Why I love Priests

Posted by Annie



Annie, Mike and friends at Bridget Mary's Baptism

Last Saturday, Mike and I had three of our priest friends over for dinner and a house blessing. It reminded me of a time, when I was about twelve years old, that my family had our parish priest over for dinner. His name was Fr. Antony. He was from India, and was the first young, kind, charismatic priest I had ever met. One particularly snowy day, my mom had accidentally torn off his car bumper with our twelve passenger van at daily Mass. Fr. Antony heard the noise and emerged from the sacristy with a huge smile on his face - nothing could anger this man. Needless to say, my siblings and I loved Fr. Antony. So when my mom told us that he was coming for dinner, I decided that I would make something special for the occasion. I decided to make apple pie - a dessert I had never made before- totally from scratch. I didn't taste the pie ahead of time, and watched, holding my breath, as Fr. Antony took his first bite. He choked down that bite and politely told me that it was delicious. After tasting it myself, I quickly learned the truth. That apple pie was the worst I had ever tasted! I was mortified as Fr. Antony ate every single bite; all the while assuring me that it wasn't so bad.

 

I love this story, because, in a very simple and silly way, it demonstrates the selflessness of a good priest. As we approach the conclave, articles have been swirling about the "power hungry" and "sexist" leaders of the Catholic Church. These misleading opinions call for a change in Church leadership and depict caricatures of “good ol' boys” who are out of touch with the modern world. Through my work for the Church, I have had the unique experience of knowing many priests, and even a few bishops and cardinals during my time at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. In my experience, I have never - not once - met the "misogynistic" priest characterized in so much of the popular media. Here's what I have met:

 

Humble Franciscan friars at The Catholic University of America who, decked out in long robes and sandals, could convince anyone - jock and honors student alike - to get their butts to Confession and Mass. Those friars lived the hours of the college students, hosting events until late at night - meeting the young people where they were and calling them to something higher. When going through a particularly difficult time senior year, one of those priests wrote me a letter affirming my dignity assuring me of his support and prayers. Their selflessness and sense of evangelization were an inspiration to me during my time at CUA, and continue to inspire Mike and me in our work.

 

Diocesan priests at Washington parishes, serving non-stop. Youth Ministers work hard, sure. We have strange hours, sure. But these men are all things to all people. They go from celebrating a funeral to officiating a wedding. They counsel people battling depression or discerning a vocation. They wake up to celebrate early Mass and still make it to Youth Group that night. They are approachable, not judgmental, and also, not afraid of speaking the hard truth. They are priests because they are madly in love with Jesus Christ and His Church. They all have a special relationship with the Blessed Mother and count on her intercession to sustain their vocation. They support Mike and me in our work - not seeing our mission as a threat to some sort of "priestly power" but seeing our ministry as avenue in the Kingdom of God, another arm on the Body of Christ. Without priests, we wouldn't be able to do our ministry, and I pray that we may always be a support for theirs.

 

When I studied abroad in Rome sophomore year of college, I would often get homesick. What I did in those times was go straight to St. Peter's Square. Sitting amongst the columns there, I was always given a sense of peace, a sense of home, a sense of being right where I belonged. I'd see the Holy Father during an audience and be instantly assured that, while he didn't know me, he was praying for me. While he didn't know me, he was always discerning the best things for my Church and for Her members. I met seminarians from the North American College. These young men were preparing for the priesthood by leading a Bible study for college students - by giving of their time to bring others to Christ. By bringing ancient truth to modern young people.

 

I could go on. I've met countless men who have inspired my faith through their priesthood. But blog posts aren't supposed to be this long in the first place! At the end of our dinner with the priests last weekend, I stood in the kitchen and heard the sounds of my husband and the priest who baptized my child playing ping pong, their contagious laughter echoing up the stairs. This same priest had just invoked the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to bless our home and warned any demonic presence to get lost. I love priests. They selflessly offer their lives in service to Christ's Church, inspire my family's faith, and always have time for a competitive game of ping pong before heading home to prepare for another Sunday of celebrating Mass!