Fr. Mark:
Everywhere you look there seems to be bad news on the shortage of
men being called to the vocation of priest. In your observation,
is that a true picture of what is happening in the priesthood
today?
Fr. Stephen:
No. I think there are a lot of men out there thinking of the
priesthood. One of the first difficulties comes from the negative
press. There are also negative feelings on the part of some
clergy which tends to dissuade men from the priesthood. In
addition, there are negative feelings from society about the
priesthood; and families are no longer willing to encourage their
sons or nephews to go on to the priesthood. I think part of the
difficulty in recruiting young men for the priesthood is that
some dioceses and bishops do not do enough to help young men on
the local level consider the priesthood and pursue their interest
in it. In spite of this, I think there are a lot of men thinking
of the priesthood. To give you an idea, this house has been open
seven years. I have had 432 men come into this office for an
interview. They were all from Fairfield County in Connecticut.
Well, that seems to indicate that there is no shortage of
interest. We took 110 of those men into the residence in the past
seven years to study for the priesthood.
Fr. Mark:
The image of the priesthood portrayed in movies and television is
totally erroneous to those who are priests. Take for instance the
"going my way" priesthood of Fr. Dowling, or Fr.
Mulcahy on Mash . Have the young men who are your
applicants seen this kind of priesthood on the television and in
movies, and does this influence them in any way? What kind of
applications are you getting today? What kind of men are the
applicants?
Fr. Stephen:
Right across the board, most of the men coming in do not know who
"going my way" was, and they are not really too
familiar with Fr. Mulcahy and the television image of priests.
Some of our applicants have been lawyers, we've had a couple of
applicants with doctorates coming in; applicants have been
professional, well educated young men, as well as high school
kids and tradesmen such as carpenters, plumbers, electricians.
All across the board, all economic backgrounds. However,
regardless of the background, each has two basic reasons for
coming in. First of all, they love God so much they want to give
him the best they have, the best of themselves entirely. Two,
they want to bring people to God.
Fr. Mark:
Today, all you hear in the press is about priests wanting to get
married and about women becoming priests. How do these young men
consider these particular problems?
Fr. Stephen:
Well, as for women becoming priests, 99% of the men coming for
interviews are in line with the church saying that the priesthood
is not one of the charisms for women. Women have many gifts to
offer the Church, but the priesthood is not one of those gifts.
As for celibacy, yes, it is a difficult decision. In fact, in the
first six weeks of any given semester I have to fight off the
ex-girlfriends calling me with angry phone calls, screaming,
"you stole my boyfriend." It is a rough time for them.
It is a difficult decision to make. But they are willing to make
it. They are willing to do the struggle, they are willing to go
into the battle and try to handle it. But it is important to
focus on their attitudes not only when they first begin the
process, but also during the process, and then five years after
they are ordained. They are here in the residence at least one
year as college undergrads; they come in for either one or four
years, whatever they need to complete their college courses.
Graduate students come in for one year. During that time we give
them all of the basic courses they need to apply for seminary as
well as provide the spiritual formation to go on to the
priesthood. When they first come in, they are all gung-ho and
zealous. By the time they leave here, they make the decision to
go on to the priesthood. We have not been in business that long
for me to see someone five years ordained. Last year was the
first class of men coming out to be ordained to go on to the
seminary. But this group of young men are as zealous and happy
with the priesthood and with celibacy as they were when they left
the residence.
Fr. Mark:
You have three graduates from Harvard coming next year, and one
doctor coming from Yale. If you go back into the history of the
Church, the apostles were fishermen, one was a tent maker. What
will most of these young men eventually do?
Fr. Stephen:
I cannot say exactly, because it is way down the road. But most
of them will be in parishes, at least at the beginning of their
priestly ministry. Preaching the gospels, celebrating the
sacraments, bringing Christ into those difficult moments of
people's lives in the parishes.
Fr. Mark:
The priesthood is radically changing concerning the every-day
functions of the priest. Since you have a man who is trained as a
doctor, and you have three graduates from Harvard with wonderful
training, is there anything other than parish work that they
might do?
Fr. Stephen:
Definitely there is, even in conjunction with parish work. I was
in the inner city parishes during my brief parish ministry in
Norwalk. There are great needs, and since two of them are
lawyers, there is the opportunity for lawyer-priests to represent
the poor who have nothing or very little quality representation;
possibly to open up a clinic for the poor, the immigrants in the
inner city. There is enormous potential in combining the Diocesan
priesthood and parishes with their professions.
Fr. Mark:
Can you sum up some of the essential qualities you need for
acceptance into this seminary? What qualities would you single
out?
Fr. Stephen:
First, normalcy. Applicants have to be normal, red blooded
American guys. We want men who have lived in the real world, not
in some ivory tower. Intelligent, articulate men who like to
read, like to think, men who love people, who get along well with
people. Men who would like to be married and have a family, but
who feel a call from God a little bit stronger and are willing to
set aside the joy of a wife and children. It is a real sacrifice
that they can offer. Men who are willing to do anything that is
asked of them.
Fr. Mark:
Have any young priests shared any negatives in their ministry
that you would single out?
Fr. Stephen:
I think the most difficult thing is rectory living. That is the
roughest thing. The younger guys come out pumped up and ready to
take on the world, but they can run into a brick wall with a
priest who is not as energetic or is set in his ways. Also some
of the younger men are impatient, and that, too, must be dealt
with.
Fr. Mark:
Basically, when you and I were coming through, the system said
that if you kept your nose clean and your mouth shut and you did
everything in so many years, you were going to be made a pastor
because of the way things would come around. What is the
expectation of when a young man will be made a pastor today?
Fr. Stephen:
I think the expectation is that if you are a hard worker and a
church man, if you are the right man for the right position, you
have it. Becoming a pastor does not require seniority anymore;
whether you remain in ten years or twenty years, any talents that
can make a parish turnaround or come to life will be put to use.
Fr. Mark:
How would you like to be remembered?
Fr. Stephen:
That is a very good question. I think as somebody who was kind
and helped the men along the way. There was one character I
always liked in Dickens Christmas carol. Fuziwig. Just a jolly
old guy who was hard working, who pushed it all aside. His
attitude was just to give everything to the guys; just have a
light heart. He is not too heroic, he is just a facilitator.
That's how I would like to be remembered.