"Who Will Fill My Shoes?" - Year of the Priest

Fr. Joseph Noonan of the Archdiocese of Chicago on the need for new vocations to the priesthood:

Recently, a retired priest left his shoes in the sanctuary and processed out of his final Mass of his parish in his stocking feet! In his parting words, he challenged his congregation to invite and encourage vocations to the priesthood and religious life. After decades of loving service, in which he was fulfilled as a priest and Christian man, he asked his congregation, “Who will fill my shoes as a priest for the Archdiocese?”

Today we have faith filled men enrolled in our seminaries who are enthusiastically, joyfully, and courageously answering the call of Christ to be a priest to serve Him and our local Church. We simply need more of these excellent men to answer the call that is there yet being unheard or ignored. The need for more priests stems from the need to outreach and continue to proclaim the gospel, to bring people to a loving faith filled relationship with Jesus Christ, to offer the sacraments and mediate God's grace...Continued