A Parade of Priests: Thank you for being there.
When my dad was in the hospital, the priests kept coming in. The nurses were perplexed as to why there was a seeming parade of priests in and out of my dad’s hospital room. My mom let them know he’s the catholic bookstore owner in town. His network is large and he knows quite a lot of people and priests. And let me tell you, they showed up, and it was a beautiful witness.
Friday
On Friday, Fr. Eric Powell, our pastor, showed up to anoint him. He sat with my mom for some time as well. He likened this time to keeping vigil, a Holy Saturday of sorts. After all, everything that could have been done medically was done. Control was relinquished into God’s hands. It was a matter of waiting for, what we hoped, would be Easter Sunday. Praying to God the tomb would be empty on our own Easter morn.
Soon after, Fr. Rogers, the hospital chaplain and a priest who assists at our parish, also showed up and anointed him. Twice anointed.
I was still in Iowa at that point and I had emailed my priest friend, Fr. Eric Bolek, to ask for his prayers. Turns out that he was also going to be in Bloomington for most of the weekend for a wedding. He also stopped by the hospital and spent some time with my dad and brothers. He called me a couple times to check in a see how I was doing.
Saturday
By Saturday, I had come to town to give my mom and brothers a break from sitting at the hospital, eat some fresh meals, and rest a bit. During this time, Fr. Bolek showed up yet again, this time I was present for the jokes and laughter of him and my brother, Bobby. My dad was awake by then and joined in the fun a little bit. And of course, before he left, he prayed with us.
I have to say, I was so grateful for his familiar presence there. I was simultaneously grateful for the maturity process that happens between high school and ordination and his spiritual fatherhood. He is a faithful priest striving for holiness, and that is a beautiful thing to witness.
Sunday
On Sunday, I sat with my dad for four hours before returning home to Iowa. He slept most of the time I was there, but we still had a few visitors. First, Fr. Stirniman stopped by, an old priest friend of my dad’s. We chatted for a while, discovering anew the smallness of the catholic world and the overlapping and connections even in our lives (he went to seminary where I live now, he knew both of the priests I worked for here, he went to the same high school as my father-in-law). And before he left, he took my hand, and prayed over my dad, over me, over my family. I was so touched. Do you know that feeling when someone really prays? Like, they really mean what they’re saying? I felt that.
After Fr. Stirniman left, Fr. Rogers came back in. I had the nurse call him to bring communion to my dad, now that he was cleared to eat. And he came in, he prayed, gave my dad communion, and prayed again. I am told that I should have asked him how he was doing, because he always responds “Dandy!” I was so grateful for this priest, so faithfully carrying Jesus to my dad, so in need of that sacramental strength.
And shortly after Fr. Rogers left, Fr. Peter came in. Fr. Peter is the current associate pastor at our home parish. He came in and prayed with us. He chatted for a bit and then he left.
The Following Weekend
A few days after my dad returned home from his hospital stay, my parents celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary. And that day, Fr. Eric Powell came to their home to say Sunday mass for them and to renew their wedding vows. Never before has “in sickness and in health” meant more.
I was so touched by these men and their ministry, fulfilling so many of the works of mercy – visiting the sick, comforting the sorrowful, praying for the living and the dead. So often, we can get caught up in the negatives. Priests get a bad wrap. They are under great, great spiritual attack, and the few bad ones give the many good ones a bad name. But priests are, by and large, good men, imperfect like the rest of us, striving for holiness and spiritual fatherhood. They are praying and present and doing all they can to accompany people in their suffering while trying to balance so many administrative and other leadership roles they weren’t originally intended to take on.
So thank you. Thank you good and faithful priests. Thank you to the men who were so faithful and present in their role when my father was so ill. Thank you to all the priests striving to serve and love above all. Thank you for your ministry, your vocation, and all the hidden service you render to your spiritual children.
Pray With Me
Take a moment to consider the times you had beautiful, life-giving encounters with priests. Pray also for those whom you didn’t. And take a moment to pray with me St. Therese’s prayer for priests.
O Jesus, I pray for your faithful and fervent priests;
for your unfaithful and tepid priests;
for your priests laboring at home or abroad in distant mission fields.
for your tempted priests;
for your lonely and desolate priest
for your young priests;
for your dying priests;
for the souls of your priests in Purgatory.But above all, I recommend to you the priests dearest to me:
the priest who baptized me;
the priests who absolved me from my sins;
the priests at whose Masses I assisted and who gave me Your Body and Blood in Holy Communion;
the priests who taught and instructed me;
all the priests to whom I am indebted in any other way (especially …).O Jesus, keep them all close to your heart,
St. Therese of the Child Jesus
and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity. Amen.
For more prayers for priests, check out these prayers at epic pew!
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