Thank Your Priest When You See Him
Thank you priest the next time you see him.
Just say thanks.
I found myself contemplating that on the drive home from the Feb. 24 Memorial Mass for Father Kenneth Graehler, who died Feb. 19. Father Joe Ziliak, the first editor of The Message, was the homilist at Father Graehler’s memorial, and he painted a picture I had never-before thought about, let alone tried to see.
Father Ziliak asked the people in an almost-full St. Joseph Church to think about how many lives Father Graehler touched during his priestly ministry. He then listed all the places Father Graehler served – parishes and schools – in almost four decades of active pastoral ministry. Those places include parishes and schools in 10 of our 12 counties, which I find amazing.
On the drive home, I tried to imagine all of the people Father Grahler encountered in all of those places – not just in church or in school, but on the street, in the grocery store, at the gas station … wherever. Our priests provide God’s witness everywhere, and not just when they’re “on duty.”
Father Graehler lived his life serving God … by serving us; all of us. And he continues to serve God – and all of us – as you read these words. He donated his body to science – to Indiana University – and that donation likely will be part of research that could save or improve many lives.
All of our priests are unselfish servants; I’m confident you have witnessed that, too. The least we can do is say thanks when we get the chance. Let’s also thank God, prayerfully, for the collective blessing of our priests – and for His Mercy.
We have a perfect example of our Lord’s merciful love this weekend, during which our priests will spend extended hours in confessionals across the diocese during the “24 Hours of Mercy.”
Whenever I write about what I consider to be one of our most important sacraments – Confession – I feel a bit like the parent who always is on his or her children to “eat their vegetables.” Deep down, all of us know we need to – even if we refuse to admit it – but there are so many who simply never get comfortable with the concept of personal confession.
Eight years ago, Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research of the Apostolate published the results of a study of self-identifying Catholics in which 45 percent – more than four in 10 who identify as Catholic – said they never went to Confession. In that same study, only two percent – two in 10! – said they went to Confession at least monthly or more often.
Pope Francis understands at least some of the reasons for those numbers, but he continues to invite all of us to encounter God’s Mercy through Confession. The Washington Post recently published a review of “The Name of God is Mercy,” the book-length interview the Holy Father had with Italian journalist Andrea Tornielli. In that review, Post writer Carlos Lozada included a few of the pope’s thought on Confession and Mercy:
“Mercy is God’s identity card.”
“…going to confession is not like taking your clothes to the dry-cleaner….”
“Confessing to a priest is a way of putting my life into the hands and heart of someone else, someone who in that moment acts in the name of Jesus.”
“Confessionals should never be torture chambers.”
I can speak from first-hand experience when I say no Diocese of Evansville confessional I have been in has taken on the air of a torture chamber – and our priests are responsible. Visit one of them in a confessional this weekend and encounter God’s Mercy and forgiveness for yourself.
