Showing posts with label Father Benedict Groeschel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Father Benedict Groeschel. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Father Benedict J. Groeschel, CFR, passed away
Father Benedict J. Groeschel, CFR, passed away on October 3rd at 11 PM.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and may he rest in peace!
(Franciscan Friars of the Renewal) The Catholic Church and the Franciscan family lost a giant today. This moment is one that finds the Community of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFR) with mixed emotions, as we are deeply saddened by the loss of Fr. Benedict but also relieved that God has set him free from the physical and mental suffering he has experienced over the past decade.
The world knew Father Benedict as a priest, teacher, evangelist, retreat master, and a steadfast defender of and advocate for the Catholic Church that he loved so much. The members of his religious family saw all these things in him, too. But even more, we were also blessed to know him as a father who cared for each of us, a father who was always accessible when we needed him and always glad to see us when we came to visit.
The words of a fellow Franciscan, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, describing St. Francis, characterize Fr. Benedict well, “His intuition of a universal brotherhood, extending to every creature, accompanied by his choice of minority, turn him and his followers into the brothers of every person, the enemies of none, and the companions of the least ones.”
Fr. Benedict was a brother and a father to everyone he encountered. In a world often overwhelmed with darkness, he was a man filled with hope, a hope that he shared with both the rich and poor alike. His love for others and deep desire to serve, sent him among poor families who were in need of assistance, young people trying to find their way, bishops faced with challenging decisions, priests and religious in need of an encouraging word, and the stranger who was far from God. Fr. Benedict was at home in every circumstance and every encounter. “The providence of God,” he would say, “was the mystery of God reaching out at every moment and revealing his love and presence to us all.”
It is not an exaggeration to say that Fr. Benedict was selfless. Those who knew him well understood that it was simply his nature to be so. He poured himself out for others no matter what the cost—and sometimes the cost to him was very great. To have known him was to have been helped by him and even loved by him. Our CFR Family and everyone who knew him received an enormous amount from Fr. Benedict—probably more than we were ever able to give back. It was not simply his wealth of wisdom and knowledge from which many benefited. It was his profound faith and equally profound love, two gifts that he never failed to share generously.
Join with us in praying for the repose of the soul of Fr. Benedict, for his family and Community, and also in thanksgiving for the legacy of renewal within the Church and Franciscan family that Fr. Benedict championed.
###
FATHER BENEDICT J. GROESCHEL, DEVOTED RELIGIOUS AND PRIEST, DIES AT 81
Groeschel Moved Many With His Sincere Faith, Towering Intellect, Passionate Preaching, and Commitment to the Poor
_
Fr. Benedict was a founder of the Community of Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFR), a reform community started in 1987 by eight Capuchin Friars based in New York City. A priest and psychologist, he was director of Trinity Retreat House in Larchmont, New York, and also taught Pastoral Psychology for many years at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Dunwoodie. Fr. Benedict was a popular writer, preacher, retreat master, and evangelist on Catholic television. His greatest joy was serving the poor and underprivileged. Founder of St. Francis House and Good Counsel Homes, he also served as chaplain at Children’s Village in Dobbs Ferry for 14 years. Always deeply concerned with the welfare of others, he tirelessly provided food, clothing, and assistance to people in need—people he always considered his friends.
Father Benedict is survived by his sister, Marjule Drury, several nieces and nephews, 115 CFR brothers and priests, and 31sisters who were inspired by his authentic witness to religious life and devotion to Jesus and His Church.
Wrote Fr. John Paul Ouellette, Community Servant, Franciscan Friars of the Renewal: “We are deeply saddened by the death of Fr. Benedict. He was an example to us all. His fidelity and service to the Church and commitment to our Franciscan way of life will have a tremendous impact for generations to come.”
Details for the wake and funeral will be forth coming.
Link:
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Pray for Father Benedict Groeschel
From Women of Grace:
By SBrinkmann
Our ministry received an email from the CFR Lay Associates asking for prayer for Father Benedict Groeschel who took a tumble and hurt the same arm that was so seriously wounded in an accident 10 years ago. We’re being asked to pray for him through the intercession of an old roommate of his, a man who is now on the road to beatification.
The following is the email we received on Sunday:
“May the Lord give you His peace!
Most of us remember when Father Benedict had his accident. It was about 10 years ago, and his life was in a balance. That was when a prayer for Father’s healing was promoted on EWTN. It is believed that it was the power of literally thousands of us praying for Father that moved Our Lord to heal him and restore him to us.
