Sept. 28, 2022 As we honor our priests in this annual Priest Appreciation edition of the NCC, it occurred to me that you’ve heard a lot of my stories about the impact priests have had in my life. I thought it was a good time to hear from others. I sent a version of the following text to several of my friends: “If you had to describe something meaningful a priest of our diocese has done in your life in just a few sentences, what would you say?” Here are a few of the responses: • “Once, while at an event, I asked a priest I knew well if he had time to hear a confession. I knew it was serious matter, willfully done. We found a quiet corner, he heard my confession, gave practical guidance and an appropriate penance and then absolution. But what struck me most is what he said afterwards: ‘thank you for entrusting this me with this,’ as if I had given him a great gift. That last comment still gives me great confidence and comfort every time I go to confession.” • “A priest once sat with me while I ugly cried during a panic attack and then lent me some very good advice on how to work through what was bothering me.” • “My brother was dying, and I was away. I asked for a priest to visit him and one of our diocesan foreign priests was able to see him, hear his confession and anoint him. This had a deep effect on his family, many of whom do not attend church, but also on myself. We are very blessed to have such men of deep faith and service among us.” For each of my friends, the moments that stood out were the moments of accompaniment. They were times our priests accompanied them or someone they love in time of need, accompanied them on the path to Jesus. Isn’t that what our priests do in our lives? They accompany us and help lead us to Christ. They do it by offering us the sacraments, their wisdom, their counsel and their service. But they do way more than that. They also administer our parishes; serve as chaplains in fire departments, law enforcement, medical facilities and prisons; lead and participate in ministries; and do much, much more. We truly appreciate our priests. Here at the North Country Catholic, we especially appreciate Father Bill Muench and Monsignor Paul Whitmore, who write so beautifully and insightfully for our publication. One note: While we appreciate all our priests, there are some who aren't mentioned in these pages. Despite best intentions, people miss deadlines. People forget to submit their notes of thanks. Though they may not be mentioned, these priests are still appreciated and loved. Please keep our priests in your prayers and don't forget to thank them for accompanying us on the path to Christ. |
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