Continuing our series of questions from High School students, comes the following: Why can’t women be priests?  As Catholics, doesn’t that mean we (are not?) equal, open and progressive? First, I added what is in the parenthesis, as the question didn’t make any sense without something in there. This question comes up repeatedly, and I answered   (What I mean by ‘positive’ is instead of answering a ‘negative’ question (why can’t…), I addressed why only men can be ordained.) The first thing is always to indicate that this does not intimate that the church somehow … Continue reading →

When hearing Confessions or just in general counseling someone, one of my favorite lines is that Jesus never promised us that it would be easy, in fact he promises very much the opposite!  However, He does say that He will be with us as we try to follow Him and that His burden is easy and the yoke is light. This applies to everyone who is attempting to follow Our Lord more closely, not just priests who have embraced a call to celibacy, so the short answer is that, yes, sometimes it is difficult to … Continue reading →

Starting a new section here at Cincinnati Vocations: ‘Q’s from HS’ I was given a stack of questions from Serra Club presentations at two local Catholic high schools: LaSalle and Archbishop Moeller.  I’ll slowly work through them in a ‘Q’s from HS’ series. Question: Do you still get to hangout with friends? Absolutely!  Priests (and seminarians) are still men, and as human beings, we still need the friendships that we have forged throughout life, before, during, and after seminary.  For most priests, their closest friends are other priests, for another priest understands the unique stressors that we … Continue reading →