Pray with Pope Francis Reflection – February 2025

Friday, February 7, 2025

Fr. Edmund Lo, SJ

Pope Francis invites us to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, that the ecclesial community might welcome the desires and doubts of those young people who feel a call to serve Christ’s mission in the priesthood and religious life.

Seminaries don’t form ‘supermen,’ but humble servants, pope says

Friday, November 11, 2022

Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The mission of a seminary “is not to form ‘supermen’ who pretend to know and control everything,” but to help seminarians become priests who are humble servants of the communities they continue to belong to, Pope Francis said. “The Lord calls some of his disciples to be priests, that is, he […]

Deacon-structing Celibacy: Part 1

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Deacon Pedro

Deacon Pedro begins delving into the Catholic tradition of celibacy. Who takes the vow and why? Read this blog to find out!

Deacon-structing: Married Priesthood Part 2

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Deacon Pedro

Deacon Pedro Guevara Mann continues his exploration of married clergy by looking at how we came to have (a few) married priests in the Roman Rite.

Deacon-structing: Married Priesthood Part 1

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Deacon Pedro

Is it possible to have married Catholic priests? Deacon Pedro explores the history of celibacy in the priesthood and the case for married clergy.

The Pontifical North American College

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Salt + Light Media

Rev. John G. McDonald helps us understand the mission of The Pontifical North American College through several interviews with young seminarians. In relation to the 2018 Synod being focused on young people, faith and discernment, this video builds on the importance of engaging young people in faith, and how crucial it is to instill the […]

Led by the Spirit for Mission

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Salt + Light Media

The 2017 message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations was released Wednesday entitled, “Led by the Spirit for Mission”. In the message for this 54th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, the Pope reflects on the missionary dimension of our Christian calling. The Holy Father says that “commitment to mission is not something […]

Deacon-structing Ordination | Part 1

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Deacon Pedro

In light of the fact that last week everyone became aware that the early Church had women in the role of deacons or deaconesses (or both, we’re not sure what exactly these roles were), I have begun to deaconstructing the diaconate. But before, let’s take a little detour and look at Ordination. It seems appropriate that as […]

Deacon-structing Vocations: Conclusion part 2

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Deacon Pedro

Last week I said that everyone gets called. But sometimes we don’t recognize it, because we’re distracted or ‘cause we’re not expecting it. But the call comes and looking at Scripture helps us recognize the Call when it comes. First you have an encounter with Christ; an encounter with the Divine; then comes a calling. And […]

Deacon-structing Vocations: Ordained life Part 3

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Deacon Pedro

I could not speak about the Ordained life without speaking about the two questions that most people have about the priesthood: The ordination of women and celibacy. Some people will ask why women are not qualified to be priests. The reality is that it’s not about qualifications. No one is really qualified to be a […]