Eight ways to help your pastor

The pastor and the priests who collaborate with him have a great pastoral responsibility, not to mention that today they are asked to care for more souls and assume more responsibilities and more functions than ever before. Therefore, any support given to them can ease their workload, and enable them to focus on the spiritual needs of their community. If each of the faithful would do just one thing to help in the life of the Church, then the work of the parish priest would be much easier.

What are the pastoral responsibilities of a pastor and how can the community help?

If you have never asked yourself how you can help, here are eight ways to do it. But keep in mind that the first recommendation is to encourage you to offer your help. Don't wait to be asked if you can do something, offer to help! Volunteering your time to the parish is a sign of support and service.

1 - Commitment awakens your sense of responsibility!

Before the Vatican Council IIIn the past, all the responsibility and management of the parish depended solely on the parish priest. Thanks to Vatican II, we no longer have excuses to engage in the task of spreading the Word of God.

From Baptism we are incorporated into Christ and participate in our own way in the three ministries, priestly, prophetic and royal. Thus our presence and vocation are constitutive of the People of God, together with that of priests. Our communal participation in the life of the Church is indispensable for its existence, as well as, at the same time, for our own identity and Christian mission.

It is necessary, therefore, to participate actively in the celebration of the sacraments, to welcome with an obedient heart the apostolic proclamation of the faith and to bear witness to it. Live one's gifts and tasks in the full communion of the Church. This not only prepares us to discover a deeper relationship with Christ, but also confers on us a greater responsibility as laity toward our Church and the community in which we live.

2 - Why is active participation in the liturgy important to support priests?

The Second Vatican Council also teaches us that the Holy Mass must be the center and root of Christian life. In every Eucharist the presence of the Risen Christ becomes a sacrament of communion, and shared faith is transformed into a fraternal banquet and nourishment of life. To this end, we must undertake paths and actions that will help us to go through all the parts of our celebrations. In this way we will fulfill Jesus' command to "do as he did" and we will ensure that the whole assembly "takes part" in the Eucharist.

"Holy Mother Church ardently desires that all the faithful be led to that full, conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations which the nature of the liturgy itself demands, and to which the Christian people have the right and obligation, by virtue of baptism."

Documents of Vatican II, Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium (SC), 14.

To promote active participation you can respond strongly, be a lector, altar server or also a cantor at the celebrations. This lightens the priest's load in Spain and helps the liturgy flow smoothly.

3 - How can I contribute to the welfare of my pastor in Spain?

We must take care of our parish priest and his priest collaborators, since they are few in number and the need for their ministry is great. The overwork and misunderstanding of many can lead them to exhaustion or frustration. prayer and friendly accompaniment is a service that we must provide by opening the doors of our families and activities, in such a way as to give them rest and closeness, which will result in a better service for the entire community.

4 - Pray for the parish priest and priests.

Priests need your prayers to continue their pastoral work. Let them know they are not alone. Take time to pray for the pastor and the priests. priests of your parish, praying for their well-being, wisdom and strength in their ministry.

Although they don't ask for it, they need your prayers to comfort them and to continue their mission. Let them know, through prayer, that they are counting on you and that they are not alone. May our prayers give them the strength to overcome obstacles, fidelity to the magisterium and courage to push for change throughout the world. Do you know when your pastor's birthday is? His anniversary of ordination to the priesthood?

5 - What is the impact of the participation of parish groups in the life of the community?

Parish groups are associations formed by members of a parish who share common interests, objectives or activities. These groups are oriented toward the practice and living out of the faith, and usually have the purpose of fostering community, spiritual growth and active participation of the faithful in the life of the parish.

The Parish Pastoral Council, chaired by the pastor, studies all matters pertaining to the pastoral work of the parish and in communion with the diocesan Church. Each group and the different pastoral roles are represented in this Council, and its main mission is to cooperate with the pastor in the programming of activities. Its activity begins a little before the beginning of the school year, in September, and ends after the last official act of the school year, in June.

People who are interested in developing their specific vocation in the Church can join the parish group that is closest to their human or Christian concerns. Ask your pastor.

6 - How can I collaborate effectively in the catechesis of my parish?

As Pope Francis writes, the Lord calls us so that "each of us, with our spiritual and intellectual resources, with our professional skills or life experience, and also with our limits and defects, may strive to see ways to collaborate more and better in the immense task of placing Christ at the summit of all human activities" (Christus Vivit, 162).

