'Priesthood is still vibrant and life-giving for me'
Fr. Jim Bilot, Director of Vocations, Archdiocese of Detroit
Published January 5, 2007
Vocations Supplement
What is one of the greatest needs in the Catholic Church in the United States today? From my perspective, it is the need to increase vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.
During this year Cardinal Adam Maida has invited the faithful of the Archdiocese of Detroit to create a "culture of vocations." There were many endeavors involved in the year-long effort, but I would like to highlight two recent events.
This past October, I sent a letter to priests in the archdiocese asking them to invite one or more young men to a Vocation Dinner with our archbishop, Cardinal Maida. As the day of the Nov. 28 dinner drew near, there was a flurry of activity with the announcement and preparations for a newly appointed auxiliary bishop, Daniel Flores. His ordination would be the afternoon after the dinner. When the day for the Vocations Dinner arrived, we had 84 yes, 84 young men attending the dinner. These guys said "yes" to consider a vocation to the priesthood.
 Vocations
To learn more about priestly or religious vocations for men and women, including overnight and weekend retreats:
Fr. James Bilot, archdiocesan director of vocations
Sr. Ellen Licavoli, IHM, archdiocesan assistant director of vocations
(313) 237-5875
vocations@aod.org
For information about becoming a permanent deacon:
Msgr. Michael LeFevre
(313) 865-6300, ext. 226
deacon_director@aod.org
Or, visit the Archdiocese of Detroit's Web site:
www.aodonline.org
click on the "Vocations" link on the left. | The evening was a blessing for the Church.
The ordination of Bishop Daniel Flores the following day was a beautiful ceremony of faith, hope and love for the Catholic Church, for the Archdiocese of Detroit, and most importantly for the glory and honor of Our Savior Jesus Christ. I believe amidst the challenges of our times, the Holy Spirit is still inspiring the Church to new life!
Aware of the glory and honor of God, we keep our lives centered on the Lord Jesus Christ. Our thoughts and our hearts need to constantly ponder: How can I give honor and glory to the Lord? This question is difficult to respond to in our world today because there is a wealth of opportunity that pulls us away from the glory of God and toward the glory of self.
We are blessed with so much, yet we may be spiritually poor, lacking the confidence to give the Lord honor and glory. One priest at a vibrant parish told me recently that the pews of his church are not as full as they had been. He said people are too busy, so God is being pushed out of the picture. Time is at a premium, so what gives us reward and fulfillment right now seems to be paramount. We forget about our eternal salvation.
The vocations office staff and I are helping our parishes create a "culture of vocations." We start with our families. We need holy Catholic families where parents make the Catholic religion, family prayer, faith and Mass a priority. We learn by example.
We need strong fathers who are willing to teach their children the values, ethics and morals of the Christian life. We need mothers who will nurture their children in their faith and devotion to the Lord, Mary and the saints. We need children who respect their parents because their parents modeled what they have been taught. We need our parishes to help support the family structure so that they can stay the course.
In having strong Catholic families we allow the Holy Spirit to move freely so when the Lord calls our son or daughter to marriage, the priesthood or consecrated life, they will act with courage to give honor and glory to God with their "yes."
Fear has stifled the call of the Lord in many people's lives.
Jesus states over and over again in the Scriptures, "Be not afraid."
There was a time when I was afraid to pursue the call of the priesthood. Thankfully, many parishioners of my home parish, St. Germaine in St. Clair Shores, encouraged me to think about the priesthood. (They were hoping I would leave the business program at the university.) Gratefully, my family supported my endeavor to pursue studies at Sacred Heart Major Seminary.
Diocesan: Diocesan priests are ordained for their diocese or archdiocese. They may work in any of the diocese's churches, or in a position for the diocese itself, such as the marriage tribunal.
Religious: Religious order priests are members of a particular order that has its own mission, such as urban ministry or contemplative prayer. They may serve in their own order's parishes (SS. Peter and Paul Jesuit, downtown Detroit) or ministries (Capuchin Soup Kitchen, Detroit), which may be region- or nationwide.
| Fourteen years later, the priesthood is still vibrant and life-giving for me. What a gift I have received.
And what a gift we have received in the 84 men who said "yes" to thinking about the priesthood. (In February we are having a weekend of discernment for women interested in consecrated life.) The support of their parents is wonderful. Perhaps these parents are willing to set aside their own dreams for their sons to take up a certain profession, be married and have children and are able to see the glory of God in the fulfillment of their child's deepest desire planted by the Lord.
God never asks anything of us that will take the joy out of our lives. Our God is a God of life and love. The Holy Spirit attests to this awesome love by moving us beyond our fears and self-interests.
The glory and honor of God is revealed in each of us when we respond to the deepest desires of our heart planted by our loving God.
You can see liveliness of vocation with Sr. Ellen Licavoli, IHM, the new associate director of vocations, when we go out to give presentations at parishes and schools.
Sr. Ellen, a nun for 10 years, and I talk to the school children. We tell them that most of them will probably get married. We need good holy Catholic marriages to continue on the gift of life and to pass on the marvelous beliefs and faith of the Catholic Church. However, the Lord Jesus, the Master of the Harvest, is calling men and women to consecrate their lives to the Church, to proclaim the Gospel message and for priests to administer the sacraments, the life-force of the Church.
Slowly the message is sinking in that the call to the priesthood and to the consecrated life is a joy and a blessing. It is just taking time to see some of the fruits. I am very hopeful. Our Church is alive. The 84 men who attended the dinner attest to this fact. We also have 38 men studying for the priesthood here in the archdiocese, which proves that the Holy Spirit is calling and many are overcoming the fear of the unknown and saying "yes" to God.
The last weekend of November proved that the Church is alive and vibrant with the ordination of Bishop Flores and the number of men responding to the dinner invitation from Cardinal Maida. These two events alone are evidence that the Church will overcome the culture of our times and will create a culture of vocations.
"Be not afraid." We are the Catholic Church! By placing ourselves into the loving embrace of Mary, Our Blessed Mother she will lead us to Her son for the glory and honor of God.
Fr. James Bilot is the archdiocesan director of vocations. For more information on vocations, call (313) 237-5875, e-mail vocations@aod.org or visit www.aodonline.org.
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