Two weeks ago Father Benedict had another accident. He fell directly on the arm which was shattered so long ago. His age and his weakness contraindicate the surgery that would restore his arm. Although he seems to be doing well, he is weak and in pain.
At yesterday’s associate’s day Father Glenn asked us to begin another round of prayer for Father Benedict, but with a difference. When Fr. Benedict was a novice he lived with a holy friar who is now up for beatification: Venerable Solanus Casey. We are asked to pray the below prayer for Father Benedict through the intercession of Venerable Solanus Casey only, and to pass this prayer on to all contemplative communities, and prayer chains that we know. Yes, we are asking for healing for Father Benedict, but also for the miracle that Venerable Solanus needs for beatification. All for the glory of God.
Thank you!!”
Prayer for Fr. Benedict:
O Gracious and loving father,
we humbly implore You
to look kindly upon Your son and servant
Father Benedict Joseph.
Invoking Your Divine Mercy,
we ask that You manifest in a unique, evident, and wonderful way
relief from the burden of his present illness and injury.
As we approach Your Holy Majesty
with certain faith, sure hope, and full confidence,
we beg to obtain this special grace;
so that he may receive even now
a foretaste of the full reward
that awaits him in the future.
We entrust this prayer in a special way
to Your dedicated and faithful servant,
Father Solanus Casey.
May this holy friar,
who so inspired Father Benedict here on earth,
now powerfully intercede for him from heaven.
Amen.
Link:
By SBrinkmann
The following is the email we received on Sunday:
“May the Lord give you His peace!
Most of us remember when Father Benedict had his accident. It was about 10 years ago, and his life was in a balance. That was when a prayer for Father’s healing was promoted on EWTN. It is believed that it was the power of literally thousands of us praying for Father that moved Our Lord to heal him and restore him to us.
Two weeks ago Father Benedict had another accident. He fell directly on the arm which was shattered so long ago. His age and his weakness contraindicate the surgery that would restore his arm. Although he seems to be doing well, he is weak and in pain.
At yesterday’s associate’s day Father Glenn asked us to begin another round of prayer for Father Benedict, but with a difference. When Fr. Benedict was a novice he lived with a holy friar who is now up for beatification: Venerable Solanus Casey. We are asked to pray the below prayer for Father Benedict through the intercession of Venerable Solanus Casey only, and to pass this prayer on to all contemplative communities, and prayer chains that we know. Yes, we are asking for healing for Father Benedict, but also for the miracle that Venerable Solanus needs for beatification. All for the glory of God.
Thank you!!”
Prayer for Fr. Benedict:
O Gracious and loving father,
we humbly implore You
to look kindly upon Your son and servant
Father Benedict Joseph.
Invoking Your Divine Mercy,
we ask that You manifest in a unique, evident, and wonderful way
relief from the burden of his present illness and injury.
As we approach Your Holy Majesty
with certain faith, sure hope, and full confidence,
we beg to obtain this special grace;
so that he may receive even now
a foretaste of the full reward
that awaits him in the future.
We entrust this prayer in a special way
to Your dedicated and faithful servant,
Father Solanus Casey.
May this holy friar,
who so inspired Father Benedict here on earth,
now powerfully intercede for him from heaven.
Amen.
Link:
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Our Catholic Tabloid Frenzy About Fallen Priests
By Father Gordon J MacRae
The scales of Saint Michael the Archangel symbolize the balance of God’s justice with God’s mercy. Can the Church reflect justice with mercy for fallen priests?
