Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Catholic News

Home

Home
Catholic
Religion News
What does four decades as a priest look like? One bishop shares his story

What does four decades as a priest look like? One bishop shares his story

Last updated on: May 28, 2015 at 9:50 am by CNA Daily News

What does four decades as a priest look like? One bishop shares his story 2015-05-28T09:50:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Bismarck, N.D., May 28, 2015 / 03:50 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On his 40th anniversary as a priest, Bishop David Kagan of Bismarck says he has a deeper understanding of his own vocation than when he was first ordained.

“My vocation is who I am and it is not just what I do at times. I think I understand much better now that I am a priest forever,” he told CNA in a recent interview. “This is a tremendous grace which gives me much consolation every day, but it is the daily challenge to me to be who I have been called to be in every way.”

His comments came after priests from the Diocese of Bismarck gathered along with loved ones on May 20 to mark jubilee anniversaries ranging from 10 to 60 years with Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit.

For Bishop Kagan, the strongest memory in 40 years of priesthood remains his ordination day in 1975, which came with an “exhortation to become what I celebrate at the altar of God.”

“I don’t think I am there yet, but by God’s mercy and grace I keep trying,” he added.

He says the best part of being a priest “has always been celebrating our Church’s liturgies, especially the liturgies of the Most Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation.”

Having served as Bishop of Bismarck since 2011, he said his favorite part of that role is two-fold: ordaining priests and administering the Sacrament of Confirmation.

“These give me such great hope and my own faith is always renewed at these times.”

In the time since his ordination, he’s seen many changes in the Church but “perhaps the most dramatic” was the introduction of face-to-face confession and the wide availability of the Code of Canon Law and the Catechism to the laity. Even now, he says he is “seeing and experiencing the good fruits of these changes.”

For the young men preparing for the priesthood in the seminaries, Bishop Kagan advised them not to “second guess God’s choice of you” but to “(h)umbly accept it and enter completely into priestly formation.”

“It does not end with Ordination, your priestly formation goes with you into the priesthood. Enjoy it now and keep it fresh and vital as it will stand you in good stead as a priest,” he said.

Fr. John Paul Gardner, a priest celebrating his 10th anniversary in the diocese, had similar advice for seminarians.

Echoing Bishop Kagan, Fr. Gardner encouraged them to “spend every single day praying for the grace necessary to fulfill the call of Christ” and to ask the Blessed Mother for her help.

“If we hesitate in that, (that’s where) the devil is lurking,” he warned, “and that’s where scandal’s going to occur, so it’s really essential to say ‘yes’ to Jesus wholeheartedly.”

Born nine months after John Paul II’s election and ordained just two months after the pope’s death, Fr. Gardner said the saint has always been “one of my heroes.” The strongest memory he has as a priest is being in St. Peter’s Square when his namesake was declared a saint April 27, 2014.

“Ever since I was a little kid I wanted to be like him,” Fr. Gardner said, “so just to be there when there were so many people – that was a pretty big highlight of my life.”

One thing Fr. Gardner has learned in his time as a priest is just how indispensable the family is in the life of the Church. The committed love of a husband and wife and their children is “so essential,” he reflected.

“If there’s no family, it’s so difficult, I would say maybe impossible in my experience, for the Church to exist,” he said. “Families are the Church.”

Fr. Gardner said his parents’ example in raising their nine children helped him discover his vocation to the priesthood.

“I had a mom and a dad who worked through all their difficulties with prayer, with a sense of humor. All of us kids in some way – in some deep way – benefitted from that,” he said.

Like Bishop Kagan, Fr. Gardner said “by far” his favorite part of being a priest is the privilege of celebrating the Holy Mass.

“Raising the host and chalice to the Heavenly Father, offering him our Lord Jesus in union with the Holy Spirit – there’s no doubt that’s what I live and breathe for.”

The other priests celebrating special anniversaries in the diocese were Monsignor Gerald Walsh (60 years); Fr. Stephen Kranz (60 years); Fr. John Pfiefer (50 years); Fr. George Pruys (40 years); Fr. John Gurthie (25 years); Fr. Johnson Kuriappilly (25 years); Fr. Boniface Muggli (25 years); Fr. Manuel Silva Cely (10 years); and Fr. Paul Eberle (10 years).

Previous Post

May 28, 2015

For the Vatican bank, a new direction means profitability

Next Post

May 28, 2015 Another Christian youth is accused over blasphemy law in Pakistan

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

How many "types" of Psalms are often recognized (e.g., praise, lament, wisdom)?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Five or more Fifty Ten only One