+ + + DIOCESE OF GALLUP

Knights of Columbus

State Convention Mass

St. Mary’s Church

Farmington, NM

5/6/2006

Dear Friends,

Today’s Gospel of the Good Shepherd meshes appropriately with tomorrow’s World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Jesus speaks of his own vocation as one of vigilance, caring and closeness to his sheep. His shepherding goes beyond his immediate flock and embraces the whole world. His mission is to lay down his life for all, to bring the whole human family into unity and communion with God.

As lay men and women, as religious and as ordained followers of Christ, our vocations are intimately linked with that of the Good Shepherd and his mission. Through prayer and other daily spiritual and human encounters, Christ our Good Shepherd teaches us generosity and freedom of spirit, compassion and endurance. We learn to let go of our fears and anxieties, to grow in appreciation of God’s love for us and to savor God’s gifts of inner joy and peace. As we come and go attentively in the presence of the Good Shepherd, our hearts become discerning hearts, open to his guidance each step of the way.

Today we pray for all vocations, especially for those newly discerning a life commitment to Christ, that we may hear and trust the gentle voice of our Good Shepherd and follow freely wherever he guides our hearts and energies.

In this context, allow me to say why we are in an urgent need to do vocational discernment. Something is changing in the Church. It is a change that is affecting the entire Church in all regions of the world. I am talking about the scarcity of vocations to the priesthood.

The worldwide shortage of priests is being felt almost everywhere, even in our diocese. In 1993, we had 106 priests ministering in our diocese. Presently, because of death, retirement or resignations we are down to 56. And it is projected that by 2015, that is within 9 years, there will be half of this number still functioning as priests. This is indeed a crisis. It is something we must address immediately and aggressively. It is something that each and every one of you here must pray about and make decisions regarding the implications of your baptismal commitment.

At this liturgy this evening we have gathered here with us over 150 members of the Knights of Columbus and their wives from throughout the State of New Mexico. They have gathered here in Farmington for their annual state convention. When they were founded by Father Michael McGiviney in 1888, the founder brought together a nucleus of concerned Catholic men to form a fraternal benefits society to address the social, economic and religious needs of that time. That is still their role today. Besides the financial support they provide for many of our Church needs, (and here I need to highlight the solid support of our local Knights for our Catholic Schools and our Seminarian burse,) many of these men also serve as key leaders in our dioceses and parishes, as members of parish councils, finance councils, school boards and in so many other ways. This evening I want to publicly congratulate them for this and to express my very deep gratitude. I bring these same sentiments from the two other bishops of New Mexico: Archbishop Michael Sheehan of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and Bishop Ricardo Ramirez from the Diocese of Las Cruces. Both are celebrating Confirmation liturgies this weekend and so are unable to join you for this celebration.

Since I assumed leadership of the diocese many have heard me speak of the importance of sharing your individual God given gifts with one another. We all are in our essence itself nothing but gifts from God. Gifts to ourselves and to each other. This is our power and authority as a people. This is our nature and that is our life.

By our baptism we have entered into Christ’s mission of shepherding - of laying down our lives for the sheep. Often this means entering into the world of others by standing in their shoes and trying to see life through their eyes: The parent trying to understand the child’s fears; the married person struggling to see the spouses point of view; the employer attempting to grasp the employee’s concerns - all these are forms of laying down one’s life for the sheep. All require the kind of dying to self - a dying to one’s perceptions, opinions, points of view. It is part of shepherding.

Christian shepherding requires more. Having entered the other’s world, one now lays down one’s life further by giving a patient explanation, by confronting unacceptable behavior, by speaking out against injustice. And today it calls us to respond to the national and local crisis relating to undocumented immigrants. Recently, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, of the Knights of Columbus urged Americans to “let their light of Christian love” guide our efforts to amend the U.S. immigration policy. Anderson observed that the Knights of Columbus was founded by immigrants and their sons, who “struggled long and hard to demonstrate to those who feared and hated us that we were just as fervent about being patriotic Americans as they were.” He concluded, “If any group within American Society ought to be able to weigh the issue with charity and understanding, it is the Catholic Community.” This is our immediate way of responding to a serious crisis as we celebrate this day of vocations.

Jesus, Good Shepherd risen and alive in us, energize us with the love we need to enter into each other’s worlds and to lay down our lives for each other.


