Here's Father Tom O'Donnell's Message
The Year of the Priest
During the months of May and June, bishops in dioceses all over the United States will be ordaining new priests to serve Christ and His Church. It is difficult for me to believe how quickly the years have flown by and that on May 21, Ascension Thursday, I celebrated the 49th anniversary of my priesthood ordination.
On June 27, 2009, Bishop David Zubik will ordain four new priests to serve the faithful of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Recently, Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI announced a “Year of the Priest” to begin June 19, the Feast of the Sacred Heart and the World Day for the Sanctification of Priests.
The Pope explained that the purpose of this special year is “precisely to encourage priests in their striving for spiritual perfection on which, above all, the effectiveness of their ministry depends.”
In addition the Holy Father asked the Vatican Congregation of the clergy to work with bishops and religious superiors to coordinate pastoral initiatives that make “the importance of the priest’s role and mission in the Church and in contemporary society more clearly perceived.”
Of course, support for the priesthood is nothing new to the Ancient Order of Hibernians. In America, the AOH was founded in New City to protect the priests and the churches from the “Know Nothings” and their anti-Catholic, anti-Irish followers.
Today the order in engaged in a number of efforts to support vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Project St. Patrick provides both monetary and moral support for seminarians and postulants preparing for the priesthood and religious life. In addition the AOH members and their families continue to prayer for priestly and religious vocations.
St. John Vianney, the Cure of Ars, who is the patron of priests, once said: “All the good works in the world are not equal to the sacrifice of the Mass because they are the works of men, but the Mass is the work of God ... the Mass is the sacrifice of God for man.” It is necessary to have priests to offer the sacrifice of the Mass and continue the Gospel Mission of Christ, the Divine High Priest.
As we celebrate the Year of the Priest, let us thank the Lord for the gifts of the Church, the Eucharist and the priesthood and show our gratitude to our priests by our love, our prayers and our support.
-- Father Tom O’Donnell, AOH Division One, Allegheny County Chaplain and Pa. State Chaplain
During the months of May and June, bishops in dioceses all over the United States will be ordaining new priests to serve Christ and His Church. It is difficult for me to believe how quickly the years have flown by and that on May 21, Ascension Thursday, I celebrated the 49th anniversary of my priesthood ordination.
On June 27, 2009, Bishop David Zubik will ordain four new priests to serve the faithful of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Recently, Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI announced a “Year of the Priest” to begin June 19, the Feast of the Sacred Heart and the World Day for the Sanctification of Priests.
The Pope explained that the purpose of this special year is “precisely to encourage priests in their striving for spiritual perfection on which, above all, the effectiveness of their ministry depends.”
In addition the Holy Father asked the Vatican Congregation of the clergy to work with bishops and religious superiors to coordinate pastoral initiatives that make “the importance of the priest’s role and mission in the Church and in contemporary society more clearly perceived.”
Of course, support for the priesthood is nothing new to the Ancient Order of Hibernians. In America, the AOH was founded in New City to protect the priests and the churches from the “Know Nothings” and their anti-Catholic, anti-Irish followers.
Today the order in engaged in a number of efforts to support vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Project St. Patrick provides both monetary and moral support for seminarians and postulants preparing for the priesthood and religious life. In addition the AOH members and their families continue to prayer for priestly and religious vocations.
St. John Vianney, the Cure of Ars, who is the patron of priests, once said: “All the good works in the world are not equal to the sacrifice of the Mass because they are the works of men, but the Mass is the work of God ... the Mass is the sacrifice of God for man.” It is necessary to have priests to offer the sacrifice of the Mass and continue the Gospel Mission of Christ, the Divine High Priest.
As we celebrate the Year of the Priest, let us thank the Lord for the gifts of the Church, the Eucharist and the priesthood and show our gratitude to our priests by our love, our prayers and our support.
-- Father Tom O’Donnell, AOH Division One, Allegheny County Chaplain and Pa. State Chaplain
Labels: Chaplain's message
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