That’s What Priests Do! A Priestly Tribute: Share Your Fondness Memories of Your Beloved Priest

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Farewell and RIP, Msgr. Daniel J. Dever

November 2nd is a special day for priests and those who have been a part of the Catholic educational system in Hawai'i. Because it is All Souls Day, it makes it more special to celebrate the life of a good priest and a good man, Fr. Daniel Dever. On that day also, he would have celebrated in person his 86th birthday. The gathering of the faithful at the 6 p.m. funeral Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace celebrated -- as he probably looked on and was among those present -- his very life, a life well lived.

I didn't know Fr. Dever, but the homily of Fr. Gary Secor gave a wonderful image of what a beautiful priest he was. In a gist, Fr. Dever lived his life not for himself, but truly and wonderfully, for Christ.

About Fr. Daniel Dever by Patrick Downes, Editor of the Hawaii Catholic Herald.

Priesthood Sunday

From the Sacred Heart Church's bulletin today:

On the last Sunday of October each year we honor our priests, who have dedicated their lives to Jesus and His bride, the Church, through the Sacrament of Holy Orders. We cannot receive the Blessed sacrament, Jesus Himself, without our priests. They sanctify us. Through the celebration of the Mass and through the sacraments they form us in faith, and they serve the parishes and larger community in varied ways. Their desire is to help draw us closer to our Lord and to lead us to eternal salvation.

We are asked to support our priests in prayer, to thank God for the gifts of their priesthood, and to encourage future vocations to the priesthood among our families and in our faith community. For their faithful and loving service, we say THANK YOU to our pastors Reverend Gordy Carvalho, our parochial vicar Reverend Edmund Barut, our sacramental priests Father Paul Smith and Father Joe Grimaldi.

To this we the Spiritual Moms would add...all the priests in the Diocese of Honolulu and all the priests in the entire world.

Prayer

Most gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you for our faithful priests and bishops,
whose spiritual fatherhood and example of fidelity, self-sacrifice, and devotion
is so vital to the faith of your people.

May our spiritual fathers be guided by the examples of saints Peter and Paul,
all the Apostles, and their saintly successors.
Give them valiant faith in the face of confusion and conflict, hope in time of trouble and sorrow, and steadfast love for you, for their families, and for all
your people throughout the world.
May the light of your Truth shine through their lives and their good works.

Assist all spiritual fathers, that through your Grace they may steadily grow in holiness and in knowledge and understanding of your Truth.
May they generously impart this knowledge to those who rely on them.

Source:

Pastor Appreciation Month Coming to an End

Someone tweeted that October was pastor appreciation month. This was news to me and I'm sorry to say that it almost at the end of October that I found out about it. However, as spiritual moms or as parishioners, we can show our appreciation to our pastor/spiritual son at any given day of the year like on his birthday or anniversary of his ordination.

ehow has some useful suggestions.

If it's a gift you're looking for Autom is offering 10% off their already reasonable prices.

Let's hope next year we will be able to remind you of Pastor Appreciation Month way in advance.

A PRAYER FOR PRIESTS
John Cardinal O'Connor



Lord Jesus, we your people pray to You for our priests. You have given them to us for OUR needs. We pray for them in THEIR needs.

We know that You have made them priests in the likeness of your own priesthood. You have consecrated them, set them aside, anointed them, filled them with the Holy Spirit, appointed them to teach, to preach, to minister, to console, to forgive, and to feed us with Your Body and Blood.

Yet we know, too, that they are one with us and share our human weaknesses. We know too that they are tempted to sin and discouragement as are we, needing to be ministered to, as do we, to be consoled and forgiven, as do we. Indeed, we thank You for choosing them from among us, so that they understand us as we understand them, suffer with us and rejoice with us, worry with us and trust with us, share our beings, our lives, our faith.

We ask that You give them this day the gift You gave Your chosen ones on the way to Emmaus: Your presence in their hearts, Your holiness in their souls, Your joy in their spirits. And let them see You face to face in the breaking of the Eucharistic bread.

We pray to You, O Lord, through Mary the mother of all priests, for Your priests and for ours. Amen.

March, 1995

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