The longest continuous responsibility that I have had as a priest is serving our diocese as the Director of the Office for Vocations. In fact, all but two of my thirteen years as a priest has had me involved in vocations ministry. Over those eleven years, it has been my experience that there are few other causes that people in our diocese are united around than praying for vocations. We all know how much priests are needed for the continued sacramental life of our parishes, so praying for men to consider a call to the priesthood is a pretty easy ask. In particular, the people of our diocese love praying for our seminarians, those men who have discerned that God might be calling them to the priesthood, and who have taken a step in faith to enter the seminary. Our seminarians share regularly how supported they feel because of the prayers and other forms of encouragement offered by the good people of our diocese.
Regarding seminarians, there are few things that make a parish prouder than when one of their own enters into the seminary. Here at the Cathedral, we are actually blessed to have two of our current crop of seminarians who call our parish home. First of all, we have Joseph Tuttle, a name that many of you probably do not recognize. Joseph is actually originally from Rockford, but he happens to be Father Dominic Rankin’s cousin! When he discerned the possibility of joining our diocese, we wanted to give him a parish with which to be affiliated, and with Father Rankin living here at the Cathedral, it makes sense for him to call this home. You may see Joseph around during some of the breaks from St. Meinrad Seminary in Southern Indiana, where he attends. He has been assigned at different parishes in the diocese the past two summers to get him some more exposure to the diocese. He is beginning his third year of formation, and God-willing, will be ordained a priest in 2028.
Our other seminarian is Steven Kehoe, a name that might sound a little more familiar if you pay close attention to our bulletin. For the past several months, Steven has served as our bookkeeper. He has also been doing a variety of custodial duties as well. Steven spent several months in a religious order and after leaving, began discerning a call to the priesthood. Knowing that entering seminary would still be several months off, he was looking for a job and his skills fit our needs perfectly! Steven would begin just about every day here by attending the 7 am Mass, usually with his parents, Janet and Steve. When the workday was over, he would usually head back to the church to pray, and then would return home a little before 6 pm, usually with his younger sister, Rose, who usually attends the 5:15 pm Mass. Although we are happy for Steven that he is beginning seminary formation, he will be missed here in the office, as he made a big impact on the staff in the short time he was with us. Steven is just beginning seminary, though he already has a college degree. He is looking at about six years of formation, so God-willing, he would be ordained a priest in 2030. He is also attending St. Meinrad Seminary.
So, I invite you to continue to pray for all of our seminarians, and especially for Joseph and Steven. As the Cathedral parish, we have a lot to be proud of already, being the Mother Church of the diocese, and our (healthy) pride is multiplied with these two men from our parish, preparing, God-willing, to be priests one day.
Father Alford