The lay ministry of the catechist is a vocation, a mission. To be a catechist means that one is a catechistnot that works as a catechist. It is a whole way of being, and we need good catechists who are both companions and pedagogues.

We need creative people who proclaim the Gospel, but who proclaim it with their lives, with gentleness, with a new language and opening new paths. And in so many dioceses, in so many continents, evangelization is fundamentally in the hands of a catechist.

7 - Be part of the Caritas group of your parish.

The exercise of charity is part of our mission as Catholics. Parish Caritas is run by a group of volunteers who are responsible for identifying cases of need in the parish community.

Once needs have been identified and resources have been collected, this assistance is distributed directly to the people in need. This can be in the form of food, hygiene items, clothing, financial aid, among others.

The importance of diocesan and parish Caritas and its efforts to guarantee access to basic rights such as food, housing, health and education for the most vulnerable people must be taken into account.

Parish Caritas can also provide assistance in emergency situations, such as natural disasters or sudden economic crises. It collaborates with other local organizations and agencies that offer complementary services, such as emergency shelters, employment centers, health services, among others.

8 - Fundraising

You can also help financially. With a lot or a little. Sporadically or monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annually. In addition, donations made to foundations or entities under the Patronage Law entail tax deductions for the donors. The cost of the amount actually contributed is much less than the amount received by the institution. The same applies, of course, to donations you make to the parish and diocese.

It also happens with organizations such as the CARF Foundation that support the work of priests and promote their formation. Because the need to be formed and to take care of the permanent updating in the teachings of the Church and in the ways of taking care of people is also necessary for priests.

Remember that your help to the parish and your support of your pastor and priests can make a big difference in the life of the parish and in the life of the pastor. It is always good to talk to the pastor or parish staff to find out their specific needs and how you can best contribute.

"Though it costs, Lord, my life is yours."

Jorman is the only son in his family, the youngest of three sisters. His parents had decided to emigrate to Colombia, when they were surprised by his intention to enter the seminary to become a priest. They told him that, if he stayed in VenezuelaThey would also remain in the country. "But I told them that the best thing was for them to join my sisters in Colombia, because they were going through a delicate economic situation".

It is not easy to say yes to God

is now very proud of him. They are Catholic and, although it came as a surprise at first, they supported him in his decision, convinced that saying yes to God is not an easy answer. But Jorman had not always been so clear.

Until entering the seminarHe went through several stages. His vocational process was progressive. It began as a child, when he participated in the pontifical works of his country, in Missionary Childhood. In his youth years he was involved in Youth Mission, where he was the diocesan coordinator of youth ministry.

In Young Mission, he felt that God wanted him to serve Him, to leave everything for Him, but he did not want to listen to His voice. So, to drown out God's voice, he preferred to meet some girls, something like going from girlfriend to girlfriend. Until he shared with one of them his desire to enter the seminary. If it wasn't his thing, they would get back together. She supported him unconditionally, a very important gesture for Jorman.

The effects of the pandemic

During the pandemic, God's voice echoed more loudly in her heart. "The quietness in my home, with my family, made me restless inside. I had left behind the vortex of my life and I had time and calm to listen to God. It was then that I decided to begin my process vocational in a online".

Later, during a vocational retreat, he kept repeating that he wanted to do God's will: "I have avoided you a lot, Lord, but even if it costs my life, it is yours". It was a stage of certain doubts that dissipated when the rector of the seminary asked him if he finally wanted to be formed as a seminarian. "I said yes, and I imagined Mary's yes. Then, the whole earth paused, there was total silence around me".

"I'm only counting on your strength."

The first year of the seminary was very hard. He was plagued by sadness and doubts. He was very tired and felt very far from his family. At a Holy Hour he surrendered to God: "May your will be done, I have no strength, I only count on yours". He asked for a signal. I needed to know if God really wanted me to be a priest.

A few days later, the Vicar General of the diocese told him: "The Bishop has chosen you to study at the University of Navarra and to stay at the Bidasoa Seminary in Spain". And at that moment, the light erased his anguish. He was in shock. "I didn't see myself as capable of studying in Spain, but it came to my mind that this was the sign I had asked God for. So I accepted."

God's dream

Now, at the age of 25, he finds himself in the Bidasoa International Seminar fulfilling his dream and "the dream that God has for me. God has dreams for everyone and we just have to accept and receive them".

