What a great week to pray for priestly vocations. As a diocese we gathered in the cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman for the celebration of the ordination of Fr. David Nowicki to the priesthood and for service to our diocese. I add the vocation prayer that is found in the booklet that encourages us to pray for vocations and lists our seminarians and which day to pray for them. It is:
Heavenly Father, bless your church with an abundance of holy and zealous priests, deacons, brothers, and sisters. Give those You have called to the married state and those You have chosen to live as single persons in the world, the special graces that their lives require. Form us all in the likeness of Your Son, so that in Him, with Him, and through Him, we may love You more deeply and serve You more faithfully, always and everywhere. With Mary we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Fr. Nowicki celebrates his Mass of thanksgiving or sometimes called his first Mass (as the chief celebrant) at his own home parish. That is always a great source of grace for that community of the faithful. Another aspect for anyone who meets him in the upcoming year is the “first blessing” he offers throughout the first year of priesthood. Again a great pious custom and source of grace for anyone who asks for it.
As for myself and my classmates, we will mark 25 years of priesthood on Wednesday June 26th. That is the actual date of our ordination in 1999. St. Peter’s parish will host a celebration of such a milestone on July 21st at 3 pm. More details will be forthcoming. On the universal liturgical calendar it is an ordinary day without a feast attached. Nonetheless God has a great plan and it was only later that I found out who I shared this day with (besides my classmates). St. Jose Maria Robles Hurtado was martyred on this day and it is his feast day. Please look him up for more information. He is a fellow Knight of Columbus and he and companions were highlighted at one of the supreme conventions that I attended. The saints always reach out to us if we are watching for them, to guide and inspire us.
St. Joseph the Workman, pray for us!
St. Peter, St. Casimir, St. Adalbert, St. Mary, pray for us.
St. Jose Maria Robles Hurtado, pray for us!