We would like to pass along this information about a meeting with
a Bishop in Section 1.
Last month, Fr Joe Elliot, Dave & Fran Mount (the Local Area
Exec for Vermont and Ogdensburg, NY, currently operating as part
of Vermont WWME), and Randy & Michelle Poissant paid a visit
to the new bishop, Robert J. Cunningham, of Ogdensburg NY, seeking
his support for Worldwide Marriage Encounter. They did not expect
a long reception, but the Bishop turned out to be quite supportive
and interested in the work of WWME. He reported on the visit in
his weekly web column. It points out (indirectly) how visiting our
Bishops can help them to understand our mission within the Church
and be more open to working together.
We are attaching a link to this page, as well as attaching a copy
of his comments. It pays to knock on doors...
DQ: What are my feelings about meeting with our Bishop to share
the mission of WWME?
From the Web Site for the Diocese of Ogdensburg http://www.dioogdensburg.org/
October 25, 2006 edition of the North Country Catholic
On a recent Saturday afternoon, I had the wonderful opportunity
of visiting with three couples active in Worldwide Marriage Encounter
together with Father Joseph Elliott, Pastor of St. Alexander’s
in Morrisonville and St. Joseph’s in Treadwell Mills and
Dean of Clinton County, and Mrs. Gayle Frank, co-director with
her husband, Deacon Gary Frank of our Diocesan Family Life Office.
My visitors told me how much Worldwide Marriage Encounter had
meant to them and to their marriage and asked for my continued
support for and assistance to this special and important Church
movement which has meant so much to so many. In a future column,
I look forward to sharing with you more about Worldwide Marriage
Encounter and to invite the participation of married couples of
our diocese striving to deepen and strengthen the sacramental
vows of their marriage.
Today however, I wish to speak about a project that is dear to
the heart of Worldwide Marriage Encounter couples called Priesthood
Sunday. Actually the celebration is one of two sponsored by national
groups – World
Priest Day, sponsored by Worldwide Marriage Encounter, usually
held in September, and Priesthood
Sunday that takes place in October sponsored by the USA Council
of Serra International.
This occasion gives me an opportunity to share my admiration and
appreciation and to thank the priests of our diocese once more
for all that they do. Day in and day out, they are there for you,
often in hidden and unappreciated ways. Let me tell you about
our priests.
The Diocese of Ogdensburg
has 124 diocesan priests: 86 are active and 38 are retired. Our
retired priests whose health permits continue to serve in countless
ways - filling in when priests are sick or on vacation, as counselors,
and confessors and spiritual directors. Freed from the ministry
of administration, they continue to bring the message of Christ
to people throughout our diocese and they are most willing to
continue to serve. At the present time, our 86 active priests
serve in parishes, hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, schools,
and diocesan administration. They are responsible for 123 parishes
and missions. The median age of our priests continues to rise;
35 are over seventy-five years of age and 9 are under forty. Priests
are receiving more responsibilities at a younger age. All priests
count on your continued support as they seek to serve your needs.
As we look to the future we need to continue our work of encouraging
vocations.
I also want to take this opportunity to thank the young men of
our diocese who responded to God’s call and who are discerning
a vocation at the present time in the seminary. Two students are
in Theology, the Reverend Mr. Bernard Menard at St. Mary’s
Seminary in Baltimore and Adam Crowe at St. Charles Seminary in
Philadelphia. Two seminarians are in a pre-theology program preparing
them for entrance into the major seminary. They are Michael Fallon
and Jon Dunham, who study at St. Vincent’s in Latrobe. There
are three students in College at St. Charles Seminary in Philadelphia,
Thomas Higman, Nicholas Newtown, and Zachary Tate. In addition,
Jeffrey Defayette of Plattsburgh is aspiring to enter seminary,
along with three other potential candidates seriously considering
entering the seminary next September.
The work of promoting vocations is a work incumbent on all of
us -- priests and people. Vocations come from families and our
families, which the Second Vatican Council calls the Domestic
Church, have a special responsibility to provide solid and strong
vocations for the future. Only the Holy Spirit can inspire those
who have received a vocation to respond, but we can do our part
by asking young men and women to consider being a laborer for
the Lord. Please ask Mary, the Mother of the Church, who is a
special patron of this Diocese, to permit minds and hearts to
be open to serving her Son in the priesthood or religious life.
And as we do so, let’s take the time to thank our priests
for what they do. They preach the word, they celebrate the sacraments,
and they serve our people. The priesthood is a gift to the whole
Church and our priests are a gift to us. Let’s cherish those
gifts in the fullest possible way.
Bishop Robert J. Cunningham