He is convinced that his yes to God and to the training The integral formation that he is receiving in Pamplona, will contribute to help the people of Venezuela. "In my country, the Catholic Church is mediating as a channel of dialogue in the face of the polarization of the people and the institutions. But, above all, with the social pastoral and accompanying the faithful so that they are not helpless in their struggles."

Priests of the 21st century

And the fact is that young people priests of the 21st century have a very concrete mission, each one in his own destiny. For Jorman, they must be "creative and ingenious, with a very good doctrinal formation and a deep interior life" capable of transmitting with new methods and forms what they have received.

"I think the main difficulties for a priest today lie in finding effective ways to connect with people in an increasingly secularized and digitized society."

Marta SantínJournalist specializing in religious information.

"In Venezuela the priest must donate his heart, be an image of Christ".

Seminarian in the diocese of CabimasLuis Fernando Morales is 31 years old and has been studying to become a priest in Pamplona for a year. He received his faith from his family and his grandmother played a very important role in the discernment of your vocation.

"I looked for the Lord in the wrong places"

She supported the whole family in the faith, encouraging Luis Fernando, his younger brother and his cousins to participate in the sacraments, to seek a personal encounter with Christ, to continue with catechesis....

In spite of this, during his youth he stayed away from the Church. He only went to church during the patron saint festivities or when his grandmother asked him to. He was looking for God in the wrong places, where He is not to be found and faith is very distorted. But the doubts about the existence of God and the faith of his family did not disappear.

With his family on the day he entered the propaedeutic seminary.

The positive influence of a group of young people

His grandmother's insistence contributed to his priestly journey. Together with a neighbor, he was invited to participate in a parish youth activity. They were going to represent a living Stations of the Cross and they needed someone to represent St. Peter. So they asked Luis Fernando, who, even though he was not even going to Massaccepted because it was a very good group of young people.

The positive influence of this group was decisive. It began with his first steps in the faith and in front of Sacramental Jesus He experienced doubts, emotions, questions and answers. Eucharistic adoration marked his life. It was a before and after that transformed his faith.

"I didn't know what God wanted from me."

His life went on and when he finished Industrial Education in the area of Electricity, he worked as a professor of Statistics and Electronics at the University Institute of Technology Readic UNIR. Although he was happy with his job, he felt that it was not fulfilling. He also did not feel complete with his girlfriend, even though they went to Mass together frequently. Every time the priest lifted the consecrated bread, he felt that God was calling him. He was with the faithful, but he saw that God was asking him to be in the presbytery. He could not quite discern what the Lord wanted of him.

The adventure of the priesthood in Bidasoa

Until he finally made up his mind. She left her life to begin the adventure of being priest. He entered the propaedeutic seminary of the diocese of Cabimas at the age of 26. Then, after completing a year of introductory formation, he was sent along with his classmates to begin the first year of philosophy at the provincial seminary in Maracaibo (St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary). And almost three years later, his bishop sent him to the Bidasoa International Ecclesiastical College.

His experience in Bidasoa is "indescribable".the greatness and the blessing that the Lord has granted me to be able to be able to to form as a priest in Bidasoa. I had received several references from my confreres in my diocese about their unforgettable experience, but this is an understatement," he says. He is also very grateful for the training The excellent education that you receive at the University of Navarra, taught by great professionals who teach with a good pedagogy and excellent didactic tools.

Characteristics of a priest in the 21st century: a courageous man

Luis Fernando also comments on what a 21st century priest is, in a society that is strongly influenced by secularizedHe must be a man of prayer who lives in visible communion with the Church. A priest must be a courageous man who is not afraid to swim against the tide to face the challenges presented by today's society. He must necessarily be someone capable of bringing the Love of Christ to the whole world. But, not only with words but also with his testimony and show coherence of life".

The priest in the midst of young people in Venezuela

Young priests must be true shepherds with the scent of sheep, as the Pope Francis. "But, not a perfume smell or sheep-like appearance.... NO. It has to be an authentic sheep smell and for that, it is necessary for the shepherd to enter the sheepfold, to know his sheep, their difficulties, ailments, etc.. And from there, he will be able to care for and shepherd the true flock that the Lord has entrusted to him".

Evangelization in Venezuela does not stop

Despite the situation in Venezuela, the evangelization is possible. A difficult challenge, but not impossible because God always acts. "In my country, as in the whole world, we must first start by having coherence of life. At present, the Venezuelan people is very distressed by the difficult situation he is going through. People are looking for and need words of encouragement, encouragement and hope. For this reason, a priest in Venezuela must necessarily give all of himself, the priest has to donate the heart... must be an image of Christ".