(These Stone Walls) A few older posts on These Stone Walls keep showing up in our monthly stats revealing new reader interest. Nine months after I wrote “Father Benedict Groeschel at EWTN: Time for a Moment of Truth,” it still draws lots of readers and new comments. Another post, “Goodbye, Good Priest! Father John Corapi’s Kafkaesque Catch-22,” is two years old this week, but still draws scores of readers searching for news of Fr. Corapi. A reader sent me a well written take on that controversy titled “Father Corapi and Praying for Priests” posted June 6 by Matthew Brower on his blog, Catholic Stand. Part of it caught my attention:
“I am aware of some of the events that transpired when things seemed to fall apart for Fr. Corapi and there is much more that I do not know. During those days it seemed like the Catholic media and blogs were spilling over daily with reports and wild speculation. Some of what was reported was no doubt true but it certainly seemed to me we were witnessing a sort of Catholic tabloid frenzy where the line between fact and irresponsible speculation was blurred. I believe very few do have all the relevant facts.”Matthew Brower, an attorney in private practice in Montana, is a Notre Dame alumnus who earned his Juris Doctor with honors at Ave Maria School of Law. His post two years after Fr. John Corapi’s fall from grace is not at all a defense of the priest, nor do I defend him here. That wasn’t Mr. Brower’s point and it isn’t mine. He wrote further:
“Most of those I know who looked up to Fr. Corapi as an inspiration and confirming voice have remained close to the Church and seemingly grown in faith, understanding well that it is God alone we worship and not those he has sent to draw us closer to Himself.”I say “AMEN!” to that, and “Bravo” to Matthew Brower for having the courage to point it out. I have written elsewhere that I became very uncomfortable with the pedestal upon which Father Corapi stood – whether he wanted to stand there or not, I do not know – and from which he fell from grace two years ago with a loud crash. I was troubled by the self-description of so many of his admirers that they were “followers” of Father Corapi. It was a lesson learned. I don’t want followers. I can’t have followers. I don’t recall the specific post, but I remember writing a plea to TSW readers in reaction to this: “Please don’t follow me. Follow Christ!” If ever the day comes that I point only to me and not to Christ, it is that day that I must stop writing.
ANGELIC JUSTICE
There is another of my posts that endures in reader interest, and it shows up in current stats more than any other. It was written nearly three years ago, but it drew over 300 new readers in May. That post is “Angelic Justice: Saint Michael the Archangel and the Scales of Hesed” in which I wrote about the symbolism of St. Michael’s iconic scales.
After that post was published, readers sent me dozens of holy cards with icons of Saint Michael (laminated cards are not allowed), all of which are now on my cell wall. One is on my coffee cup. Some of the nicer icons have since migrated over to my friend, Pornchai’s side of the cell. When I inquired, he said, “Well … umm … He does have wings, you know!”
After posting “Angelic Justice,” a friend sent me a Saint Michael medal. On the back is engraved, “Justice for Fr. Gordon MacRae.” It’s very nice and a privilege to wear, but there is a lot more to the story of Saint Michael. He isn’t just the Patron Saint of Justice. He is the Patron Saint of Mercy as well, and the two cannot be separated for as that post reveals, they are among the highest attributes of God in Judeo-Christian tradition.
Saint Michael’s scales do not signify the meting out of God’s justice, but rather the balancing of God’s justice with mercy. The two aspects of the justice equation symbolized by Saint Michael’s scales cannot be separated, for justice without mercy is little more than vengeance, and vengeance is not ours to have (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19)... (continued)
Link:
Related:
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Father Benedict Groeschel at EWTN: Time for a Moment of Truth
By Father Gordon J. MacRae
In the media crucible reserved for high profile priests, Father Benedict Groeschel was next in line to be smeared. There’s more to this story, and here it is.
I have known Father Benedict Groeschel for forty years. I began religious life as a Capuchin in the New York Province when Father Groeschel served on the Provincial and formation staffs. He was a mentor and a friend when I was a young man of 22 trying to discern competing calls to the priesthood and religious life. Having completed a novitiate year, I was a young friar bound by simple profession, but left the Capuchins after four years – under very good terms – to commence theological studies in preparation for diocesan priesthood in 1978. Over the ensuing years and decades, Father Benedict Groeschel and I remained in occasional contact.
About
25 years ago, Father Groeschel and seven other priests broke ranks from
the Capuchin order to found the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, a
movement that reflected his deeply felt longing to live a life that was
outwardly faithful to the spirit of poverty and charism of Saint Francis
of Assisi. In the quarter century since, Father Groeschel has gifted
the Church with a valiant priestly life marked by self-sacrifice and
true Gospel witness. His legacy to the Church as a priest, a friar, an
author and lecturer, a psychologist and revered spiritual adviser, is a
monument to all that is good and holy in our Church.
Now he has resigned under a cloud from his participation as a host at EWTN. Perhaps it is simply time that he did. Perhaps, at nearly age 80 and having survived a crippling and devastating accident several years ago, age and infirmity have caught up with this good priest. We should not refute his decision to step down, but we who are loyal to any semblance of truth and witness to the Gospel must not allow to stand the cloud of doubt under which he now removes himself from EWTN’s important television ministry. To paraphrase Sheriff Buford Fusser in my post, “Walking Tall: The Justice Behind the Eighth Commandment,” if we let America’s self-serving, self-righteous, and spiritually bankrupt news media have the last word on Father Benedict Groeschel, “then we give ‘em the eternal right to do the same damn thing to anyone of us!”
