INTRODUCTION

Today I address this assembly of Canadian Diocesan clergy and vocation directors as a member of a Religious Congregation – as one who is very interested in and concerned about vocations to the priesthood and religious life. The Basilian Fathers were born in 1822 and our roots are in the diocesan priesthood of France in the aftermath of the French Revolution. From the very beginning of our Basilian existence, we have been keenly interested in the formation of priests, and we have enjoyed close relations with diocesan priests and local churches wherever we have been in the world.

You have asked me to share with you my own vocational story. As I reflect back, I can say that it is a result of the home environment of a large Italian—American Catholic family and the wonderful influence of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester, New York where I grew up. My vocation was nurtured by very fine diocesan parish priests, several great bishops, as well as two outstanding Basilian priests. It’s not that at one point in my life “I found God” and that was it.  Rather, at one moment in my life, I decided that God would be worth searching for the rest of my life. I wanted to serve the Church. I decided to spend the rest of my life taking my baptismal promises seriously in the context of the Basilian Fathers, a community of priests dedicated to the work of Evangelization and Education in the Roman Catholic Church.  The motto of our religious congregation is inspired by Psalm 119:  “Teach me goodness, discipline and knowledge” – a lifelong lesson, plea and quest.”

For the past twenty years of priestly life, and several years before that in religious community, I have taught, ministered to and worked closely with young people. Since 1990 I have lectured in Scripture at the Faculty of Theology of the University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto and for four years at St. Peter’s Seminary in London. Both opportunities brought me into close contact with candidates for priestly ministry in the Roman Catholic Church.

From 1994-2000, I served as Pastor of the Newman Centre Catholic Mission at the University of Toronto. The four-year adventure that was World Youth Day 2002 allowed me to work closely with young people, their ordained and lay pastoral leaders from every diocese, ecclesial movement and church group in this country and in over 150 countries of the world.

In addition to my current work with the Salt and Light Catholic Television Network in Canada, my religious congregation has entrusted me with the oversight of our seminary formation community – Frassati House – in Toronto for the past three years. Throughout all of these experiences, I have come to witness first hand the challenges, graces and blessings of vocational, priestly and pastoral ministry in the church today.

I am particularly grateful for the many experiences of preaching retreats and study days to groups of diocesan and religious priests in English and French speaking Canada and in the United States. More than any other experience, these retreat moments have revealed to me the heart of the priesthood.

I would like to share with you some reflections on our unique, priestly formation work in the Lord’s vineyard, especially the dimension that is at the “front end of the operation” i.e., vocational promotion. Consider these reflections as part of the “big picture” of the vocation question, rather than details and specifics. Other workshops during this fine conference will address the specifics. I will consider the following areas:

• the contemporary scene in Canada and in the world
• the crisis of fatherhood, paternity and sexual identity
• the crisis of ideologies
• the impact of Pope John Paul II on this generation of young people
• the significance of World Youth Days for vocational promotion
• the Pontificate and teaching of Pope Benedict XVI
• moving beyond statistics toward a trajectory of hope
• some biblical and ecclesial lenses for Vocation Ministry today

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