April 2022 Meeting Jesus Changes Everything By Fr. Stephen Durkee, Director of Priestly Vocations Several weeks ago, the middle schoolers at my parish had their winter retreat. It is very common during these retreats for there to be an opportunity…
Isolated but not alone March 2022 By Fr. Stephen Durkee At the moment, I am sitting in the Dominican Republic. I am “stuck” here. By the time this article reaches print, the COVID-19 omicron surge and the new year will…
January/February 2022 A Pivotal Weekend...the Vianney Visit helps young men discern whether seminary is right for them by Fr. Stephen Durkee. “May I use your pen?” I asked nervously to the lady seated next to me in the airport. I…
December 2021 A fresh Incarnation Father Stephen Durkee is director of priestly vocations for the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids. One of my favorite prayers at Mass is probably one most of us never hear. It is one of those…
October 2021 Why I am excited to be a pastor... Have you ever felt totally loved by somebody? Have you ever been in someone’s presence and felt this deep sense of belonging and connection? This person that you sit in…
‘Get used to different’ Sept. 2021 Jesus calls fishermen, tax collectors and, yes, you At the beginning of the pandemic, friends in the parish started to recommend The Chosen, a popular television show about the life of Jesus. It is…
A seminarian prepares for priesthood June 5, 2021 Dcn. Noah Thelen There are a few common questions I have received since I began telling people I was going to the seminary, such as, “What did you do before seminary? What…
What do the woman caught in adultery, St. Peter and Bartimaeus the blind man all have in common? THE WOMAN CAUGHT IN SIN: “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. … Then Jesus straightened up…
Pope Francis has declared 2021 the year of St. Joseph. In his apostolic letter Patris corde (“With a Father’s Heart”), Pope Francis explains the role of chastity in St. Joseph’s vocational call as the husband of Mary and the father…
Fatherhood is a beautiful vocation. We typically think of fatherhood as a husband married to a wife, where the two are now one flesh and give life to their own children. Fatherhood is the total and selfless love for…
