God has been very good to us," said Father James R. Gould, vocations
director for the Arlington diocese for the past 10 years. "We've been
very blessed." He is speaking, of course, about the abundance of
vocations to the priesthood in the Arlington diocese, an abundance
that has the vocations directors of many religious orders, dioceses,
and even the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, asking for his
secrets.
Arlington Bishop John R. Keating will ordain 10 men to the priesthood
on May 20, a record number for the 20 year-old diocese, and an
unusually high number for a diocese with only 275,000 total
Catholics. The diocese currently has 42 seminarians in formation.
Following the May ordination, nearly 60 percent of the 126 active
diocesan clergy will have been ordained by Bishop Keating since he
was installed as Arlington's second bishop in August 1983. "You get a
chance to see the future," he said. "These guys who are getting
ordained in 1995 will retire in 2045. When they retire, they will be
the examples for the priests of the 22nd century."
Among the 188 dioceses across the United States, this small Virginia
diocese ranks among the top 20 in the number of seminarians,
according to the 1994 Official Catholic Directory. Large archdioceses
such as Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Philadelphia tend to
dominate the list, but Arlington-with only 60 parishes spread across
21 counties of Northern Virginia-fares well against dioceses its own
size.
Of those 60 parishes, only 42 are now staffed by diocesan priests.
"We'll ordain 22 men in the next 14 months," Father Gould pointed
out. "The real problem will be finding 22 beds for them."
Control of admissions
Some critics argue that Arlington accepts candidates that other
dioceses reject. Father Gould responds to this charge with two
points. "The perception is that Arlington-and all traditional
dioceses-will take anyone," he said. "The reality is that only six
out of 42 seminarians (studying for Arlington) are from outside the
Northern Virginia area.
"The perception I get is that men are being denied places (in
seminary formation) because vocations directors or vocations teams
are keeping them out because of their traditional views," Father
Gould adds. "The so-called vocations shortage may be more artificial
than we realize. There are some vocations directors keeping good
candidates out. When questioned about the ordination of women or
married clergy, if the candidates answer in support of the Church,
they are often rejected."
"Much time and effort is spent evaluating the seminary formation
programs," Father Gould points out. "Maybe we should look at the step
before that, to the office or person that recommends them to go into
the formation programs."
"Neither the bishops, nor the people, know who comes to the door and
is turned away," he observes. "The hidden component in this equation
is the bridge between the candidates and the formation program."
Bishop Keating's recent decision to maintain the diocesan policy
allowing only male altar servers makes Arlington one of only two US
dioceses with such a policy. (The other is Lincoln, Nebraska. It is
interesting to note that Lincoln, too, is enjoying a boom in priestly
vocations; with only 82,000 registered Catholics, that diocese has 44
seminarians in formation.) The bishop has come under direct personal
attack by local members of Call to Action (CTA), a national
organization that promotes, among other things, the ordination of
women and married clergy.
CTA members are now leading a boycott against the bishop's annual
$3.5 million fundraising campaign. That effort will have a
substantial impact on the question of vocations, since more than
$700,000 of the diocesan budget is earmarked annually for seminary
education.
"One of the top priorities of the Diocese of Arlington is to identify
and nurture potential vocations to the priesthood, and it is a
special gift of God that our corps of diocesan priests has grown over
50 percent in the past decade," said the diocesan chancellor, Father
Robert J. Rippy, in a November letter to priests explaining the
diocesan policy on altar servers. "One of the best expressions-and
reinforcements-of an early inclination to the priesthood is often
found in a young boy's voluntary offer to assist the priest at the
altar, where the possibility of a role-model scenario is clearly
present." He added: "Perhaps that might explain why over 85 percent
of our priests formerly were altar servers."
The vocations program
In his first year as vocations director, Father Gould told the
Arlington Priests' Council that he was hoping each year to see ten
new seminarians studying for the diocese. Using that figure as a
standard, the diocese has since had ten successful years. Arlington
usually sends eight to 12 new candidates to seminaries each year,
reaching a high of 24 a few years ago. Nine men entered the seminary
last fall to study at one of three institutions: Mount St. Mary's in
Emmitsburg, Maryland; St. Charles Borromeo in Overbrook,
Pennsylvania; or the North American College in Rome. Eight of these
men are local products.
