By Julie M. Miller
Catholic Herald

Few priestly ordinations on horizon in diocese

Two of the men are just in their second and third years of college, and are several years away from ordination. If the seminarians continue, one could be ordained in three and one-half years and two in four and one-half years, said Sr. Bonnie Alho, assistant director of the diocesan Office of Vocations.

Alho, a Servant of Mary and pastoral associate at St. Joseph Parish, said promoting vocations isn't always an easy job. "It takes a lot of work to work with one young man coming into the seminary, but we like a lot of work."

In summing up his views on vocations, Fr. Andrew P. Ricci, the newest member of the diocese's vocations team, said, "I think young people today have an earnest desire to serve, but I also think that we as the church are challenged to invite young adults to examine how their lives will serve the Gospel and how they can really live the Gospel."

Ricci, parochial administrator of the parishes in Spooner, Sarona and Shell Lake, was named assistant director of the diocesan Office of Vocations on Nov. 1. The three-person team is headed by director Fr. Kevin M. Gordon, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Rice Lake.

As part of a national strategy developed by the United States bishops in 1995, there are a variety of programs available to foster vocations. Alho said they plan to conduct several of them in the diocese.

One is ÒQuo Vadis Days,Ó a summer camp/retreat where boys or girls can meet priests, Sisters or Brothers. Alho said it is offered to sixth, seventh and eighth graders and will also sponsor a retreat week-end for those of high school age or older.

Alho said they would also like to develop Operation Andrew and Operation Miryam, which are programs to give young people, high school age and older, a chance to meet informally with priests or Sisters to learn more about the vocation. There is also an Operation Joseph to introduce boys to Brothers.

The diocese will also have a workshop for anyone interested in promoting vocations, particularly catechists and teachers, to give them the tools they need, said Alho.

To Ricci, evangelization is the first step in increasing vocations. "We need to examine our retreat movements in the the diocese -- TEC, Koinonia, Cursillo and Marriage Encounter. I think it is at these retreats that people have a chance to see how God is working in their lives. Before we can invite people to serve, young people have to have an understanding that God is with them. Evangelization must precede vocations. We can't do vocation work until we have evangelized."

Ricci sees the challenge of vocations not in the failure of young men to come forward, but in the failure of the church community to invite them to the priesthood. "One of the things that I'm going to be doing is trying to find ways that we can invite young people to see where God is calling them," he said.

Ricci added that inviting young adults is the job of the whole church. The vocations office and the priests of the diocese can't do it all. "There are (only) three vocations directors and 50-some active priests, but 90,000 Catholics in the diocese. They are the ones that will do it," Ricci said.

Ricci is optimistic about increasing vocations in the diocese. "I think that the church is alive and well and that the church is growing. I think one of the things we in leadership have to recognize is that we model vocations and if we find our faith in the church is supported and strengthened we become a model of the priesthood, the religious life or marriage."

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© Superior Catholic Herald, 2001