Year for Priests

It has been busy here in the Vocation Office. We have accepted four more men into the priesthood formation program for the Archdiocese of Louisville. One of our men has also decided to leave the program and we wish him and his family well as he continues to follow where God may be leading him. We will have 17 men in formation come this fall and we are grateful that God continues to call people to follow him in the priesthood and religious life.

Pope Benedict XVI has announced the Year for Priests. The USCCB website for the United States is here. And I know at least one blog has been started, if you want to search for it.

Unlike many other "years" (i.e., Father, Son, Spirit, Jubilee, Saint Paul, etc.) this year seems focused on the interior conversion and holiness of life of the Church's priests. It is not primarily a year of prayer for and appreciation of our priests (although those things are REALLY good), but rather a call for priests to more closely follow Jesus (in persona Christi) in the model of Saint John Vianney. I have found it both exhilarating and just a little bit daunting. What is God going to do? I can't wait to find out.