Despite the difficulties, Luis Fernando feels hopeful. because evangelization in Venezuela never stops. "In our culture, religious training begins with the home. In the population there is a clear awareness of the importance of God in our lives. This first approach to the faith almost always comes with the help of grandparents and parents. They are the first to kindle in children's hearts a love for the Eucharist, devotion to the saints and manifestations of popular religiosity".

And after the familiesThe work of the dioceses. "The Church is the first to step forward to help meet the needs of the people. (food, medicine, education, clothing, even in the area of work). With the great help of organizations such as Caritas, and others, my diocese keeps working to the maximum to help all the people in need and bring to them the rays of hope and love of God that they so much want to feel".

Marta Santín, Journalist specializing in religious information

Dean: his conversion with the Theology of the Body

Dean Spiller is a 32-year-old seminarian of the Archdiocese of Johannesburg, South Africa. He is studying in Rome "thanks to the kindness and generosity of my diocese and the CARF scholarship program," he says. He is a resident of the Ecclesiastical College Sedes Sapientiae and studies at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. Still surprised at his call to the priesthood, "a different path from those offered and exalted by the world," he recounts his vocation testimony.

"I have had the experience of following many different paths at various stages of my life. Some were my own decisions but other times, I was swayed by the proposals that others offered me. Shile some of these ways brought me momentary happiness, I always wondered: Is this my path, is this really the most important thing in life? After a time of searching, I finally realized that the paths that had led me to a certain true and lasting commitment had always turned out to be those in which Our Lord guided me.

True happiness

Once I realized that I really could not achieve true happiness without Jesus, I began to commit my decisions to prayer for him to guide my paths. At first it was not easy, I was dragging bad habits in my life, and little by little, with the help of His grace, some good friends, spiritual direction and the sacraments, I became more open to the Lord.

I started with small decisions like what music should I listen to, should I accept these movies that my friend has pirated, and ended with bigger ones: should I take my vocation seriously and be open to leaving everything I have and the people I love to discover God's will for my life? . This was, I believe, one of the most important steps towards a more authentic Christian life and one that ultimately made me open to this call."

A Catholic family

My younger sister, Shannon, and I were raised Catholic. We were well off because of my parents' hard work to provide for us. Their love, commitment and sacrifice as well as showing interest in our lives were characteristics of my parents that influenced my vocational history.

My father's (John) family has always been Catholic, while my mother (Sharon), was not, although she often made sure to prepare us every Sunday to attend Holy Mass (and she attended most weeks as well). Finally, my mother converted to Catholicism about eight years ago, to the joy and excitement of all of us.

My mother, Catholic or not, has always been the most selfless person I have ever known. We have always been a close-knit family. The fact that my parents celebrated their 37th wedding anniversary this year is a testament to their love and commitment to our family and to each other. Their examples taught me the true meaning of love in all circumstances.

Lifestyle in my youth

As a teenager, I attended a secular high school. During that time my sister and I attended catechism classes and were confirmed. To be honest at this stage, my level of interest in the classes was usually based on whether or not the girl in our class that I liked would be there that week (such are the ways of teenagers, although there is no doubt that the Lord used this to draw me closer to Him).

I attended the youth group at our parish on occasion, but it was more of a social event for me. I believe that in my confirmation I had a sincere desire to follow Our Lord, but my lifestyle and friends did not provide an environment for living a truly Christian life, so for many years I had two lives: one from Monday to Saturday and the other on Sunday.

After high school, I studied and completed aa degree in computer science and (oddly enough) psychology.. After college, I spent two years working as a consultant for a company associated with Microsoft, a time when I learned a lot about myself and grew a lot as a person in my interactions with clients, as well as in my friendships with my peers, who did not always share my beliefs.

I also noticed that when people are worried about their computers not working (or anything they don't understand), they are generally not easy to deal with. That taught me a lot about patience and understanding.

Another thing that was significant for me after I left high school was to join to the parish youth music ministry. Here I met some good people who had a good influence on me (not to mention teaching me how to play guitar and sing in a group). This ministry really resonated with me and soon I was practicing on my own for hours, as well as trying to write my own songs as prayers to Our Lord.

