Encourage Priests

A quick word of thanks for your wonderful, dedicated service to all of us at St. A’s. Your gentleness, humor, and encouragement help us to grow in Christ’s love!
- Frank, Bergenfield, NJ

Just want to express my gratitude for your generous sharing of faith, your honesty, your tireless dedication to God and to God’s people.
- Frank, Bergenfield, NJ

I have been lost for a while and struggling with my faith, which church, spiritual hunger that I had that was not being fulfilled, etc. I stopped by the SSPP church one Friday evening and Father John happened to be! there. He is not usually there at that particular time. He was/is extremely kind and you can tell he is filled with the Holy Spirit and truly loves what he does. He gave me words of encouragement and direction and armed me with two books to start me off. He has already helped me more than he can know. May God Bless you for opening my eyes and the eyes of all who come to you for your help. And may God Bless the staff and volunteers at SSPP for their love and direction and helping me as I continue my journey towards becoming a catholic. I have felt welcomed by you all every day I have been in church. I thank God for you all.
- Dean, Maryville, IL

I really an not good at expressing my feelings but I would like to say there is something unbelievablly special about Father Jean, just looking at his smiling face you can feel the presence of God and feel the love in his heart. I feel closer to God everytime I celebrate mass with him. I truly love him. He is the example of true love for God and love for all. I feel so blessed for him to come into my life. The light of Christ radiates from him. I love him very much!
- Rose, Davenport, FL

Our son, Fr. Jason Brooks LC, is blessed with a beautiful vocation to the priesthood. That call came from God, we saw that, and only God can bestow that blessing. We were blessed to have the faith and grace to encourage that vocation. We continue to pray daily for Fr. Jason and all priests so that they are good, holy, and strong priests every day of their lives. We all need to be prayer warriors for our priests. Our priests need to devote time to daily prayer, including the daily rosary. Mother Mary is the Queen of the rosary and she can be the protector for all priests, we just need to pray and ask her for that intercession. God bless all our priests and please give us more vocations and holy seminaries.
- Randy, Hamden, CT

Check out Fr. Robert Barron’s excellent article on the joy of being a priest over his 25-year priesthood. He gives beautiful encouragement to the seminarians and priests today, who are serving during a trying time in the American church.

“…And this is why I would like to say to seminarians and to young priests just starting out: this is your time and it’s a good time. I’m not engaging in wishful thinking here or whistling in the dark. I’m reminding them that this time of crisis—and it is the worst crisis in the history of the American church—should call forth their greatest creativity, energy, imagination, and evangelical enthusiasm. They should revel in the fact that they’ve been chosen by God, precisely at this moment, to be part of the solution.”

Read more here!

“I would like to thank Russell Roetzer for his life of service to young people in the Performing Arts, especially those from St Catherine’s High School. The patience that he showed to budding, and not-so-budding talents was profound and enabled those of us in the Theater to find our way onto the boards without stumbling. My childhood and high school friends Jim K. and David B. and my high school friends Keith M. and Steven E. are amoung the many others I can remember being part of the Musical Theater community at SCHS in the mid-70’s. I write this on Valentine’s Day, 2011, and so a Big Red Heart Shoutout goes to Fr. Russ, the “organist with chubby fingers”, as he once described himself, for all his guidance and direction, (literally!)”
~ Michael, Madison, WI

“This is my youngest brother (the youngest of 10). What a blessing and privilege it is to be graced with such an inspiring and hardworking priest, who gives his all for his parishioners. Ever since he was ordained, he has been a priest first and a brother second.”

Click here to see Today’s Catholic News article celebrating Fr. Neil

- Mary, South Bend, IN

“Father Ken is the previous Pastor of St. Thecla Catholic Church. He left the church in late 2010 to accept another position within the Archdiocese of Chicago. Through my life I have participated in the church but not as actively as I am now. Through Father Ken my faith was renewed and I am now a more active member in my faith and in my parish. Thank you Father Ken for your support and generosity.”

- Hilda, Chicago, IL

“Fr. Tom Shoemaker has encouraged me to stay the course with my faith. Currently going through some sort of Dark Night of the Soul has, at times strained my faith commitment. Fr. Tom has encouraged me through these times to continue on with prayer, sacraments, etc to grow closer to God even if I don’t see/feel/touch him. Thank you Fr. Tom for your commitment as a Priest – one of the best!”

- Margaret, Highland, MI