Parish Campaign

Last weekend I went home for the annual Parish Campaign for Newman Theological College and St. Joseph's Seminary. Consequently, I attended all three weekend Masses in Olds and Trochu, and spoke after Communion at all three, to drum up interest and support for the College/Seminary's campaign. Because Newman receives not a penny in government education dollars, we rely quite a bit on donations, tuition only going so far.

As far as my part of the campaign went, I think it went fairly well. I didn't have to time to linger after Mass in Trochu, since we had to hie back to Olds almost immediately for the 11:15 Mass, but judging by the comments after the Olds Masses, I think I spoke fairly well. I more or less ad-libbed, using the provided text as an outline, rather than reading it word for word. Of course, it's always better if your eyes are visible to the audience/congregation, rather than out sight glancing down at a paper.

Naturally, close to a decade of dramatic training doesn't hurt. I have a clear, loud voice and I know how to project into the microphone (an obscure talent reserved only for the most gifted, it sometimes seems...). Consensus in the parish was that I'll make a fine homilist-- which is good, but as my main point was that we need money (and since I'll be here for another 7.5 years, this impacts me not a little), I hope that point will stick with them.

It was interesting, riding to and from Trochu with Fr. Les and Deacon Jim. Interesting if only because it was the first time that it really hit home that, yes, I am well on my way to being a priest, and not just one of the ordinary laity anymore. Well, I am technically still a lay person in terms of what I'm canonically allowed to do, but as a seminarian I am a cleric, if an unordained one.

It was also an interesting and upclose look at Father. As a little kid, of course, Father is this mightly and awesome figure. It's not uncommon for a little kid to conflate the image of Father with the image of Jesus (though I think I avoided that one). I've known Fr. Les for nearly a decade, since he first came to Olds (probably the longest tenure in the same parish of any parish in this diocese), but there's always been this element of mystery.

I certainly still respect him and admire his priestly vocation, but I can see the human in him as well now. I can smile at some of his foibles. I can grimace at some of his liturgical oddities (perhaps more the parish's than his, if one thinks about it). And the more human he is--the more human any priest is--the more one can want to emulate them.

I've heard it said, more than once, that while proper philosophical and theological formation is extremely importance to a priest, it is his pastoral formation that is most important. A priest needs to be a catechist and a minister in his parish, yes. But he needs to be first and foremost a shepherd. The people of God will overlook many defects in their pastor if he gives his life in love for them. To quote St. Paul:

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, but have not love, I gain nothing." -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

If I, as a priest, have not love, I have nothing.