The Theology of the Body of John Paul II

During this time, I had been getting involved with a group in a nearby parish that was exploring and teaching the writings of Pope St. John Paul II on the human person, love and sexuality (often referred to as "Theology of the Body").

We met every week for almost 5 years, and soon began running programs for parishes, youth groups and high schools (instead of secular sex education programs).

After finding a place where I could be myself and share my yearnings with other young Catholics, I experienced a profound journey of conversion through this teaching and through the incredible community that was newly formed.

It was not just a spiritual moment like the ones I had experienced before at the retreats I had attended (after which I often quickly returned to my old lifestyle). With the companionship, continuous support and grace that I received in the sacramentsI was able to correct many of the behaviors that damaged my relationships and ultimately prevented me from having a deeper faith.

An album of songs

In light of all this, in addition to having recorded and released an album of Christian worship songs I had written in 2010, I decided that while the work I had been doing had helped me grow personally, I didn't feel that I was using all the talents I had in the most effective way to help others and do the Lord's work.

At this stage, I was offered a job in high school as a web administrator, graphic designer, religion teacher, teacher of retreats and musician. The job for me seemed like a stepping stone to what I was most capable of doing and I accepted after a short time of discernment. I also continued to play music in my parish at Holy Mass every Sunday.

My time at the school turned out to be very formative in several ways. Sharing the Catholic faith with these young people was a truly incredible experience.. It was there that I met my first official spiritual director.

Father Manu, a priest at work, came to the school weekly to talk to the children and hear confessions during youth group meetings. Soon I began to talk to him weekly and for the first time I experienced a steady and substantial growth in my spiritual life. Father Manu's constant care, prayer and advice really bore abundant fruit in my spiritual life.

Programs in parishes and schools

After two years, "The Foundation for the Person and the family". offered me a job, an organization that our Theology of the Body group had established to make resources available at more affordable prices in our country. The work with schools and parishes had grown to such an extent that it was decided that a full time employee was needed to take the base forward and after considering it for a while, I took the job.

During those two years we managed to do a lot of things: we present programs and talks to thousands of South Africans in schools, parishes and retreats on the topics of God, love, life, sex and sexuality.

We also organized a speaking tour by Christopher West (a Theology of the Body expert from the United States) to our country; instituted and led the first Rachel's Vineyard abortion healing retreat in the country; and rallied Catholics through our many community-building fundraisers and social events.

This work for me was truly rewarding, as well as incredibly eye-opening to the environment and struggles facing young people today. I was also able to experience firsthand the great wisdom and liberating power of the Church's teachings, especially when it comes to our bodies and relationships with others.

It was always amazing for me to be able to present the true meaning of Love, through my personal experiences, and to be able to answer important questions about difficult issues such as purity, chastity, pornography and homosexuality with the truth of the Gospel.

My vocation

During this time, my spiritual director suggested that I should begin to pray about my vocation. This was a difficult time for me. I realized that for many years I had I was so afraid of having a vocation to the priesthood or religious life that I never allowed myself to explore this.

Now, however, I had reached a point where I could see the incredible power and value of the priesthood. By living chastity in the single life I became open to the idea that it could be a "good" for me, not just for other people.

Looking back, I can now see that I had unknowingly believed one of the lies the world had been telling me. It is said that in many of the devil's lies, half-truths are often hidden, and that this is how he makes us agree with him or give in to temptations.

It is true that everyone needs privacy. We cannot live without intimacy; the human person is created for love. The lie I believed for many years was that intimacy could only be found in romantic relationships (in physical intimacy and ultimately sex).

I thought that to really fulfill this requirement, I would have to have a girlfriend and get married someday. However, my life as a single man led me to see that, with God's grace, true friendships can be as fulfilling as any other relationship, and above all to live true friendship with Jesus, intimacy with him.

A nun I heard giving a talk said that intimacy means something that sounds like: "within me, to see," that is, to be known and loved at our deepest levels, and to know and love others deeply. We can live without sex, but we cannot live without intimacy.

Maybe this is something quite obvious to many people, but for me it was a turning point. This realization changed my life. I began to see the story of my spiritual journey in a different light. All the things I had tried and failed at, all the nights I had spent organizing youth meetings or practicing music, all made sense to me in light of this calling and way of life.

"Risking God."

After a time of prayer and discernment and many conversations with some good priests, I decided to take the opportunity, to "risk God" as they say, and talk to my bishop about being accepted into the Archdiocese as a seminarian.

