APRIL 30, 2006

A few years ago, the Catholic University conducted a nationwide survey of priests to assess their attitudes toward and satisfaction with their priesthood and the work that they do. According to the cover letter, out of 50,000 priests in the U.S., 1200 were selected as a random sampling to complete the form. What is interesting is that I received not one, but two forms. This means that out of 1200 specially selected priests, I am two of them! (I wonder if this is recognition that I work twice as hard as anybody else?)

There are about 100 questions in the survey, asking about levels of frustration, degree of satisfaction, amount of uncertainty, etc. In short, they are trying to find out if I am happy being a priest. This is appropriately timed since on Friday I celebrate the 33rd anniversary of my ordination, a period that lends itself to reflection and evaluation. It is natural at this point to ask oneself how content, how fulfilled and how effective one has been, whether there is a scientific survey to guide one or not.

How does one gauge effectiveness over a third of a century in the same profession? There is the quantitative approach: to count numbers. In 33 years, I have presided over hundreds of weddings, baptisms, funerals. I have celebrated thousands of Masses. I have heard tens of thousands of confessions, and I have recited hundreds of thousands of prayers. I have given talks, led retreats, preached revivals, missions and days of recollections; been on TV and radio and in plays; in newspapers, magazines and books. I have been: quoted and misquoted; bragged about and lied about; praised and insulted; accepted and rejected; cooperated with and opposed; understood and misunderstood - all in the name of the ministry I have tried to perform for the sake of the building of the Kingdom. Much has happened in the past 33 years according to the numbers, but statistics can not indicate effectiveness or contentment.

Other things also came in the mail: a letter from a person who has returned to the practice of the faith during this Easter season describing the liturgy here as "a great joy . . . (that) feels like a special gift from God"; a census form from an elderly man who is "coming home to the Church"; many get well cards for my surgery; "fan mail" from the kids saying they miss me at Mass; responses from my ordination classmates who are gathering at the Church at St. Mary on 5 PM Monday for an anniversary Mass and then dinner together at Primadonna. Any one of these things gives me more joy and satisfaction than statistics can express. Each event is a sign from God of effectiveness and contentment.

The academicians from Catholic University could have saved both paper and postage if they had simply asked me outright one simple question: after 33 years, are you glad that you are still a priest? The answer:

YES ! ! ! ! ! THANK GOD ! ! ! ! !