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October 25, 2018
In a previous issue of the Sooner Catholic we covered the beautiful ordination to the diaconate of two of our seminarians in Rome.
Deacon Jerome Krug and Deacon Will Banowsky have been in formation in Rome for the past three years. They were joined by dozens of their family members, friends, fellow parishioners and pastors who traveled to the Eternal City to share the joy of that moment.
Earlier in the summer we rejoiced in the ordination of three other transitional deacons at The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. It has been an exceptional year in which we have ordained five new transitional deacons and one new priest! These five deacons will be ordained to the priesthood next June!
In August, we accepted eight new seminarians to begin priestly formation for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. The Lord continues to open the hearts of young men to hear and respond to his call to discern priesthood.
Vocations are the responsibility of the whole Church. Each of us has a part in fostering the growth of the Church through 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. 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 2018-2019 seminarian education appeal. You will find images of our 23 seminarians. The theme for this year’s appeal is timely: “Sanctify yourself, for tomorrow the Lord will work wonders in your midst!” Implicit in this theme is the reminder that what the Church needs now more than ever is 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 invest in the future. Please pray for each of them. Pray for them daily. Pray that the Lord will make them holy, give them courageous hearts and keep them faithful.
Please be generous in your investment in the future by making a financial gift to support seminarian education. Thank you for the gift of your prayer and encouragement of vocations. Thank you for your financial investment in our future pastors.