Holy Orders

From the moment of Jesus' conception in the womb of Mary until his Resurrection, he was filled with the Holy Spirit. In biblical language, he was anointed by the Holy Spirit and thus established by God the Father as our high priest. As Risen Lord, he remains our high priest . . . While all the baptized share in Christ's priesthood, the ministerial priesthood shares this through the Sacrament of Holy Orders in a special way.

Ordination to the priesthood is always a call and a gift from God. Christ reminded his Apostles that they needed to ask the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into the harvest. Those who seek priesthood respond generously to God's call using the words of the prophet, "Here I am, send me" (Is 6:8). This call from God can be recognized and understood from the daily signs that disclose his will to those in charge of discerning the vocation of the candidate.

Message from Fr. Diehm - June 18, 2023

The Gospel for this weekend gives us a rare glimpse into the interior life of Jesus.  The opening lines declare,

“At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.” This one simple line tells us a lot about Jesus’ Sacred Heart. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is capable of the same kind of emotions we feel. Jesus is true God, but He is also true Man. And it’s His true humanity where He feels deeply for our human situations. God is not blind to our difficulties, nor is He uncaring in the face of our sufferings. Jesus is moved by human circumstances. And it’s because Jesus is moved by our human circumstances that He wants His Church to have human leaders who, like Him, will likewise be moved by the situations of others. And so Jesus says to His disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send our laborers for his harvest .” We often take this as an invitation to pray for vocations to the priesthood, and rightly so. But in fact, ALL OF US can be laborers to bring in the harvest. Parents  can  and  should  support  vocations  to  the  priesthood  among  their sons. Parents and grandparents should encourage children and grandchildren to get married in the Church. Neighbors should share the good news of the Gospel with their neighbors.

You might have heard it said, “The Church is not a  cruise  ship  where  a  handful  of  people  serve  everyone  else  who  is  relaxing. No, the Church is a battleship where it’s “all hands on deck” and everyone serves the mission.”

 May we pray for more vocations to the priesthood; and in the meantime, may all of us become laborers to bring in the abundant harvest of souls for the kingdom of God!

God bless, 

Fr. Diehm

Archdiocese of Dubuque - Vocation Discernment

Dubuque Area Vocation Association, known as DAVA, promotes, encourages, and accompanies discerners who feel called to the vocation of sister, brother and priest. DAVA was formed in 2000 as a collaborative vocation ministry effort among various religious communities in the Dubuque, Iowa, area and the Archdiocese of Dubuque. It has since expanded to include members along the Upper Mississippi Valley. DAVA members recognize, acknowledge and affirm the baptismal call of all Christians and they reach out to nurture, promote, encourage and help those who feel called to religious life.

Learn more on DAVA’s website: http://discernyourvocation.org/

For more information on Vocations: Archdiocese of Dubuque/Vocations

For information on St. Pius X Seminary Program: https://dbqarch.org/experience-the-seminary

For more information on the Sacrament of Holy Orders, click here.

Prayer for Vocations

 Gracious and loving God, help the
men and women of our parish to hear the
call to serve in the Archdiocese of Dubuque.
Our needs are great and our people
thirst for your presence.
 
Open the hearts of many, raise up
faithful servants of the Gospel, dedicated,
holy priests, sisters, brothers and deacons,
who will spend themselves for your people and their needs.
 
Bless those who are serving now
with courage and perseverance.
Grant that many will be inspired by their
example and faith.
 
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.