-
delivered by Fr. Dennis O'Brien, MInister to Priests, at the VIrtual Celebrate Piresthood web event on Oct 26, 2020
Good and Gracious God,
we praise and thank you for the many blessings with which you enrich our lives each day.
We gather in your presence tonight as a Diocesan family to celebrate in a special way the gift of priesthood.
We pause this evening, to offer you praise and gratitude, for the many faithful and zealous priests, past and present, who generously make Your loving presence known by the compassionate service they give to your people.
For more than 70 years, priests ordained for the Diocese of Worcester have revealed your love in parishes and schools, in colleges and seminaries, as chaplains in hospitals and prisons, in military service to our country, as missionaries in foreign lands and in diplomatic service to the Holy See.
We thank you for each and every one of our priests: young and old, frail and strong, active and retired. We are grateful for the diversity of our presbyterate by which we can respond to the diverse needs of the people of our great Diocese.
Bless all of our seminarians near and far. May you strengthen their desire to follow in the footsteps of Your Son and further His kingdom.
Bring your blessing upon the Church of Worcester this evening and all of its priests. Send your healing Spirit to those who are sick, hospitalized or isolated.
May each priest feel once again the joy that comes from leaving all things to follow your Son, who came to serve and not be served and to give His life for the ransom of many.
Bless this event, and all those who have made it possible.
And finally, gracious Father we beg You to increase our numbers so that You may continue to be made known and loved in the heart of Worcester county and beyond for generations to come.