One of the best kept secrets* in Cincinnati is the renaissance in priestly vocations begun by former vocations director Fr. Mark Watkins. From barely a trickle of ordinations in the eighties and nineties, the Archdiocese now boasts about 4-8 per year thanks largely to his efforts.
How did he do it? By recognizing that God makes the call; his job as vocations director is simply to help men hear it by preaching the Gospel with clarity and confidence.
That program is now in the able hands of Fr. Kyle Schnippel, a young priest willing to channel orthodoxy through technology to help more good men hear the call. Earlier this year, he launched a terrific vocations site. He's now entered the blogosphere with his "Called by Name" blog. Here's a sample from a post that brilliantly dissects Fr. Donald Cozzens's "minimalist view" of the gift of celibacy:
If the priesthood were a job, maybe. But as it is, the priesthood is a way of life and a vocation, a calling by God to something more. Only those who embrace this completely can transcend the ho-hum operation of a parish to flourish as the spiritual father of his own slice of the world.
Stop over at Fr. Schnippel's site and say hello. And you might also pray for the half-dozen men I am told are giving serious consideration to entering the seminary this fall.
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* You can find a related post here.