Those nine men represent the "finalists" from a group of 54 who began
the application process. "That's not counting other inquiries, people
calling for information," Father Gould cautions. "I sat down and
talked with 54 people who were interested in studying for this
diocese."
When Father Gould began his vocational duties, he anticipated that 50
percent of all new seminarians would make it through to ordination.
In the decade since that time, the percentage has grown closer to 85,
including those who have followed their calling into the priesthood
through various religious orders.
When interviewing potential candidates, Father Gould stresses four
key ingredients that are essential for future priests: prayer, hard
work, generosity, and sacrifice. "If you have a priest or religious
who doesn't pray, basically what you have is a glorified social
worker," he said. "We don't need priests who are lazy. They're
difficult to work with and we don't need them in the pulpits or the
classrooms."
"This is a demanding society we live in," he explains. "The people
have a right to know what we're going to give them-our minds and
hearts in the sacramental service of the Church. They have a right to
know what we're giving up-marriage, families, and economic wealth-
and all the temptations of the Lord in the desert."
Why here?
Arlington's success in producing young priests, at a time when so
many other American dioceses are struggling, raises an obvious
question. What is this diocese doing right?
Local priests offer a variety of answers. Some say it is unwavering
allegiance to the Holy Father and Church teaching on the part of
Arlington clergy and laity. Others pinpoint parish-level efforts,
such as perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Still others
talk of the individual efforts by many diocesan priests who extend
themselves to help young men and women remain open to the Lord's
will.
"It's the guidance and example of the bishop, priests, deacons, and
religious of the diocese, complemented by the great encouragement of
the lay people," Father Gould believes. "They all reflect the family
of faith which is alive and well in Northern Virginia."
One ingredient Father Gould is always quick to mention is the power
of prayer. "A big factor is the prayers and intentions of the Poor
Clares and of the St. Therese Vocations Society," he said. The Poor
Clares, a cloistered order of women who regularly pray for the
strength of the priesthood, have been a strong presence in this
diocese since 1977; the St. Therese Society was established in 1992.
"Initiative means everything,"
Father Gould said. "I tell that to all the seminarians. If you have
an idea, we'll see if we can run with it. The St. Therese Society was
a good idea. It's worked out very well."
The St. Therese Society is comprised of people who, like the group's
namesake, St. Therese of Lisieux, have made a commitment to pray for
priestly and religious vocations. Members have pledged to offer daily
prayers for diocesan vocations and for the priests currently serving
in Arlington, and to make a Holy Hour each week for increased
vocations. The society has quickly grown to almost 300 members, with
new members joining at a rate of two per week.
The local prayer campaign reflects Pope John Paul II's recent request
for Catholics throughout the world to set aside a day each year to
pray for their priests. In his 1995 Holy Thursday letter to the
world's priests, the Pope suggested that the feast of the Sacred
Heart, which falls on June 23 this year, should be the time when most
dioceses mark the "Day for the Sanctification of Priests." "I express
my hope that this day will help priests to live in ever greater
conformity to the heart of the Good Shepherd," the Pontiff wrote, in
the letter released by the Vatican April 7.
A steady campaign
In addition to the quiet campaign of prayer, the vocations office has
several well- established public programs to promote interest in
religious life. For instance, in March the annual vocations retreats
held for both men and women. Both retreats attracted record numbers:
34 men and 22 women.
All third- and fourth-year seminarians receive summer assignments-
ranging from parish work, to ministry to the poor, to studying
Spanish in Mexico City or at the diocesan mission in the Dominican
Republic-that bring them into close contact with youngsters who might
be interested in a priestly vocation. The annual Altar Boys' Picnic
is a popular event, at which the young boys spend an afternoon
fishing, swimming, and playing softball with diocesan priests and
seminarians. Another youth- oriented event is the annual Eighth Grade
Vocations Mass celebrated by Bishop Keating. This is usually followed
by a program that introduces the youths to various religious orders.
Father Gould is always on the lookout for new ideas to promote
vocations and to encourage interest in the priesthood. This year, he
hopes to begin a program he calls the Vianney Club. A follow-up to
the vocations retreat, it will be a support group for men interested
in the priesthood. Another annual event is the Mass of Thanksgiving
for parents who have sons or daughters in religious life. It is a
special time for the diocese to say "thanks" for the example,
encouragement, sacrifice, and love that parents exhibit to their
children.
