Reverend Mr. Kevin Drew
Kenrick-Glennon Seminary;
4th year Theology
Home Parish:
Our Lady of Good Counsel, Kansas City
Birthday:
April 5th
How fruitful a vineyard of vocations is the sacristy! To see a priest making his meditation before Mass does more for an altar boy's vocation than a thousand pieces of inspirational literature.
The quote above is from the section "Fostering Vocations" in a book titled The Priest Is Not His Own by Archbishop Fulton Sheen. When I read this part of the book, my pastor, Monsignor William Blacet, came to mind. He truly understands that part of his duty as a father is to generate spiritual children for the Lord's Vineyard. Monsignor offers Mass reverently and keeps his church quiet and dignified so people can take refuge from the noisy broken world. This allows them to listen to God's whisper, for as Sheen says: "God doesn't shout a vocation."
My Grandma Schmidt kept house for a priest for twenty-nine years. Two of her sons, my Uncles Anthony and Carl, ordained in 1950, have been priests for sixty. Their little sister, my mother, has had the unenviable task of praying for me for a long time. Her prayerful guidance and counsel, along with good priests like Monsignor and my uncles, has been crucial in fostering and sustaining my response to God's call. God is indeed calling. Whoever has ears ought to hear (Mt. 11:15).