I don’t need to reframe and speculate upon the single, out-of-context phrase of Father Groeschel’s that has so roiled the news media and its pundits against him. In my view, his inability to predict the uproar his comment brought about may be evidence enough that his judgment has been compromised by age and infirmity. This entire story should have ended with little more said than that.
There is an irony to all this, however. The truth is that Father Groeschel has long been known among treatment professionals to take a hard line in regard to credible accusations against Catholic priests. He has long been known to advocate for the removal from all public ministry when priests are credibly accused. He has not advocated for forced laicization, a process that simply discards an accused priest, but he has for decades taken a position that no priest known by the Church to have been an abuser can EVER minister in a parish again. The truth is that if Father Benedict Groeschel had been listened to more closely over the decades of the 1980s and 1990s, the scandal of 2002 might have looked very different.
Father Groeschel strongly advocated for strict supervision and strictly enforced internal administrative assignments in all cases in which abuse by a priest was determined to be true. His public and private positions have always been the same, and were the polar opposite of what some in the news media now attribute to him.
A few years after the tidal wave of scandal swept over the Church and priesthood, Father Benedict Groeschel wrote to me in prison. It was shortly after I wrote an article for Catalyst entitled “Sex Abuse and Signs of Fraud” (November, 2005). It was the same article for which Avery Cardinal Dulles asked me to consider writing more frequently as documented in our “About” page. This is a paragraph from Father Groeschel’s 2005 letter:
Read More at These Stone Walls
Link:
In the media crucible reserved for high profile priests, Father Benedict Groeschel was next in line to be smeared. There’s more to this story, and here it is.
I have known Father Benedict Groeschel for forty years. I began religious life as a Capuchin in the New York Province when Father Groeschel served on the Provincial and formation staffs. He was a mentor and a friend when I was a young man of 22 trying to discern competing calls to the priesthood and religious life. Having completed a novitiate year, I was a young friar bound by simple profession, but left the Capuchins after four years – under very good terms – to commence theological studies in preparation for diocesan priesthood in 1978. Over the ensuing years and decades, Father Benedict Groeschel and I remained in occasional contact.
Now he has resigned under a cloud from his participation as a host at EWTN. Perhaps it is simply time that he did. Perhaps, at nearly age 80 and having survived a crippling and devastating accident several years ago, age and infirmity have caught up with this good priest. We should not refute his decision to step down, but we who are loyal to any semblance of truth and witness to the Gospel must not allow to stand the cloud of doubt under which he now removes himself from EWTN’s important television ministry. To paraphrase Sheriff Buford Fusser in my post, “Walking Tall: The Justice Behind the Eighth Commandment,” if we let America’s self-serving, self-righteous, and spiritually bankrupt news media have the last word on Father Benedict Groeschel, “then we give ‘em the eternal right to do the same damn thing to anyone of us!”
I don’t need to reframe and speculate upon the single, out-of-context phrase of Father Groeschel’s that has so roiled the news media and its pundits against him. In my view, his inability to predict the uproar his comment brought about may be evidence enough that his judgment has been compromised by age and infirmity. This entire story should have ended with little more said than that.
There is an irony to all this, however. The truth is that Father Groeschel has long been known among treatment professionals to take a hard line in regard to credible accusations against Catholic priests. He has long been known to advocate for the removal from all public ministry when priests are credibly accused. He has not advocated for forced laicization, a process that simply discards an accused priest, but he has for decades taken a position that no priest known by the Church to have been an abuser can EVER minister in a parish again. The truth is that if Father Benedict Groeschel had been listened to more closely over the decades of the 1980s and 1990s, the scandal of 2002 might have looked very different.
Father Groeschel strongly advocated for strict supervision and strictly enforced internal administrative assignments in all cases in which abuse by a priest was determined to be true. His public and private positions have always been the same, and were the polar opposite of what some in the news media now attribute to him.