Although it was a difficult reality for my parents to accept, they gave me their blessing. While I knew it would be difficult for them, I never doubted that they would support me, such is their love and selflessness. Our Bishop is a good and prayerful man, and the fact that he sent me to Rome to study was an incredible moment for me, as well as another confirmation that I was doing this with God's blessing.

Before I came to Rome, we celebrated the birth of my sister's first daughter. We joke that Our Lord even sent my family a replacement while I am away (but still gave me time to meet her and become her godfather).

A University with hundreds of seminarians

Months later, I am in Rome, living in a university with hundreds of seminarians and priests. I am absorbing the culture, grace and knowledge offered to me daily through the eternal city, the spiritual life of the university and the incredibly knowledgeable and saintly professors of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross.

I am also humbled daily by the incredible generosity and service of everyone that makes it possible for us to be here. I am truly grateful to CARF and all my benefactors for their generosity and love, and I want them to know that I am praying for them as sisters and brothers.

When God calls you and you don't listen

Simone Moretti prepares to be priest of the Fraternity of St. Charles Borromeo, belonging to the charism of Communion and Liberation, studies at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome. He was born in 1988 into a Catholic family that educated him in the faith. Like many young people today, after receiving the sacrament of Confirmation, he left the Church. He did not see the connection between faith and concrete life.

The encounter with the Lord

However, the Lord did not leave him and went out to meet him again. He recovered him in an activity of Communion and Liberation (CyL) when he was still a teenager. That experience marked his life. One summer he was invited to a camp in the mountains by Juventud Estudiantil, the youth group of CyL.

In this community, participating in camps, retreats and community life, he also saw and experienced an intensity of life that fascinated him.

Discovering the Catholic Church through Communion and Liberation

In time he realized that the source of this intense life was in faith. Participating in the life of the movement, he saw that the relationship with God, which had been fraying, regained its consistency and acquired vigor and strength. Through this encounter, he rediscovered his relationship with Jesus and returned to the Church, a place where Jesus Christ reached out to him and accompanied him.

"What if God wants me to be a priest?"

It was in this atmosphere of faith, prayer and friendship that Simone first thought about the priesthood. One day, during Mass in the parish, he imagined himself in the priest's place during the homily, thinking about what he could say. After Mass, he had the feeling that the image was not accidental.

With that idea in his head, he went to his mother, the one who had passed on his faith to him. And he asked her: "What if God wants me to be a priest, because I don't want to! Her wise answer pierced his heart: "Do you think God could ask anything of you against your happiness?".

During the following years of high school, the joy and happiness of that encounter with Christ began to germinate, thanks also to a pilgrimage to the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, Poland, where he met for the first time some priests of St. Charles Borromeo, the fraternity of Communion and Liberation.

Physics studies

With that seed in his heart, he began his university studies in Physics while participating in activities and formation with other members of Communion and Liberation. In this reality of the Church, he forged some of his deepest friendships, all united by the bond with Christ.

In those years he was able to experience how faith in Jesus had to do with everything: with study, with university classes, with friendships, and how it made everything more beautiful and true. As a phrase of Romano Guardini says, in the experience of a great love everything that happens becomes an event in its own sphere.

The friend who left everything for Christ

And then came another turning point in his life. God would not let go of his hand. Towards the last years of university, a friend told him that he intended to give his whole life to Christ. And that's when it crossed her mind and heart that he could do the same. At first, it didn't sit very well with him: he had other plans, a girlfriend....

He tried to continue with his life project, but the Lord kept knocking at the door of his heart. He would not leave him alone. So he broke up with his girlfriend and went to Spain to pursue a PhD in Physics, thinking that the sting of God would disappear. He then worked at the university and was a researcher and PhD in Physics in Spain.

But the sting of the Lord did not disappear....

In search of a path

"During all this time, however, I kept asking the Lord to help me, to accompany me. Above all, I asked him to show me the way and give me the strength to follow it. His words often came to my mind: "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and then loses himself?

Simone had everything she could wish for: a good job she liked, a good salary, another girlfriend, but the more she ignored the Lord's invitation, the more all the things she had lost their flavor.

Finally, he gave upI decided to face this invitation from the Lord who was very patient with me and waited so long, never ceasing to call me gently. So I entered the seminar and I finally experienced the peace of responding to the Lord, the peace and joy of telling him every day "Here I am", betting everything on his fidelity and his grace".

