altar. And in the confessional it’s a great joy to relieve a burden a person will feel on their soul. Generally, being in the life of the church more intensely and getting to know the people. You see everyone’s carrying a cross. You have a privileged access to the drama of every life. It’s beautiful how many good people there are in the world.
What do you tell someone seriously considering the priesthood about it?
Stop dating. Pray before the Blessed Sacrament and have a spiritual director. Those things forced me to do more thinking and reflection about the call in my life. In my history that was vital.
What kind of car do you drive?
2008 Mazda Speed 3, Hatchback.
Do you have a favorite devotion?
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the rosary and devotion to the Blessed Mother generally.
Do you belong to any church devotional or social groups?
3rd degree Knight of Columbus. National Catholic Bioethics Center.
How do you relax?
Running, biking, doing fitness-related things. I’m a sports fan, I like movies, I like to read; I’m a big fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.
Do you have a favorite vacation or retreat spot?
Lewes for vacation. Retreat spot would be a Benedictine monastery, Clear Creek Monastery in Oklahoma.
Describe a good day at work.
When I successfully get in all the prayer that I need, including saying Mass publicly and, right now, teaching a class well.
Finish this sentence: It would surprise people to know …
… my favorite musician is Bob Dylan.

— Joseph Ryan, assistant editor

Oct. 16, 2008

Father Richard Smith
Age: 62
Current assignment: Pastor of St. Luke-St, Andrew Parish, Ocean City, Md.
Hometown: Trenton, N.J.
Ordained: 2000

What kind of home did you grow up in?
A very active Catholic family. My mother was active in the church with the rosary/altar society. She was a seamstress for the priests, so priests were in our house a lot. My father was in the Holy Name Society.
When did you first think about becoming a priest?
Probably around fifth grade. We used to have the vocation director come to talk to the schools.
You were married for 14 years and widowed before thinking about the priesthood again.
Somewhere during my marriage I was considering becoming a permanent deacon. Then [after the death of his wife, Rita], I was considering a religious calling like a brother. Through my work with Father Dennis Apoldite at Sacred Heart Parish in Trenton, I was encouraged to apply to become a priest. I was accepted by the Trenton diocese and at 48 attended St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. But the New Jersey diocese considered moving its seminarians to a single location and discussed possible age limits.
Father Tom Protack, who was ahead of me at St. Mary’s, put me in touch with [the Diocese of Wilmington] and I met with Bishop Saltarelli. I was the first seminarian he accepted for Wilmington after he was installed. He was outstanding. In my case he ordained me as a deacon and ordained me as a priest. He’s very special to me. I think he was a great leader and a great father figure.
Did you have a priest you looked up to in your youth?
The pastor, Msgr. Michael McCorriston, was the vicar general of the diocese of Trenton and a hard-working man. He shoveled snow, cut the grass. Also, Father Leonard Toomey ran diocesan CYO and lived and helped in our parish. They were happy.
Did you have a priest mentor now?
Two priests were instrumental. Father John Mink, who I was assigned to as a seminarian, and my first pastor (at St. John the Beloved in Wilmington), Father Jack Kavanaugh. Both were very instrumental in helping me along as an older seminarian and new priest.
What has played a bigger role in your work than you expected?
I can honestly tell you there isn’t any surprise for me. I do spend a lot of time in the truck — I have a pickup truck, a bright red 2008 Chevy Sierra that everybody in the parish knows. The closest hospital is 12 miles; the next one is 21 miles. The low point is the high point also. Driving gives me time to work things out in my head. I spend a lot of time with the radio off, just thinking.
What is the most difficult part of your ministry?
Finding quiet time for myself, which then equals good time for the people. Sometimes there are points at which you can be doing a wedding and a funeral the same day. The emotions are up and down. You need to be in good shape to minister to everyone else.
What is your greatest joy in ministry?
Getting up in the morning, being able to do what I’m doing. The greatest joy really is walking up those steps to the altar.
What do you tell someone who is seriously considering the priesthood?
Go for it. Sometimes you’re looking for a sign, a lightning bolt that you’re the one. Those things never happen. That what-if question haunts you: Am I worthy enough? Nobody is. You’ll never answer that question unless you try it. One day in the seminary will forever change a person. Ask for God’s help and then try it.
Do you have a favorite devotion?
Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, and St. Katharine Drexel.
Do you belong to any church devotional or social groups?
Knights of Columbus, first degree. Ancient Order of Hibernians.
How do you relax?
TV usually. I enjoy the cooking channel and the history channel. I like to cook.
Do you have a favorite vacation spot?
Block Island, R.I., and Hawaii, where I haven’t been for years.
Describe a good day at work.
When I’m able to clear off my desk.