Although he prefers to distribute the credit among others, much of
Arlington's success can be attributed to the example of Father Gould.
A native of Des Moines, Iowa, he was ordained to the priesthood by
Bishop Thomas J. Welsh on May 9,1981. Father Gould is a tireless
promoter of religious life, who often visits Catholic grade schools
or neighboring parishes when not attending to the pastoral needs of
his own parish, St. Agnes, in Arlington. "I'll go to anybody who'll
listen to me talk," he admits.
Concerned that most children do not know what a priest actually does,
Father Gould once told the Washington Post that he offers
"slice-of-life stories" in the classroom. He often singles out an
individual boy and talks about what his day might be like if he were
a parish priest, a prison chaplain, or a schoolteacher.
Before he gets to the boys, however, Father Gould talks to the girls.
He describes the variety of work available for nuns, as inner-city
social workers, foreign missionaries, and contemplatives. Those words
must be having an effect. The number of women from the Arlington
diocese who have entered religious life over the past 10 years is
remarkable. Most have entered three communities: the Poor Clares, the
Daughters of St. Paul, or the Dominican Sisters of Nashville. By no
small coincidence, these three are the most "traditional" communities
of women religious in the diocese.
The Poor Clares and the Daughters of St. Paul were invited to the
diocese by Bishop Welsh. Mother Miriam reports that 11 women have
entered her monastery in Alexandria since the Poor Clares first
arrived there in 1977. Eight of the entries are from the Arlington
diocese. The Daughters of St. Paul recently doubled the size of their
Media and Book Center in the heart of fashionable Old Town,
Alexandria. Sister Joan Paula said 10 local women have joined the
community since it arrived in the diocese in 1982.
Late vocations
Arlington recently instituted a rule that it would not accept new
seminarians over the age of 35. But like other American dioceses, it
has attracted its share of "late vocations." These men are often
college graduates who have spent several years in secular careers.
Among the men scheduled for ordination in May is Mark Moretti, a
former State Department security officer, who at the age of 36 is
completing his seminary studies at Mount St. Mary's. "It took me
about 15 years to make up my mind," said Moretti, who served as a
bodyguard to former secretaries of state Edmund Muskie, Alexander
Haig, and George Schultz. "But that call from God was always there."
When he entered the seminary four years ago, Moretti said he had
expected to be one of the older students. Instead, he said, "I'm more
or less in the middle of the pack," studying with men whose ages
range from early twenties well into the forties.
Two diocesan priests-Father Jerome Daly and Father John Cregan-were
recently appointed pastors. Both had entered the seminary after
distinguished careers in the US military. Others have worked for the
Central Intelligence Agency and IBM before entering religious life.
"I was not thinking at all about being a priest at Notre Dame,"
reports Father Jack Riley, recalling his undergraduate years in South
Bend. "I was totally immersed in watching and making movies."
Riley graduated in 1983 with a degree in motion-picture production
and direction. After graduation, he took a job in McLean, with a
company that did film and video production for the Church. There he
met Father Gould, who was serving as associate pastor at nearby St.
John Church. "His life as an associate pastor caught my attention,"
Riley said. "He was really happy."
Father Kevin Gallagher, Riley's friend at Notre Dame who was ordained
for the Arlington diocese in 1987, recalls how he hoped his friend
might pursue the priesthood, but he didn't actively push him into it.
"I knew Jack was living in the Arlington area and there were plenty
of good priests who could influence him," Father Gallagher said. When
Riley stopped by Gallagher's seminary dorm in 1986 to announce his
decision to become a priest, Gallagher was watching a Notre Dame
football game. He got the news from a note on his door. "I was the
only one surprised at the news," Father Gallagher said. Once again,
the two Notre Dame graduates found themselves classmates, this time
for a year at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary before Gallagher was
ordained.
Christendom and CREDO
Christendom College, in Front Royal, Virginia, also has become a
hotbed of priestly vocations. At least six graduates have been
ordained: Fathers Francis Peffley, Carroll Oubre, Kevin Walsh, Mike
Taylor, Thomas Vander Woude, and Denis Donahue. Two others will be
ordained in 1995: Vincent Bork to the priesthood and Matthew
Zuberbueler to the diaconate.
