I am grateful for all our priests who daily seek to serve the Lord and all of you, the People of God, in every corner of the Diocese. These priests are our greatest asset. The sacrifices they make to care for their flock during these challenging times is commendable. Sometimes people forget that the sacramental life of the Church could not continue without them.

I echo the encouraging words from Pope Leo XIV recently shared with the clergy of the Diocese of Rome: “I thank you for your life given in the service of the Kingdom, for your daily labors, for your great generosity in the exercise of your ministry, for everything you live in silence and that is at times accompanied by suffering or misunderstanding. You carry out different services, but you are all precious in the eyes of God and in the fulfillment of his plan.”

To live out one’s call to the priesthood is a tremendous gift because it comes from the heart of Jesus. Living such a call is also a great challenge and often difficult, especially in the current times in which we are living – declining numbers in the pews, more responsibilities, shepherding multiple parishes. Priests can experience loneliness, isolation and exhaustion. Oftentimes, they feel overworked and underappreciated. Parishioners want them to be perfect instead of human. Oftentimes, no matter how hard a priest tries to do his best, it doesn’t seem to be good enough.

To walk in the ways of Christ as a priest takes great courage in today’s times, but he also needs the support of the holy people around him.  Knowing the challenges our priests face day in and day out, Pillar 1 in the Diocesan Plan is:  Love and Support a Unified Presbyterate on Mission.  This pillar has four components.

• Support Holy and Healthy Priests
• Creating Unity within the Presbyterate
• Create a Culture for Priestly Vocations
• Form a Chancery Family to Serve the Presbyterate

I invite the people of the Diocese of Saginaw to embrace their call and responsibility of supporting our priests. The heart of this pillar seeks to care for their health and holiness.  Priests are human like all of you. They struggle and are in need of your prayers and encouragement. They are also vessels of God’s grace, charged with the sacred task of shepherding his people – people who are often broken, hurting and in need of healing.

Another component of this pillar concerns creating a culture for priestly vocations, both at the diocesan and parish level. We are all aware of the challenges our diocese faces regarding the shortage of priestly and religious vocations. Vocation work is the ministry of all the baptized. When properly engaged, families and local parish communities are the seedbeds for priestly and religious vocations.  Assist your pastor by helping to establish a vocation committee in your parish to support the important work of creating a vocation environment.

The last component of this pillar pertains to the relationship between our Chancery family and the presbyterate. It provides for a shift in how the Chancery (diocesan offices) carries out its ministry. The goal is to change from an events model to a service model, providing additional pastoral care resources, seeking meaningful relationships at all levels in the parishes and creating offices that align with our strategic vision for the Diocese.

How can you love and support a united presbyterate on mission?

• Pray daily for your pastor and all our priests.
• Tell him how much you appreciate all he does for the parish.
• Recognize his birthday and priesthood anniversary in some way.
• Support him, both as a human and a priest.
• Get engaged in the ministry he is providing for your parish.
• Assist in creating a vocation culture in your parish.

The challenges faced by priests today reflect both the changing dynamics of modern society and the timeless demands of spiritual leadership. Despite these challenges, their role remains critical in providing spiritual guidance, community leadership and pastoral care.

May this Jubilee Year of Hope, through your engagement, bring a new hope to our priests who are deeply committed to Christ, courageous in their witness and unafraid to speak the truth in love. The future of the Church depends on it. Together, clergy and laity can build up a Church rooted in truth, united in mission and alive in the Spirit.

The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council in Gaudium et Spes similarly outlined this same mission: “Inspired by no earthly ambition, the Church seeks but a solitary goal: to carry forward the work of Christ under the lead of the befriending Spirit. And Christ entered this world to give witness to the truth, to rescue and not to sit in judgment, to serve and not to be served.”

United in this mission, may we go forward together united in one heart and mind!