A few years after the tidal wave of scandal swept over the Church and priesthood, Father Benedict Groeschel wrote to me in prison. It was shortly after I wrote an article for Catalyst entitled “Sex Abuse and Signs of Fraud” (November, 2005). It was the same article for which Avery Cardinal Dulles asked me to consider writing more frequently as documented in our “About” page. This is a paragraph from Father Groeschel’s 2005 letter:
“For the good of the Church and the priesthood, Father Gordon, I join the voices of others who urge you to stand always by the truth and to proclaim it boldly. Truth is always what will be in the best interest of the Church and priesthood. At the same time, I also want to caution you that not every case involving a priest is like the case against you. Some priests have used their office to commit grave offenses. Some have harmed vulnerable people and have harmed the priesthood and the Church. At the same time, like you, I also stand by efforts to assure a full hearing and due process for all priests who have been accused. False accusations must be immensely painful. I pray for you as you continue to pursue your innocence and expose the whole truth. The Church must face with courage both realities: the falsely accused and the plight of truthful victims of sexual abuse...” (continued)
Link:
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Cardinal Timothy Dolan Says Women Can Be Cardinals
Video: Fr. Groeschel and Cardinal Timothy Dolan Say it's possible.
From Vestal Morons:
Well, this one threw me for a loop today: but apparently it is theoretically possible for the pope to appoint women as cardinals of the Catholic Church...
Who knew?..
Update: Shea’s post has started quite the heated exchange between him and Sean P. Dailey over at Shea’s blog. When I search my innermost soul, I think Dailey probably has some good points about the potential that appointing a female cardinal could have in terms of scandal: i.e. sending the unintentional message that female ordination is a-ok with the Church. The niceties of theology and canon law don’t typically get translated well in the world’s media, and a technical exception that theoretically allows a woman to be made a cardinal would probably very quickly become: “Pope bows to feminist demands: ordains woman cardinal,” etc. It probably wouldn’t be pretty...
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Friar Pluck
November 22-28, 2009 Issue | Posted 11/14/09 at 12:11 AM
Father Benedict Groeschel has spent a lifetime evangelizing, preaching, teaching, writing books and reforming religious life.
Recently celebrating 50 years as a priest, the Franciscan Friar of the Renewal shows little sign of slowing down, in spite of a serious car accident several years ago and a minor stroke earlier this year. He still appears live on EWTN each Sunday evening and is getting ready to release yet another book.
In a wide-ranging interview with Register correspondent Celeste Behe Oct. 25, Father Benedict, 76, discussed growing up, discovering his vocation and the highlights of his many years in religious life.
You celebrated your first Mass at your home parish of St. Aloysius in Caldwell, N.J. Today, 50 years later, you returned to St. Aloysius to celebrate Mass once again. What were your thoughts upon entering the church?
I went to live at St. Aloysius in 1933 with my family; I’m the oldest of six children. In that church, most of my brothers and sisters were baptized. We all made our confirmation there; I was ordained and said my first Mass there; my parents and my brother were buried from that church. It’s so beautiful to have one’s family united in a parish.
You and your family had strong ties to the parish.
In those days, the parish was the center of social life; it determined who you were. In Jersey City, where I grew up, if someone asked where you were from, you told him the name of your parish. Most of the time, the churches were called by their popular names, like St. Al’s or St. Pete’s or OLPH. And if you lived in Brooklyn, you weren’t from New York, you were from Sacred Heart. I was in New York working at Children’s Village, an agency for homeless and delinquent kids. There I met a fellow from Jersey City who was a Baptist. I asked him, “Where are you from?” He said, “St. Mary’s.” I said, “You, too?” That was his identity.
When did you feel that you had a vocation to the priesthood?
I knew that I was supposed to be a priest when I was 7 years old. I was somewhat disappointed because I wanted to be a fireman. Near our house in Jersey City was the firehouse with the beautiful engines and the firemen who would give the kids candy and nuts. We used to listen for an alarm so that we could watch the firemen sliding down the poles.
Then in second grade I had a wonderful teacher, Sister Theresa. She would go out every day to bring food to a poor old woman who lived in a tenement. One day I went up the fire escape and looked in the old lady’s window. Now, the only movie I had seen was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which you may recall has a very awful witch in it. So I looked in the window, and there was the witch, about six inches away from me. I jumped off the milk box that I’d been standing on and ran up the street into the Church of Our Lady of Victory, praying because I had seen a witch. While I was praying, something told me to be a priest. It was an extremely clear thought that did not come from myself. It was like the “something” that clicks in the mind of an inventor and suddenly the idea is there. So I came out of the church knowing that I would be a priest, but I didn’t tell anybody.
