Prayers are offered for world peace and vocations

Intermountain Catholic

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Donald and Sandy Stark (left), and Cyndi and Bob Winfield pray the rosary as Our Blessed mother requests.

OGDEN — With the war in Iraq on the minds of many Americans and elections Nov. 7, prayers were offered for world peace and unity at the Our Lady of Fatima Conference, Nov. 4, at St. James Parish, Ogden. Prayers were also offered for vocations to the priesthood during a holy hour.

A Mass was concelebrated by Father Erik Richtsteig, pastor of St. James Parish, and Trappist Father Alan Hohl, of the Abbey of Our Lady of the Holy Trinity, Huntsville. Msgr. Lawrence Sweeney and Deacon Stanley Stott assisted at the altar.

In his homily Fr. Richtsteig said we are in a season where many are campaigning saying "elect me." They are trying to seem important more than anything else.

"Some of the politicians are running for election to serve the people, and some of them are running so they can be important," said Fr. Richtsteig. "They will be humbled. We have seen a lot of politicians humbled lately. What is important is that we see ourselves as who we are, not greater than we are and not less than we are. We are people who need to be redeemed by the Holy Eucharist. People who Jesus had to suffer and to die for, and people who depend upon God for everything."

The Utah Division of the Blue Army of Fatima sponsored the conference, "Living Blessed Mother's Requests." It was celebrated in honor of Our Lady of Fatima's Communion of Reparation First Saturday requests. Catholics are asked to receive Communion, go to confession, pray five decades of the rosary, and meditate on a mystery of the rosary for 15 minutes.

Our Lady of Fatima showed three shepherd children a terrifying vision of hell during her second apparition at Fatima, Portugal, July 13, 1917. She told the children hell is where poor sinners go, and to save them, God wishes to establish in the world a devotion to her Immaculate Heart. If this is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace.

One hundred eighty-six people attended the conference. Many said it was inspiring, and a wonderful way to renew their faith.

Along with the holy hour for vocations, two movies were presented. "Fishers of Men," was a 2006 movie on vocations to the priesthood, and "Mother Teresa," was a portrayal of the life of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

Fr. Richtsteig also told his conversion story. He was born into a Mormon family both maternally and paternally, but by the age of 12, he had pretty much decided he wanted to become a Catholic priest. Shortly after his parents were married, his father joined the U.S. Marines. He thought his first post would be in Hawaii, but the Gulf of Tonkin Incident occurred. It was an attack by North Vietnamese gunboats on two American destroyers in 1964. His father was sent to Vietnam and served as an artillery officer.

When Fr. Richtsteig was only six months old, his father was listed as missing in action in Vietnam. While growing up in Cedar City, he did not know if his father was dead or in a prison camp. They did not find his body until 1974.

"I grew up without a father, but I always knew I had God the Father," said Fr. Richtsteig. "God gives us what is necessary and he also does not make things perfect so we will know to depend upon him rather than upon ourselves.

Fr. Richtsteig said the Mormon religion did not make that much of an impression on him. He had Catholic cousins because his mother's oldest sister married a Catholic, and he liked the sacramentals displayed in their home. He read a lot as a child about the Catholic Church.

Fr. Richtsteig and his mother had moved to Salt Lake City by the time he was a sophomore at Highland High School in 1980. That is when he decided to visit the Cathedral of the Madeleine. He met Father Donald Hope, then in residence at the Cathedral, and told him he wanted to become a Catholic. He began the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) classes and became a Catholic during the Easter Vigil in 1981.

After high school, he went on to receive a Bachelor of Science Degree and a Master's Degree in philosophy from the University of Utah, and his Doctorate Degree from Marquette University, in Milwakee, Wisc.

He then entered Mount Angel Seminary, and was ordained into the diaconate in 1992. He served one year at St. Marguerite Parish, Tooele, before being ordained a priest in 1994.