— Joseph Ryan, assistant editor

Oct. 8, 2009

Father Thomas J. Peterman
Age: 78
Current assignment: retired
Hometown: Born in Dover, grew up in Milford

What kind of home did you grow up in?
Very religious. My mother was Irish Catholic; she went to daily Mass. The priests in Milford were often in our home for breakfast after Sunday Mass before going to Rehoboth to celebrate Mass.
When did you first think about becoming a priest?
In sixth or seventh grade at Milford Elementary, when they asked you what you want to be, I put my hand up and said, “I want to be a priest.” In school we read the Bible every day. Catholics were allowed to bring their own Bible when it was our turn to read. Once I asked a teacher, “We say the Our Father every day, why don’t we ever say Hail Marys? If there were any questions about Catholics, the teacher would say, “Tommy Peterman will tell us all about it.”
Did you have a priest you looked up to in your youth?
Father Andrew White was a hero of mine. He was the pastor of St. John’s in Milford when I was in the seminary.
Did you have a priest mentor?
One was Father Walter Schmitz, a Sulpician liturgist at Catholic University. He was my confessor, a good guide and an inspiration. Msgr. John Tracy Ellis at Catholic University, a renowned church historian, said, “Tom, get busy on writing your diocesan history, it’s an interesting one.” I felt from that a real push. [Father Peterman has since written five books on the history of the diocese.]
What did you envision your priesthood to be?
Priesthood was a high ideal in our little town — a man well-educated, well-respected, one who had important work to do, who not only preached and celebrated the liturgies but visited the sick and gathered us as a parish family. A priest was very highly regarded.
How has being a priest differed from your early expectations?
No real surprises at first. There was the obedience thing. You obeyed; you did what your pastor told you to do. He set times to be in. You told him what you were going to do. We couldn’t go very far. We were kept poor on a very small salary, $50 a month. But we were secure with a place to live and meals.
What has played a bigger role in your work than you expected?
I was always in education work [principal at Corpus Christi High School, Holy Cross High School, St. Elizabeth High School], later I was involved in RCIA and adult education. Also, music. When I was in St. Charles [former high school and college seminary in Catonsville, Md.] I was sent to the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore and learned to play the pipe organ. When I got to Catholic University I played at the National Shrine for President Eisenhower, Cardinal Spellman and on the National Catholic Hour [on radio].
What has been the most difficult thing in your ministry?
It’s fair to say we all have had a tough pastor along the way – emotional differences. That was difficult at times because the authority was very strong. There’s been a mellowing of pastoral authority over assistants. Priests have become more aware that priests depend on priests.
Also (and I don’t mean the sexual part of celibacy), it’s the loneliness, being by yourself so much. For 20 years on the Eastern Shore I lived alone. That’s still difficult when you’re retired.
What is your greatest joy in ministry?
Celebrating liturgy with people. Sunday worship, the full expression of worship with people, is probably the most fulfilling ministry. Also administering the sacrament of the sick.
What do you tell someone seriously considering the priesthood about it?
It will be what they make it, because they’ve got to find meaningful use of their talents, whether teaching, visiting the sick, the poor. Any talent that you have, the priesthood will offer you the chance to use it. You’re going to have a challenge; prepare yourself for it. Don’t try to find an easy way out for life. Don’t look for a sinecure, where you’re just going to sit around like Catholics at Mass who if they don’t put much into it, don’t get much out.
What kind of car do you drive? How many miles on it?
A five-year-old Buick LeSabre. 86,000 miles [as of last month].
Do you have a favorite devotion?
Besides the Mass, I say the rosary and my daily prayers — the office.
Do you belong to any church devotional or social groups?
I’ve long belonged to the Catholic Historical Society. I currently belong to Jesu Caritas, for priests to be companions to each other. We meet once a month, discuss the Scripture of the coming Sunday, go to church for a silent holy hour, then come back and discuss how we’re doing and go to dinner. It’s good.
Do you have a pet?
I’ve had three different golden retrievers. The first I got the year my parents died, when my neighbor gave me a golden retriever, Goldy. Then the next was from Save a Pet, Lady, and next I bought a puppy, Junior. Junior died about a year ago. I’ve decided now not to get a dog.
Do you have a favorite vacation and/or retreat spot?
A little place on the Elk River I bought about 30 years ago. It’s not a castle on the Rhine … just a nice refuge.

— Joseph Ryan, assistant editor

Sept. 30, 2009

Father John Olson
Age: 33
Current assignment: Associate pastor, Ss. Peter and Paul, Easton, Md.
Hometown: Long Island, N.Y.
Ordained: 2007

