A good investment!

On June 29, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, we rejoiced in the ordination of five new priests at Saint Mark the Evangelist in Norman. It has been a year of extraordinary blessings for our archdiocese, and these new priests are signs of God’s love and care for his Church. They are each uniquely gifted and well-prepared for service to God’s people.
 
In August, we accepted several new seminarians to begin priestly formation for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Many more participated in Quo Vadis Days, our summer retreat for discerners, and others are engaged in ongoing discernment groups. The Lord continues to stir the hearts of young men, inviting them to hear and respond to his call to discern priesthood.
 
We have a gifted team in our vocations office, but cultivating vocations is not their job alone. Vocations are the responsibility of the whole Church. Each of us has a part in fostering the growth of the Church through encouraging a robust culture of vocations. Parents, catechists, youth ministers, fellow parishioners and pastors all contribute to helping young men and women open their hearts to the gift and mystery of their vocation.
 
God calls us each by name. He calls us to friendship with himself and to a lifelong journey of discipleship. He invites us to live out our discipleship in different ways by calling some to marriage, others to the consecrated life and still others to serve the Church as priests and deacons. Many remain single to live out their baptismal call to holiness. Our vocation is God’s gift to us. It is a mystery that unfolds throughout our entire lifetime, providing the context for becoming the saint that God calls each of us to become.
 
In this issue of the Sooner Catholic, you will read about the 2019-2020 seminarian education appeal. You will find images of our 21 seminarians. What the Church needs now more than ever are good shepherds and holy priests.
 
We need pastors who have been well-formed as disciples of Jesus Christ. We need men of integrity who live out their priestly promises with fidelity and generosity. We need priests who love the Church and are good shepherds to God’s people. We need shepherds who are willing to lay down their lives for their flock as Jesus did, as Blessed Stanley Rother did. The Lord will renew his Church. The Lord will work wonders in our midst.
 
Today’s seminarians are tomorrow’s priests and pastors. Please pray for each of them. Pray for them daily. Pray that more men will hear and answer God’s call. Pray that the Lord will continue to raise up good shepherds with courageous hearts. Thank you for the gift of your prayer and your encouragement of vocations.
 
Please invest generously in the future of our archdiocese and our parishes by making a financial gift to support seminarian education. Thank you for investment in our future pastors!