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A priest who was conceived in rape when his mother was only 13 years old is sharing the story of how he met, forgave and heard the confession of his father, who is now living a life of faith. “I could have ended up in a trash can, but I was allowed to live,” said Read more
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God still calls people to a life of complete dedication in the priesthood and the consecrated life, Pope Benedict XVI writes in his message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations on April 21, 2013. “Today too, Jesus continues to say, ‘Come, follow me’.” “The love of God sometimes follows paths one could never Read more
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When I first started reporting for my story “Resurrection,” I was hoping to understand what seemed like a straightforward question: Who wants to become a priest in 2012? After all, a man who decides to become a priest is choosing a profession at a time when its public reputation has never been lower. Fifty years Read more
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Dear Fathers, We are writing this letter to you today because we have some things we want to say to you. Some things are easier to say than others, but here you go. Before that, though, a HUGE thank you. Thank you for having the courage to say yes to your counter-cultural vocation. We are forever grateful Read more
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Archbishop John Dew discusses meeting Pope Benedict XVI, studying horticulture and whether he wished he had a family. You grew up in Waipukurau. Was it a farm upbringing? My Father had a transport company business, but I spent a lot of time on farms. I had cousins who lived on farms and would visit them during Read more
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The Archbishop of Suva, Petero Mataca, has ordained six deacons – four Fijian and two Solomon Islanders. The ordinations took place in Sacred Heart Cathedral in Suva on Sunday 22 April. The six men are studying to become priests. The Fijians are training for the Diocesan priesthood while the Solomon Islanders are to be priests Read more
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In his Holy Thursday homily at St. Peter’s Basilica on April 5, Pope Benedict XVI denounced calls from some Catholics for optional celibacy among priests and for women’s ordination. The pope said that “true renewal” comes only through the “joy of faith” and “radicalism of obedience.” And renewal is coming. After the 2002 scandal about Read more
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A recent US study of those who took their perpetual vows in 2011 shows that new religious are younger and more educated than in the past. “We are encouraged by the report’s findings that men and women are considering a vocation at a younger age,” said Mercy Sister Mary Joanna Ruhland, associate director of the Read more
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The average age of men ordained to the priesthood in 2011 is trending younger with the average age for the 2011 class at 34, with more than half between the ages of 25 and 34. This is slightly younger than in 2010, and follows the trend over the past five years of new priests getting Read more