You speak fondly of the Dominican Sisters of Caldwell who taught you in school. Did they encourage you in your vocation?
Sister Consolata, who taught me in the third grade, gave me a holy card and wrote on the back “ora pro me.” My dad said, “Why did she write it in Latin?” I asked Sister Consolata, and she said, “Because you’re going to be a priest.” So there it was: Sister blew my cover!
These very good sisters gave me a wonderful example of Christian life and faith. Sister Theresa had taken care of the poor woman, so I also wanted to take care of poor people. And what’s the most obvious thing to do but become a priest? So I started reading about being a friar. I decided to be a Capuchin friar, and for many years, I was chaplain of Children’s Village.
The Dominican Sisters were excellent teachers. I am heartbroken, just heartbroken that they are gone. Recently, I met three of my classmates. We talked about where to have dinner, and we decided to have it at the motherhouse. We had a picnic supper because no one lives at the motherhouse anymore. It’s very sad.
What did your family have to say when they learned that you were going to be a priest?
My family always knew that I would be a priest, and they had always supported me. But I still couldn’t help thinking, “Who wants to be a priest? I want to be a fireman!” And it didn’t help that the parish priest’s house looked more than a little foreboding.
You became a Capuchin in 1951, but in 1987 you and seven other Capuchins left to start the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. What led you to make that move?
We felt that the Capuchins needed to have a reform. Right now, the Capuchins are varied in different areas; in some places, we would be quite at peace with them. Generally, they are in the area of getting life back together. You see, the whole Church is moving toward a Catholicism that is more authentic, more observant, more enthusiastic, and theologically more orthodox. I profoundly disagreed with the rather laissez-faire, casual kind of liturgy and Catholicism. There are good people on that side, and I disagree with them and they disagree with me. But I have to tell you this: They’re all getting old. I have never found one person under the age of 32 who agrees with their position. Very interesting!
So you feel that young Catholics are moving towards a more traditional practice of the faith?
Well, I was at a Catholic college recently which is sort of edging toward becoming a secular school, and the students were totally against that. When I gave my talk there, the students were behind me 100%. Groups like the Cardinal Newman Society are changing the face of higher Catholic education, which right now is largely in disaster. I wrote the introduction to their Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College, and I can say that there are authentically Catholic schools out there. Things are changing, and more and more colleges are finally getting themselves together.
What do you believe has been the impetus behind this renewal?
You cannot say; you can only blame the Holy Spirit. I have to tell you that the more traditional people did not win the battle; it was a standoff, but things nonetheless started to change. You find in this country that the mainstream Protestant churches are dying off; nobody goes to them. It’s the evangelical Protestant churches that are doing well. Also, many young Jews who had no actual religious training are becoming orthodox Jews. And even among young Catholics who are not particularly observant, there is at least an interest in the faith. God himself, through the Holy Spirit, is calling to souls, and I’m absolutely delighted with the changes that are taking place. The pendulum has swung.
How are these changes affecting the seminaries?
Today there are much better young men coming out of excellent seminaries: St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y., where I’ve been teaching for 45 years, St. Charles in Philadelphia, Mount St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg, Md., and a number of others. During the crazy ’70s and ’80s, there naturally were differences of opinion about the religious life and even about the observance of the Christian life. The seminaries were in a miserable state; they were awful. Some seminaries acquired such bad reputations that people would speak about those seminaries almost to the point of scandal. I’ve talked to a number of very fine priests who went to those seminaries, and they suffered all the way through. Interestingly enough, some of them came to the priesthood with a very strong faith because they fought against the seminary all along the way. But now, everywhere you go, seminaries are moving in the right direction.
How did the seminaries of 30 years ago fall into such a state?
People were naive. They thought that the Church was going to become much more casual, and that certain immoral sexual behaviors would come to be accepted. The whole situation is different now. I used to be Public Enemy No. 1 in a number of seminaries. I still have plenty of enemies, but at age 76, I don’t care, because I’m checking out of here anyway.
Do you feel that the prevalence of single-parent families has affected the number of vocations to the priesthood?