	Knights of Columbus State Convention Mass St. Mary’s Church Farmington, NM 5/6/2006 Dear Friends, Today’s Gospel of the Good Shepherd meshes appropriately with tomorrow’s World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Jesus speaks of his own vocation as one of vigilance, caring and closeness to his sheep. His shepherding goes beyond his immediate flock and embraces the whole world. His mission is to lay down his life for all, to bring the whole human family into unity and communion with God. As lay men and women, as religious and as ordained followers of Christ, our vocations are intimately linked with that of the Good Shepherd and his mission. Through prayer and other daily spiritual and human encounters, Christ our Good Shepherd teaches us generosity and freedom of spirit, compassion and endurance. We learn to let go of our fears and anxieties, to grow in appreciation of God’s love for us and to savor God’s gifts of inner joy and peace. As we come and go attentively in the presence of the Good Shepherd, our hearts become discerning hearts, open to his guidance each step of the way. Today we pray for all vocations, especially for those newly discerning a life commitment to Christ, that we may hear and trust the gentle voice of our Good Shepherd and follow freely wherever he guides our hearts and energies. In this context, allow me to say why we are in an urgent need to do vocational discernment. Something is changing in the Church. It is a change that is affecting the entire Church in all regions of the world. I am talking about the scarcity of vocations to the priesthood. The worldwide shortage of priests is being felt almost everywhere, even in our diocese. In 1993, we had 106 priests ministering in our diocese. Presently, because of death, retirement or resignations we are down to 56. And it is projected that by 2015, that is within 9 years, there will be half of this number still functioning as priests. This is indeed a crisis. It is something we must address immediately and aggressively. It is something that each and every one of you here must pray about and make decisions regarding the implications of your baptismal commitment. At this liturgy this evening we have gathered here with us over 150 members of the Knights of Columbus and their wives from throughout the State of New Mexico. They have gathered here in Farmington for their annual state convention. When they were founded by Father Michael McGiviney in 1888, the founder brought together a nucleus of concerned Catholic men to form a fraternal benefits society to address the social, economic and religious needs of that time. That is still their role today. Besides the financial support they provide for many of our Church needs, (and here I need to highlight the solid support of our local Knights for our Catholic Schools and our Seminarian burse,) many of these men also serve as key leaders in our dioceses and parishes, as members of parish councils, finance councils, school boards and in so many other ways. This evening I want to publicly congratulate them for this and to express my very deep gratitude. I bring these same sentiments from the two other bishops of New Mexico: Archbishop Michael Sheehan of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and Bishop Ricardo Ramirez from the Diocese of Las Cruces. Both are celebrating Confirmation liturgies this weekend and so are unable to join you for this celebration. Since I assumed leadership of the diocese many have heard me speak of the importance of sharing your individual God given gifts with one another. We all are in our essence itself nothing but gifts from God. Gifts to ourselves and to each other. This is our power and authority as a people. This is our nature and that is our life. By our baptism we have entered into Christ’s mission of shepherding - of laying down our lives for the sheep. Often this means entering into the world of others by standing in their shoes and trying to see life through their eyes: The parent trying to understand the child’s fears; the married person struggling to see the spouses point of view; the employer attempting to grasp the employee’s concerns - all these are forms of laying down one’s life for the sheep. All require the kind of dying to self - a dying to one’s perceptions, opinions, points of view. It is part of shepherding. Christian shepherding requires more. Having entered the other’s world, one now lays down one’s life further by giving a patient explanation, by confronting unacceptable behavior, by speaking out against injustice. And today it calls us to respond to the national and local crisis relating to undocumented immigrants. Recently, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, of the Knights of Columbus urged Americans to “let their light of Christian love” guide our efforts to amend the U.S. immigration policy. Anderson observed that the Knights of Columbus was founded by immigrants and their sons, who “struggled long and hard to demonstrate to those who feared and hated us that we were just as fervent about being patriotic Americans as they were.” He concluded, “If any group within American Society ought to be able to weigh the issue with charity and understanding, it is the Catholic Community.” This is our immediate way of responding to a serious crisis as we celebrate this day of vocations. Jesus, Good Shepherd risen and alive in us, energize us with the love we need to enter into each other’s worlds and to lay down our lives for each other.