What kind of Catholic home did you grow up in?
I was a cradle Catholic. We went to weekly Mass. I went to Catholic school and high school.
Any particular memories stand out from your early life in the church?
I do remember there were two times, tough times. We prayed a novena and both things came through. That taught me faith at a pretty young age.
When did you first think about becoming a priest?
When I was in grammar school, a friend said he was going to be a priest. I thought, that sounds like a good idea — I want to do that, too. He got married and had kids.
What do you remember from when you became serious about possibly becoming a priest?
When I was praying about a vocation I just had the sense I was holding on. God was driving this train. I was holding on trying to follow what he was inspiring me to do.
In the two years since your ordination, what have you found to be some of the challenges of being a priest?
Being faithful to the vocation God has called a priest to be. Maybe at times being prophetic. There’s always the temptation not to.
What has played a bigger role in your work than you expected?
I didn’t think a whole lot about what I would be doing as a priest. One thing, it was a pleasant surprise being assigned to a parish with a school. I never really thought about that in the seminary.
What would you tell someone who is seriously considering the priesthood?
I’d say, “fantastic.” I’d really encourage them. The first thing to do is start praying about it; let God be your guide. We’re never going to be 100 percent sure about anything in life. At a certain point we go where we think God is leading us. If God is calling us that way he will take care of everything.
What kind of car do you drive?
2007 Ford Focus. 54,000 miles.
Do you have a favorite devotion?
The rosary and the Divine Mercy chaplet.
Do you belong to any church devotional or social groups?
I am a Knight of Columbus, 1st degree. I belong to Neocatechumenal Way [a spiritual renewal movement].
How do you relax?
I like reading and spending time outdoors, exercising in various ways.
Do you have a favorite vacation and/or retreat spot?
One place I’ve been that I’d like to return is the Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in France. Mary appeared there to children; it’s been approved by the church. It’s up in the French Alps, so peaceful.
Describe a good day at work.
The day’s I’m busiest are the days I’m most satisfied.
Finish this sentence: It would surprise people to know I ...
... really like to play Ultimate Frisbee.

— Joseph Ryan, assistant editor

Sept. 17, 2009

Year for Priests profile

Father John P. Hopkins
Age: 56
Current assignment: Pastor, St. Margaret of Scotland, Glasgow
Hometown: Born in Philadelphia, raised in Claymont
Ordained: 1978

What kind of home did you grow up in?
I grew up in a very Irish Catholic family. I’m the third oldest of nine. I remember the rosary being very much part of our family experience, especially during May and October. My mother’s youngest brother is also a priest in Philly [Father Thomas Flanagan].
When did you first think about becoming a priest?
It was always my focus ever since grade school, something I always felt called to.
Did you have a priest you looked up to in your youth?
My family was always very involved at Holy Rosary in Claymont. There was always a strong connection to parish ministry. We had good relationships with the priests and during my seminary career the priests at Holy Rosary were always very supportive.
What did you envision your priesthood to be?
When I entered the seminary Vatican II was just starting to be implemented and the experience of a priest as the center of parish ministry was rapidly changing. So early on, I knew it was going to be a ministry of involvement and service.
How has being a priest differed from your early expectations?
I was first assigned at Corpus Christi Parish, and then I was 17 years as director of CYO. When I first went to CYO, my roots were in parish ministry. That was a difficult transition initially but I count it now as a tremendous blessing. Looking at the heart of CYO ministry there was definitely the involvement of gifted lay people. And I got to minister and celebrate Mass in most parishes of the diocese. I was blessed to serve many years with the National Federation of Priests Councils and at the National Office of Continuing Education of Roman Catholic Clergy. That was a tremendous opportunity that enabled me to do what I’m doing at St. Margaret’s.
What is your greatest joy as a priest?
Just working with and being present, trying to instill in people that call to holiness and to try to live that myself. We’re not perfect.
What do you tell someone who is seriously considering the priesthood?
I would encourage them to stay close to the Eucharist. Let people be open to supporting you on your journey. Will there be difficult times in the course of discerning? Yes, but trust in the presence of God’s spirit.
Do you have a favorite devotion?
I’d better say yes, to St. Margaret of Scotland [laughs]. My mother, grandmother and sister are Margarets.
Also St. John Neumann. My cousin, Michael Flanagan, was the third miracle declared for the canonization of St. John Neumann. [Flanagan had cancer, Ewing’s sarcoma. After a visit to St. John Neumann’s Shrine, when he went back to the doctor the cancer was gone.] I certainly believe in the power of miracles, the presence of God and the intercession of St. John Neumann.
Do you belong to any church devotional or social groups?
I am a member of the Knights of Columbus, 4th degree. I am a chaplain to the St. David’s Council. I belong to a priests’ support group that meets monthly.
How do you relax? Do you have a favorite vacation and/or retreat spot?
Skiing. And the beach.
Do you have a pet?
I have my third Kerry blue terrier. Regan, a 1-year old.
What kind of car do you drive? How many miles on it?
I drive a 2008 Pontiac G8. Leased. I average about 20,000 miles a year.
Describe a good day at work.
I’m one person in a 1,400-family parish. And I’m administrator at the school (Christ the Teacher). It’s a young parish — we baptize every week, and there are lots of weddings. Every day is a good day. Every day is a busy day.
Finish this sentence: It would surprise people to know I …
… do my own cooking, cleaning and ironing. I’ve been doing all that the last 27 years.

— Joseph Ryan, assistant editor

Sept. 10, 2009

Priestly vocation is an 'adventure' worth nurturing and celebrating, bishop says in letter