In just a few short years, vocations to the priesthood in the Archdiocese of Detroit will look vastly different than they do today. God will provide the grace needed to rise to the challenge, but each of us needs to do our part. In an address to the lay faithful, Fr. Craig Giera, Director of Priestly Vocations, shares how we can support the mission of priestly vocations in our archdiocese.

Video Transcript

Hello. My name is Fr. Craig Giera, and I am the Director of Priestly Vocations for the Archdiocese of Detroit.

You may have heard that we have a vocation crisis going on in our world, but that’s not exactly true. God has not stopped calling men to the priesthood. Rather, we have a hearing problem, or a listening problem. Because this world is so loud and noisy, men aren’t hearing God’s generous offer to become a priest. And because of that, that means less priests serve you.

In just a few short years, here in the Archdiocese of Detroit, there is going to be a significant drop in the number of active priests to serve you. That means less Masses being said, less confessions being heard, priests not there to be able to celebrate in the joys, and to be with you there through the struggles. And I don’t say this to cause despair, but rather to stir up that gift of hope that was given to us at our baptism, that theological virtue that says we have already won in Christ. God will provide the grace that we need to accept this challenge, but we need to do our part.

Our first response should be prayer. Prayer is powerful. Prayer is not a consolation prize. And I have consecrated the vocations department, and all its work, and all the young men in the Archdiocese of Detroit who do have a vocation to the priesthood to her immaculate heart, that she will protect and guide them. But I have also committed to saying an extra Rosary every single day — the Luminous Mysteries for priestly vocations — and I invite you to do the same. And if you can’t do it every day, at least once a week. Can you imagine that if even just half the archdiocese prayed a Rosary a day for vocations, the generous response we would receive?

Secondly, we need to encourage and we need to invite — we need to talk to our grandsons, talk to our sons, and our nephews, maybe an altar server — someone in our life that we think does have the characteristics to make a good, holy priest, and to sit them down and to make it a sacred moment, a special moment. Saying that, “I believe you would make a good priest. I’ll pray with you on that. I’ll be here for you.” To be a St. Barnabas, a son of encouragement.

I’m so excited to share with you our new brand and our new website, detroitpriestlyvocations.com. In it, you’ll find a bunch of resources that will help support priestly vocations. There’s also many resources for men who are discerning the call to the priesthood. I’m also so incredibly excited to work with you, to work with your pastors, to work in your parishes, and in your schools, your religious education programs, your young adult ministries. Just call our office and we can set something up, and we can work together in this wonderful task.

Brothers and sisters, St. Paul reminds us that hope does not disappoint, because the love of Christ has been poured forth into our hearts. Together let us hope, but also to pray, invite, and encourage young men to consider the priesthood.

I look forward to working with you in the future.

Thank you, and God bless.