“Something strange is happening …”
These are the first words of an ancient Easter homily that the Church prays in the “Liturgy of the Hours” on Holy Saturday. It describes the time between Good Friday and Easter, as the world waits with anticipation for Jesus to rise from the dead. While there is great sadness, there is also hope in the air, as all of creation is filled with longing for the return of the King.
As I pray about our work to help young men discern the priesthood at this moment, these words keep coming to mind, for it truly appears that “something strange is happening …” I do not think it will be news for anyone reading this that the past several years have been a difficult time for priestly vocations, one that we would not be exaggerating in calling a crisis. Almost all of our priests are stretched thin, and we can feel the effect of this in our parishes. Getting into the weeds of how we got here is a complex problem that far exceeds the extent of this article.
Yet, at this moment, something seems to be moving …
Some of you may have seen news reports that in our country this year, there are huge surges of people becoming Catholic or returning to the practice of their faith, and most of them are young people, particularly young men! What is going on?
It seems to me that after a few generations of plummeting numbers of people practicing their faith (and therefore of vocations as well), people are tired. Our culture has painted a picture of religious practice as something antiquated, out of touch with reality, and for the uneducated and unsophisticated. But what has been offered in its place? Placing all of one’s self-worth in making money? In superficial relationships? In technology? In politics? All of this has led to so many of us, particularly our young people, being more depressed and anxious and starving for meaning more than ever.
Could it be that in the midst of all of this, people are coming to rediscover the beauty of our faith and the fullness of life that Jesus offers us in following Him? I tend to think so! While calling the present moment a “religious revival” might be a little strong, I think we can all agree that something is shifting, and it is quite exciting!
What does this mean for priestly vocations? I have had many people ask me lately if we are seeing an uptick in men who are interested in the priesthood. While we have not yet seen the number of seminarians surge, my answer would undoubtedly be YES. And it makes sense, right? Of course, as more people seek to follow Jesus, more of them will ask themselves the question of whether He might be inviting them to offer their lives to share in His mission.
This past fall, in our “Called by Name” campaign, the faithful of our Diocese identified about 350 young men from our parishes who they think could be called to be priests, who are now part of our Vocations Team contact network. That number is STUNNING for a small Diocese like ours! When I was in high school, admitting that you were thinking about being a priest was a social death sentence, but now, many young men have no shame admitting that they are considering the possibility.
Something strange is indeed happening … and it gives us so much reason for hope! In that ancient Easter homily, Jesus descends into Hell in search of Adam and takes him by the hand, saying, “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” So, too, today, as we have lived this period of darkness and vocational crisis, Jesus is coming to us and extending His hand to us.
To all of the young men out there who have heard His call, I encourage you to take His hand and follow Him! There is no greater joy in this world than to serve God as a priest!
To all the faithful of the Diocese of Camden, may we beg the Lord that many more young men might generously and courageously say YES to serve as His priests!
Father Stephen Robbins is administrator of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Camden and an associate director of vocations for the Diocese of Camden.
at the bottom and then tap “Add to Home Screen”