Interestingly enough, I know a number of very fine seminarians who are from families that have been divided by divorce. Many of the kids raised in broken families spend some time with each of their parents; they at least have “pieces” of the family around. But what about children without parents? Many of them have surrogate parents. In my own life, because I worked at a home for kids, every year I get Christmas cards signed “to the only father I ever had.” Some of these cards are from young men who had no idea who their fathers were. And so they would grow quite close to me. You know, years ago there was this ideal of the healthy, smiling Catholic family, which is not always what you can expect right now. I know many dedicated priests and friars who come from very difficult situations. Divine grace does things.
Can you tell me about people of other faiths who have been a part of your life?
Dr. Creighton was a very good friend of mine. He was a young Presbyterian minister of 25 when I was a kid of about 15. In the Presbyterian church, as in many other Protestant churches, they have communion once a month at the 11 a.m. service. In Dr. Creighton’s church, by the time he retired, communion was given every Sunday, both at the 9:30 and the 11 service. Dr. Creighton passed away recently, and I went to his funeral. The minister who spoke at his funeral told us that between the two services, the bread and wine that had been blessed was left on a table with two candles and covered with a white cloth. Aha! And much to my utter surprise, at the end of the service for Dr. Creighton, the minister led us in a prayer for his soul on his way to God. Now that is absolutely Catholic!
Another friend was Mr. Graff, the Jewish tailor in my old neighborhood. Right before I left for seminary, I went to visit him. I was standing there in my suit that didn’t quite fit, and Mr. Graff gave me this piece of advice: “Be a good boy.” I also remember the Baptist ladies in Harlem who would come around every Thursday to visit their “sweet Lord Jesus” in the Blessed Sacrament. And I say to myself, “We are all moving.”
What about people from your old parish?
I know two old women, both are Eucharistic ministers, and I knew them 40 years ago when their kids were in our school. It’s interesting; these women were prostitutes. That’s what happens to old prostitutes; they become Eucharistic ministers! But 40 years ago, they were doing what they could to earn a living. The poor souls knew that the Church didn’t approve of it, but they didn’t know why. Fortunately, God’s grace knows no limits. So now those two women are wearing large crosses around their necks.
Father, of the many books you’ve written, which do you think has touched the most readers?
My book Arise From Darkness, which is about suffering and chaos, sold about 100,000 copies. My recent book, Tears of God, goes beyond darkness to catastrophe. The death of an elderly person is not a catastrophe; it’s a loss; it’s a sorrow. The terminal illness of a child is a catastrophe. Even those in the medical profession call it a catastrophic illness. The stories in Tears of God are about several people who lived in my area. Members of one family were murdered during a break-in. Some other people were in terrible car accidents. Everybody has sorrow in his life, but only some people experience catastrophe. But it could happen to anybody.
I have a book coming out within the next few weeks called After This Life: What Catholics Believe About What Happens Next. It’s about what we call the “last things.” I write about death, heaven and purgatory, and very briefly on hell, because frankly, I don’t think that most of the people who read my books are on their way to hell. At least, I hope not!
How do you explain suffering to people who have experienced catastrophe?
Well, in Tears of God, I explain what catastrophe means in Christ’s life. The end of his life, humanly speaking, was a horrible catastrophe. He was tortured; he was betrayed; he was murdered. When Christ died on the cross, only one apostle was there, a boy, along with the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Mary Magdalene. But also standing near the cross were the women who had followed Christ up from Galilee. We know nothing about these women, but they were the loyal witnesses. If I were a bishop, I’d open a church called “The Church of the Holy Women of Galilee.” You know, Italian painters depict the Last Judgment with Christ and the whole line of apostles, with the Blessed Virgin Mary in the middle, St. Mary Magdalene on one end and St. John on the other. I don’t believe we’ll see that on Judgment Day; I believe the Galilean women are going to be there in that lineup. Because they were doing what they were supposed to be doing; the apostles were out for lunch.
Have any of your friends or family experienced a loss of faith? How have you dealt with it?
I have a friend who is getting on in years and does not go to church at all. I told him, “I may live longer than you do. If you die, what should I do then?” He said that he would want to be cremated. I said, “I hope you won’t object to my offering several Masses for you.” He answered, “I would be so pleased.” I didn’t want to say “Do you have faith?” because that is a question that will get you into an argument. Instead, I asked, “Do you have hope?” He paused and said, “I don’t know,” and I said, “I will pray.”
You see, no one is going to say, “I have no hope.” Now that is something to think about.
If you have family and friends who appear to have lost faith, say to them, “Do you have any hope?” Pray for them; pray for them very much. And remember that there is always hope.
Celeste Behe writes
from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
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