Is a youthful Priesthood or convent really possible?

Talking to Fr Tom one night, and then noticing a group of Sisters of Mercy in Mass the next morning, I couldn’t help but wonder how awesome it must have been back when they all took their first promises/vows and began working as Priests and Nuns. Here in our diocese, we have a group of Irish Priests who are all around the same age and were ordained around the same time. They were a group of young priests in their 20s and 30s who were (so I understand) well loved and admired by the youth of the diocese. In fact, there were t-shirts circulating with Fr Cosgrove’s picture on them!

But today it is quite the contrary. A lot of what you see is older priests in their late 50s and older. We have a few priests in their 40s, even fewer in their 30s, and maybe two in their late 20s. When I am ordained, I will be the only priest in his 20s for at least a year. The median age of the priesthood is now somewhere in the 40s. And the same goes for nuns. We have very few nuns, it seems, who are under 50 years old.

But it does not have to be this way! This is something that can be changed! And it is something that should be changed. All it will take is a bolder attitude from a lot of people. Why should we have to be hesitant or cautious about promoting the religious life? Why should we worry about offending someone or being told no? We should never be afraid to plant a seed. After all, that is why I am here. A specific priest was bold enough to tell me time and time again that I would make a magnificent priest. Change is possible and goals are reachable. All it takes a little boldness. Just look at Christ—he was bold enough to be hung on a cross!

Return from Saltillo

The mission of Christ the Redeemer, which is entrusted to the Church, is still very far from completion. As the second millennium after Christ's coming draws to an end, an overall view of the human race shows that this mission is still only beginning and that we must commit ourselves wholeheartedly to its service. It is the Spirit who impels us to proclaim the great works of God: "For if I preach the Gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!" (1 Cor 9: 16)

Reflecting on the above words of Pope John Paul II and his quoting of Saint Paul, I can’t help but think of those famous words attributed to Saint Francis—“Preach the Gospels at all times, and if necessary use words.” As Christians, we are called to always witness to Jesus Christ and the love that he shared with us through the Cross. And that is exactly what John Paul II speaks of in his letter Redemptoris Missio.

“Faith is strengthened when it is given to others!” he says (¶2). If we keep our faith bottled up inside of us and don’t share it, how can it ever grow? How can it grow inside of us and how can we contribute to its growth in others? Did the Apostles stay behind closed doors until they died? NO! As soon as they received the Spirit, they went out and proclaimed the Word, baptizing thousands at a time! And today, as the successors of those disciples, we are called to do the same! We are called to go out to all the ends of the earth, living and proclaiming the love God made manifest for us through Jesus Christ. This should be our “hunger and thirst” (¶40)!

After the recent trip to Saltillo, Mexico, I can only hope and pray that those teenagers who participated have come to be aware of this. I hope and pray that they have come to be aware of just how missionary work is “the greatest and holiest duty of the Church” (¶63)!