JETA KATOLIKE
United States, but with the insisting presence of my vocation crossed the Atlantic Ocean within me. The idea of priesthood never let go of my mind and soul. It took a long time for me to come to a final decision, and it was a time of a very strong conviction filled with God’s grace. It was in New Jersey, December 6, Saint Nicholas day, my feast day, that I took the courage with an unshakable conviction to write to the Jesuit Father Raymond Brechet. That day will remain one of the unforgettable days of my life. I regret even today that I do not have a copy of my letter written to him, but still today after many years that letter is written in my heart. I wrote to him that the Holy Spirit had placed him on my path along the way, to awaken in me the seeds of my vocation to the priesthood. It was Christ, who through the voice of Fr. Brechet, had spoken to me. I said to him that the parish will be my family and the parishioners will be my children. Here I am, a Roman Catholic priest. I am privileged and proud to be a priest. Last August, unfortunately, Fr. Raymond Brechet left this world to join the Eternal Rest. A few weeks after his death, I stopped at the cemetery of Carouge in Geneva where Fr. Brechet is buried. In silence I stood before his grave. It was a very simple grave with a wooden cross surrounded by beautiful flowers. I thought of that chilly evening when the seeds of my vocation were planted in me thanks to this holy priest. I became deeply absorbed in the silence of that peaceful and powerful memory. My heart was filled with gratitude and thanksgiving to our Almighty Father for placing me under the guidance of this holy man. In those moments of silence I deeply and powerfully experienced his presence, his voice. I asked him to pray for me. Merci Raymond Brechet! Beautiful was his past, and now more beautiful and powerful is his future without End. Amen. I was surrounded and embraced by silence and wonder, and in this spirit wanted to share with all of you the story of my vocation to the priesthood. In my heart, it is forever linked to Fr. Brechet, the beautiful Church of Saint Hippolyte, my dear Swiss friends, and of course to the beautiful city of Geneva. Since his death, I think of him and those who have gone before us, and in silence I pause during the divine moments of the celebration of the holy sacrifice of the Mass. In that power, beauty, and wonder of the divine Sacrifice of Christ on the Altar I find your pres-
ence, you who have the patience to read my pains and joys, you who are known and unknown to me, you who are called to serve Him and his people, alive and gone to our dear Lord. And this is the wonder and silence of Christ, forever old and forever new, who powerfully and joyfully illuminates our lives, our human history, and our universe right here, every day on the Altar of every Roman Catholic Church in the world. Amen. May the power of Christ, who humbly
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descends on the Altar to become our Divine Guest, inspire those who are called to serve Christ and His people. AMEN!
Have YOU THOUGHT OF BECOMING A PRIEST ? Please feel free to speak to a priest for more information, and also visit WWW.NYPRIEST.COM.