Gerardo Ferrara
BA in History and Political Science, specializing in the Middle East.
Responsible for the student body at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome.

Five ways to increase the number of seminarians and priests

1. Involve the entire community, movements and parishes.

On the feast day of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Church celebrates the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctity of Priests and seminarians. In 2019, on the occasion of this day, Pope Francis invited all Catholics through his prayer network to pray for priests and students studying in seminaries "so that, with the sobriety and humility of their lives, they may engage in active solidarity, above all, towards the poorest."

In the CARF Foundation this year we are launching this small campaign encouraging to pray for the holiness of all priests.

2. Young priests as models for seminarians.

A vocations ministry that serves as a fertile ground for new vocations begins with much prayer, especially in the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with holy hours in the parishes, with the younger priests involved in youth ministry. In this way, by intensifying their interior life and their love for Jesus-Eucharist, and with priests as a model, many could consider the call to the priesthood.

3. A father figure for future seminarians and priests.

Pope Francis assures us that "the paternity of the pastoral vocation consists in giving life, making life grow; not overlooking the life of a community". St. Joseph is a good model for both seminarians and their formators on the road to becoming a priest. With his total dedication, Jesus is the manifestation of the Father's tenderness. Therefore, "Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man" (Lk 2:52).

The Pope tells us that every priest or bishop should be able to say like St. Paul: "[...] through the Gospel, it is I who have begotten you for Christ Jesus" (1 Cor 4:15). St. Paul was very concerned about the formation of priests. In his first letter to the Corinthians he expresses vehemently: "Do you want me to come to you with a stick or with love and a spirit of gentleness? The formators and priests who accompany seminarians must be as a good father, who listens, accompanies, welcomes and corrects with gentleness, but with firmness.

4. The Christian family as a seedbed of vocations.

The family is the first agent of pastoral care for vocations (in all areas of the Church). The Christian family has always been humus and "educational mediation" for the birth and development of vocations, whether celibate, priestly or religious.

A family pastoral care that integrates the vocational dimension must also form parents in dialogue with their sons and daughters about their faith and the way they understand the following of Jesus. But above all, vocations are forged by the example of parents in their love for God and for each other.

5. Support the formation of seminarians.

Pope Francis mentions four pillars to support the formation of every seminarian: spiritual life, prayer, community life and apostolic life. He also delves into the spiritual dimension of seminarians, placing special emphasis on the "formation of the heart".

Having well-trained priests has a positive impact on the high cost for dioceses. Upon entering the seminary, an aspirant to the priesthood has ahead of him at least five years of ecclesiastical studies, equivalent to a bachelor's degree and a specialization. This is followed by two years or more of doctoral studies in which the completion of a research thesis is contemplated.

Many dioceses, especially in poor countries, lack either the resources to support their seminarians, or priests with sufficient formation to be seminary formators and provide candidates with adequate accompaniment. This is where the CARF Foundation and your help. With your donation you contribute to the formation and maintenance of diocesan priests and seminarians for their studies in Rome and Pamplona with the commitment to return to their diocese of origin.

A "profession" with a future.

Benedict XVI, on the occasion of the celebration of the Year for Priests 2010, began a letter with an anecdote from his youth. When, in December 1944, the young Joseph Ratzinger was called up for military service, the company commander asked everyone what he wanted to be in the future. He replied that he wanted to be a Catholic priest. The second lieutenant replied: "You will have to choose something else. In the new Germany there is no longer any need for priests".

"I knew," says the Holy Father, "that this 'new Germany' was coming to an end, and that after the enormous devastation that that madness had brought to the country, priests would be more necessary than ever. Benedict XVI adds that "even now there are many people who, in one way or another, think that the Catholic priesthood is not a 'profession' with a future, but rather belongs to the past". Despite this current sentiment, the reality is that the priesthood has a future because, as the Pope himself says at the beginning of his letter to seminarians, "even in the age of the technological domination of the world and of globalization, people will continue to need God, the God manifested in Jesus Christ and who gathers us together in the universal Church, to learn with him and through him the true life, and to have present and operative the criteria of a true humanity".

Bibliography:

Pope Francis, Apostolic Letter Patris corde.

European Congress on Vocations, Working Paper.

Pope Francis, Message for the 57th World Day of Prayer for Vocations.

Benedict XVI, Letter on the occasion of the celebration of the Year for Priests 2010.