Dear Parish Family:
Believe it or not; it has been two years since the Archdiocese of Indianapolis last had an ordination to the priesthood.
Fr. Vinny Gillmore and Fr. Tim DeCrane were our last priests to be ordained on June 1, 2019. Yet, since then, our Archdiocese has had multiple priests die, take leaves of absence, and retire. This has left us stretched covering parishes, weekend Masses, and other sacramental needs.
You can imagine these are reasons why St. Malachy has been without an associate pastor since January 2019 and why I promote “V” Vocations in the CLOVER model. I believe encouraging young men to consider a vocation to the priesthood as a diocesan priest is all of our responsibility if we want to see the sacramental life of the Church continue.
There is a saying: No priests, No Eucharist! So, how can you help?
First, pray God send holy vocations to the priesthood. Pray for the vocations of your children and grandchildren. You can join us on the first Tuesdays of the month at the Eucharistic Holy Hour which is dedicated to prayer for vocations. Ultimately, God is in control and gives us our shepherds. “So ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest” (Mt 9:38).
Second, we should create a “culture” of vocations in our parish and homes where we are not afraid to talk about the beauty and wonder of priestly and religious vocations. Developing a family devotional life (like daily rosaries, chaplets, homes adorned by holy images, using sacramentals, etc.) encourages vocations too. These practices help children to know God is everywhere, especially in our homes, encouraging them to talk to God regularly.
And, third, invite young men to experience opportunities that show the power of God’s calling—visiting a seminary, attending vocation talks, and especially by attending ordinations to the priesthood and newly ordained priests’ first Masses of Thanksgiving.
When I was in sixth grade, my grandparents took me to every ordination in the Archdiocese through high school. Experiencing the ritual, the jubilant music, the number of priests, and the Archbishop himself left a lasting impression on me and my vocational discernment. I was blessed to even serve several newly ordained priests’ first Masses of Thanksgiving over those years and then in seminary. Each time, it renewed my sense of God’s calling for me.
This year, we are blessed because one of the two men to be ordained for the Archdiocese is from our parish—Deacon Matthew Perronie. He and Deacon Michael Clawson will be ordained priests for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis on Saturday, June 4, at 10:00am in the Cathedral of SS Peter and Paul, Indianapolis. I encourage you to attend and to bring your son or grandson. It will certainly make a powerful impression on him.
The following day, Sunday, June 5, Father Matthew Perronie will celebrate his first Mass of Thanksgiving here at St. Malachy at 3:00pm (In case you were wondering, attending that Mass takes care of your Sunday obligation that weekend). So, come! And bring your son or grandson. It will be a wonderful celebration and experience.
There will also be a reception to follow in the gym where you will have an opportunity to receive the “first blessing” from newly ordained Father Matthew Perronie. If you are unaware, the Church offers special graces to someone who receives the “first blessing” of a newly ordained priest—his hand recently anointed with Sacred Chrism, you can often still smell the Chrism on his hands.
I invite you to make arrangements to attend this year’s priestly ordinations and/or first Mass of Thanksgiving of Father Matthew Perronie. It will be a very blessed celebration for our Archdiocese and parish.
In Jesus, through Mary and Saint Joseph,
Father Danda
