Open to the great adventure

By Father Tim Holeda|  The Catholic Compass  |  May/June 2022

The office of Seminarians and Vocations recently hosted its annual priesthood discernment retreat held at St. John Neumann Retreat Center in Tallahassee. It was the largest group of men in attendance in nearly 20 years.

The men participated in daily Mass, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and listened to talks from diocesan priests. These men should give us all a great deal of hope for the future of both our Church and the diocese! From different ages, backgrounds and levels of spirituality in discerning a possible vocation, it was edifying for me to witness their willingness to give an entire weekend to listen and be open to the possibility that the Lord is calling them to serve as priests of Jesus Christ. 

The theme for the weekend was “Is it worth it?” Is it worth the risk, the sacrifice, and the work of going into seminary and following the Lord as a priest? 

After celebrating my 10th anniversary of ordination this past year, I can say that it is indeed very much worth it. My experience of a call to the priesthood began as a mysterious attraction to giving my life away to God as a priest, which first manifested while reading an article on the priesthood in a secular magazine. Eventually, after being baptized 
and confirmed in the faith while in college, that call began to surface again. After a bit of a windy road and sometimes difficult road, it led to my ordination on June 4, 2011. 

During the retreat, I shared with the men some letters written to me over the years from parishioners expressing their gratitude for how the Lord had worked in their life through my ministry as a priest. Each priest, through their ministry of service and celebration of the sacraments, has the potential of touching thousands upon thousands of lives and truly making a difference in our world. 

So many people are hurting and suffering from loneliness and despair in our world. The witness of a priest can point a hurting soul to God, a God whose love is endless and gives meaning and purpose to life. So many see the difficult challenges that we face as a community and nation and want to do something about it. As priests, we want to do our part and make a difference, taking a stand against the nihilism that often pervades our culture. 

What can you do? First, we all need to pray for openness to God’s prompting in how we can “share the gift” of God’s love to the world. Second, we need to be unafraid of where that path might take us. If you’re a parent, encourage your children to be open to the possibility of a religious calling in their life. If you’re single and open to the great adventure – the priesthood or wherever God may be calling you – please reach out to our vocations office or visit our website at ptvocations.org. 

We need men and women with courage and fortitude willing to follow Christ wherever it may lead. Our life is not always glamorous; it can be difficult and challenging, but I can assure you that following Jesus Christ is totally worth it!