Participate in the Global Rosary Rally for the Sanctification of Priests

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Lorena Needham

Special to the Intermountain Catholic 

Who remembers the name of the priest who baptized you and gave you First Communion? Do you remember the name of the church?

It was in a red brick building on a hill high above the Mississippi River Valley that I was baptized, confirmed and received my First Communion. The parish was named after Saint Patrick, and all the Irish in town attended faithfully. Two Irish priests were assigned to the parish and Sisters of Mercy staffed the parish school. Father Gerald Hoenig and Father James Quinlan were there every Saturday to hear our confessions and every Sunday to offer Mass. They made the transition with us from the Second Vatican Council: turning the altar around and teaching us the Mass in English instead of Latin. I can still hear the lilt of their Irish laughter and see their Irish eyes smiling at us.

Why do I remember these priests so well? It is because they taught me to love God and neighbor and helped me pursue my dream of being a missionary for the Church. They forgave my sins (in the name of the Church) and welcomed me to participate in liturgy as a music minister. They helped me grow in holiness.

Since the unique vocation of our priests is to represent Christ in our worship, it is worthy to ask: What kind of man follows that vocation?

The answer may be found in our encounters with priests. For instance, I know I have much to be grateful for from the ministry of priests all around the world and over the years. One priest prayed for me for an increase in faith when I had forgotten to believe in God and the importance of doing his will. He didn’t even know my name, but he knew my deepest need and prayed for me. One priest heard my confession when I realized I needed a fresh start in life, and he welcomed me unconditionally back to the Church and a relationship with God. The result: I became a catechist and learned how to share the Catholic faith. One priest chastised me due to a misunderstanding and then sought forgiveness from me. He was and still is a great example of forgiving 70 times 70. One of my cousins was a priest – and is now a priest forever. He was from the Irish-born side of our family. Several years ago, I got to celebrate his 50th anniversary as a priest at the Shrine of Knock in Ireland with hundreds of family members I had never met. His ministry united us all and surely helped us through the years. I have no doubt he continues to pray for us. Thank you, Father Eugene Nee.

It is challenging to find a way to show gratitude to the Lord for the ministry of his priests. Hence, I am pleased to inform you the Church is offering a special opportunity for us to thank and pray for our priests. On Friday, June 7, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, at 4 p.m., our diocese is scheduled to participate in a global rally of prayer for the sanctification of priests. Dioceses all around the world have been assigned a time to pray at least a decade of the Rosary so that over the course of 24 hours, a continuous stream of prayers will be said for our priests.

Bishop Oscar A. Solis has scheduled our prayer to take place in the Cathedral of the Madeleine; however, if you can’t be there, you may pray the rosary wherever you find yourself. I sincerely hope you will join in. Pray a decade, pray the entire rosary, just say a prayer.

And while you pray, give thanks for the steadfast ministry of our priests, for their continuous offering of the Mass, for the forgiveness of sins, for representing Christ to us, for spiritual direction, for blessings and ministry commissions, for helping us form our consciences, for administering the sacraments to us, and for showing us how to love unconditionally, as Christ does.

World Priest Day is celebrated each year on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is a World Day of Prayer for the sanctification of Priests. Visit www.worldpriest.com to learn more.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, Eternal High Priest, let your love flow into the hearts of your priests and transform them into living images of you. By your grace, make them true apostles of your Sacred Heart. I pray for the fulfillment of the promise you made to Saint Margaret Mary: “I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.” May your kingdom come to the hearts of all through the ministry of holy priests! Amen.

(From the Institute of Christ the King)

Lorena Needham is director of the Diocese of Salt Lake City Office of Worship.