Blessed with many vocations

When Pope Benedict XVI made his first visit to the United States last month to bring his message of hope and love, the problems plaguing the Catholic Church were in the spotlight.

The pope addressed the issues of sexual abuse, the involvement of women in the church and the lack of young people entering vocations.

But pastors of local Catholic churches have seen young parishioners entering seminaries and monasteries, helping the Rockford Diocese continue its trend of significant contributions to the vocations.

The diocese, of which Tri-Cities area Catholic churches are members, has done well in stemming a national trend by producing several young men and women who have chosen vocations.

This year alone, 27 young men from the diocese, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary next fall, are studying in seminaries, with a few to be ordained priests on May 24 -- including Matt DeBlock of Holy Cross in Batavia and Paul Fasano of St. Patrick in St. Charles.

"The shortage of priests is an issue in the church," said Monsignor Joseph Linster, pastor at St. Patrick in St. Charles for the past 15 years. "But our diocese is blessed with many vocations, and you can never have too many because there is always a need."

Linster has been instrumental in one of the largest gatherings in the country for vocational education when St. Patrick annually stages the "Here I Am Lord" conference.

"It's a great weekend for us," Linster said of the conference, held during the past Lenten season. "I couldn't tell you how many young people decide to pursue a vocation because of it, but it is a great place to learn about the vocations."

Anthony Catella of St. Patrick parish is an ordained deacon who will be in his final year of studying at a seminary and will be ordained a priest in May 2009, Linster added.

Monsignor Joseph Jarmoluk, pastor of St. Peter parish in Geneva, feels that the "Here I Am Lord" conference in St. Charles "is an awesome approach" to connect with young people.

"I think young people are looking for an invitation, and they also need someone to reach out and say, 'I think you would make a great nun or a great priest.' "

Jarmoluk said in addition to the divine calling one gets in deciding to become a priest, the individual needs a mentor who provides encouragement. For him that was former St. Patrick Father Thomas Dempsey, who is now retired and living in Huntley.

"Father Dempsey was the one who approached me when I was at St. John Neumann in St. Charles and said he felt I could be a fine priest," Jarmoluk said. "When you are looking for personal outreach, and you find it, it is very affirming.

"While it is good for the church to let young people know that vocations are alive and exciting," Jarmoluk added, "you want the spiritual life being fostered in the home and church."

In illustrating how the diocese and his parish have helped feed the vocations, Jarmoluk was quick to point out parishioners who have recently been ordained.

Those include: Father Paul Weberg at Marmion Academy; Deacon George Cannizzaro; Greg D'Anna in his first year as permanent deacon; Deacon Michael Zebron; Michael Sullivan, who will be ordained as a deacon next month; Father Matt Camaioni; Father John Paul Walker, who is studying in Rome; and Father Brian Grady; as well as Sister Karen Bricher, of the Holy Heart of Mary; Sister Ann Jaeger; and Sister Regina Marie (formerly Julie Wooden) in the Nashville Dominicans.

At St. John Neumann in St. Charles, Tom Elms will be ordained as a permanent deacon next month.

At St. Gall parish in Elburn, Joseph Jaskierny is studying at a seminary.

Also at Holy Cross, Ryan Browning and Joshua Buenrostro are studying at seminaries.

The diocese did not have statistics on women entering various orders of sisterhood -- from the more radical life of cloistered prayer to teaching in a classroom or being part of missions -- but each parish has young women devoting their lives to the church.

Monsignor Dan Deutsch views the news that two young women in his parish at Holy Cross in Batavia have joined the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration order in Hanceville, Ala., as "a great witness" to God.

But the Holy Cross pastor adds these women have chosen "a very intense life, one that is a radical departure from the way most people live." The Poor Clares, in the second order of Franciscan nuns, represent a cloistered life, one in which its members will live within the walls of the Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Hanceville and spend the rest of their lives there devoted to prayer, Deutsch said.

"There are many young women considering various orders of sisterhood, such as the Dominican order, that is not a cloistered life but one which is devoted to teaching," Deutsch said.

"We have a number of young women and many young men thinking about vocations," Deutsch added.

"With Matt DeBlock being ordained, it is very exciting for our parish," said Deutsch, who himself was ordained more than 10 years ago at St. Patrick in St. Charles, where his family has attended church for decades.