Christendom, with its strong commitment to orthodox Catholic
instruction, attracts students from across the country who are
serious about their faith. Once at the Front Royal campus, they are
exposed to the natural beauty of the Virginia countryside, as well as
the dedication and loyalty of the diocesan clergy.
"Spiritually, the daily Mass and rosary at Christendom strengthened
my spiritual life and provided me the discipline which has served me
well," Father Peffley said. "The priests at Christendom were
excellent examples of the priesthood and helped inspire me in my
vocation."
"Words cannot express the impact that four years at Christendom
College had on my own priestly vocation," Father Oubre recounts.
"Although the college supports every type of state of life, as one
discerning a call to priesthood, I felt a growing and strengthening
of the vocation during my study there."
Father Donahue, who is originally from Michigan, spent three
semesters at Christendom studying theology before he entered the
seminary. "There are probably other young men throughout the United
States currently in the same position I was in 10 years ago: having a
vocation to the priesthood yet lacking the proper understanding and
conviction to make the commitment." he said. "In my own life, this
spiritual vacuum was filled by attending Christendom College."
Father Cornelius O'Brien, pastor of one of the largest parishes in
the diocese, has served as chaplain at Christendom for many years.
Father O'Brien is one of the co-founders of CREDO, an international
society of Catholic priests dedicated to the faithful English
translation of the liturgy. The native of Ireland has become a mentor
to many younger diocesan priests, including Father Gould. These two
form the core of a group of priests who meet every Thursday to fish,
philosophize, and encourage each other in their priestly vocation.
Starting at home
When Father Gould visits local churches, he tells parishioners that
"the real vocations directors live at home." Parents are the best
source of encouragement for any young person to become a priest or
nun, he insists. One common thread among local families with
religious vocations is that the children are exposed to priests and
religious at an early age.
Tom and Mary Ellen Vander Woude drove their family 30 miles from
their home in Manassas to St. Michael Church in Annandale once a
week- because of that parish's Holy Hour on
Wednesday evenings and because of the growing friendship between
Father Jerome Fasano, a young associate pastor, and the Vander
Woude's seven sons. Father Fasano is now pastor of St. Catherine of
Siena Parish in Great Falls. The Vander Woude's oldest son, Tom, is
the associate pastor.
Bob and Gerri Laird, members of St. Lawrence Parish in Alexandria,
also credit the influence of priests and religious in developing
religious vocations in their two oldest children. Robby Laird now is
studying to be a Dominican priest after first entering the seminary
for the Arlington diocese. Cindy Laird is in her second year of
formation with the Daughters of St. Paul in Boston. The Lairds, who
both work for the diocesan Office for Family Life, frequently invite
priests to their home for dinner.
"We've always left the door open," Bob says. "We exposed our children
to religious vocations, but we never pushed them." The Lairds would
make subtle hints, however. Robby thought he would become a physics
teacher, like his father had been, while attending high school. "I
told him to go into a field where there was a shortage," Bob said.
"Of course, I was thinking 'priesthood,' but I left it at that."
"Most boys grow up today without really knowing a priest," said Dave
Pollard, a member of St. Ambrose Parish in Annandale. "They see
priests at Mass, but that's it. They're not as active in Catholic
youth activities so they don't spend time around priests." Dave and
his wife Ilse, both converts to the faith, have two sons who entered
religious life. Father Marcus Pollard, who completed his
undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, is associate
pastor at St. John the Evangelist Parish in nearby Warrenton. Chris,
who graduated from the University of Chicago, is now studying for the
Arlington diocese at the North American College in Rome.
The Pollards, like the Vander Woudes, remember Father Fasano's
encouragement, which they believe was partially responsible for
keeping their sons open to a religious vocation. "I don't know what
parents can do to encourage a vocation," Dave said. "I think if I had
encouraged my sons, they would have rejected it. So much of it is in
the hands of the Lord. Maybe the best you can do is pray for your
kids to follow God's will."
Michael F. Flach is editor and general manager of the Arlington
Catholic Herald. Also contributing to this report were Paul Miller
and A.M. Pacia.
This article appeared in the May 1995 issue of "The Catholic World
Report," P.O. Box 6718, Syracuse, NY 13217-7912, 800-825-0061.
Published monthly except bimonthly August/September at $39.95 per
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