Seminarians

Intermountain Catholic

+ Enlarge

Seminarians in Mexico, shown here in Mexico City, have applied to the Diocese of Salt Lake City.

Last October, Father Javier Virgen and I led a pilgrimage to Mexico, where we visited many Marian shrines, including the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It was a wonderful chance to pray and reflect on the place of Mary in our lives. Along the way, I met six seminarians who are applying for our diocese. They are in various stages of preparation, some still in college and others almost completed with their theology studies. I am very impressed with their maturity, their depth of spirituality and their openness to Christ's call in their lives. Several of them have been to Salt Lake City to complete their application process and participate in psychological screening. Please keep these young men in your prayers as they make their way to ordination.  Speaking of seminarians, I encourage all the faithful of the diocese to pray for vocations to the priesthood. In particular, we need young men from Utah to become priests. It is vitally important that we all see ourselves as working for the Office of Vocations. We must encourage our sons, brothers, nephews and friends to respond positively to Christ's call to follow him as a priest. Too often, we not only ignore our responsibility in this area but worse, we discourage young men from becoming priests. Parents are especially influential in helping their sons to discern a vocation to the priesthood and I ask them to do all they can to help their sons see priesthood as a viable option in their lives. Monsignor Colin Bircumshaw, Father Virgen and Deacon Ricardo Arias work hard in our vocations office in helping men to open themselves to a priestly vocation. Your parish has recently or will be soon appointing a vocation liaison between the diocese and the parishes. We are anxious to do all we can in the diocese to encourage men to say "yes" to Christ's call. Please keep this important intention in your prayers and consider helping in any way you can. Many thanks!