Each priest carries out Christ’s work, ‘not his own,’ says preacher at Mass for Deceased Priests
SCROLL THE ARROWS to see more photos.
A week and a day after becoming formally acquainted with a large cross-section of the diocese, it was time for Bishop Ralph B. O’Donnell to be introduced to “the rest of the family.”
“Namely, all of our brother priests who have gone before us,” said Father Jeremy Secrist, homilist for this year’s Mass for Deceased Priests.
The annual Liturgy is an opportunity for the bishop and his fellow clerics in this diocese to offer thanks and intercession for their forebears in ministry who have died since its founding in 1956.
Fr. Secrist described them as “our brother priests, whose lives are ingredient in and woven into the very fabric of the life of this diocese, the life of countless parishioners and faithful across the centuries.”
The Mass for Deceased Priests is celebrated each year during the Octave of All Souls, the days in early November when Catholics give increased focus to praying for the souls undergoing purification in purgatory after their death.
Those prayers help the poor souls reach their goal of perfection in heaven.
Fr. Secrist is pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Salisbury, St. Boniface Parish in Brunswick and St. Mary of the Angels Parish in Wien.
He called to mind a saying from the late Bishop John R. Gaydos, recently deceased, who led the diocese from 1997-2018: “There is nothing deader than a dead priest ... other than a dead bishop.”
That is to say, “with the passage of time and with pastoral reassignments, our names and our ministry and our work can sometimes be forgotten,” said Fr. Secrist.
In a sense, that’s part of what it means to be a priest of God.
“That it is no longer just our work, it God’s work!” the priest stated. “That work of pastoral care and leadership, even in the midst of our own faults and foibles and failings — it is Christ’s work that is being brought about, that he is meaning to accomplish in and through us.”
So, if a priest or his ministry eventually does get forgotten after he dies, it’s because the work was fundamentally not theirs to begin with.
“It’s the Lord’s, just as WE are the Lord’s, whether in life or in death,” said Fr. Secrist, echoing verse 14:7 of St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans.
He pointed to the 12 Apostles, who seem like not the likeliest candidates carrying on Christ’s work.
“And yet,” the priest stated, “from the very beginning, the Lord has been making use of weak sinners, to whom he has entrusted the saving Gospel — that saving Gospel of life, of salvation.”
In praying for priests who have died, it’s important to remember not only that each was called and chosen by God, “but that they were imperfect ministers, just as each and every one of us are.”
And each has been entrusted with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Let me say that every one of the priests of this diocese have given their lives, as imperfect as they might be, to that perfected, greater work of Christ that he means to bring about,” said Fr. Secrist.
“Like the stars forever”
Each priest ministering today does so in the footsteps of those who went before him.
“And you know that those particular individuals gave of themselves wholeheartedly to love the people of God, to celebrate the Sacraments,” said Fr. Secrist.
They spent years leading those who have strayed, back to the fold, like the Good Shepherd — “particularly in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.”
Likewise, “I can’t help but call to mind the thousands or tens of thousands of times that these priests would approach the altar to offer the most perfect Sacrifice that we can this side of eternity, to nourish and to strengthen and to renew and fortify the people of God,” said Fr. Secrist.
He called to mind the many thousands of people Bishop Gaydos and his predecessors had confirmed, equipping them and reminding them to turn away from the world and follow Jesus.
Each priest and bishop, even in times of great sadness and sorrow, gave of their lives to the people of God who were entrusted to them, Fr. Secrist stated.
In turn, they left their distinct mark on each community and were “woven into the very fabric and the history of the parishes in which they served and the People of God to whom they ministered.”
Referring back to the first reading (Daniel 12:1-3), Fr. Secrist said the luminous stars depicted above the tabernacle in the Cathedral sanctuary remind him of the presbyterium who join their deceased brothers in this life at every Mass celebrated there.
The Greek word “presbyterium” carries a double meaning: in some liturgical books, it is the term used for the sanctuary of a church around the altar; and it also is the term for the college of priests in a diocese united with the bishop.
“They’re here with us,” said Fr. Secrist. “May they always shine brightly within our memories, and may we always remember them in our prayers.”
Perpetual light
Bishop O’Donnell presided at the Mass for Deceased Priests, with a large group of priests concelebrating.
The hymns and prayers were filled with ancient solemnity.
After the homily, Father Jerry Kaimann, a retired priest of the diocese who is living in Palmyra, and Father Nicholas Reid, pastor of St. Martin Parish in St. Martins and St. Michael Parish in Russellville, took turns reading aloud the names of priests of this diocese who died since its founding in 1956.
At several points during the proclamation of the names, the priests and laypeople present sang together the refrain from the Song of Farewell, imploring the saints to “Receive their souls” and “present them now to God Most High.”
After the last of the names, the cantor led the priests and people in chanting the “In Paradisum” — an ancient Catholic hymn inviting saints and martyrs to lead a person who has died into heaven to be with God.
The priests chanted the “Salve Regina” — “Hail, Holy Queen” — after Holy Communion. A plea for intercession from the Blessed Mother in times of difficulty, it’s what the priests of this diocese sing together whenever one of them passes from this life into the next.
The closing hymn was a joyful one, titled: “Sing With All the Saints In Glory.”
After Mass, the priests gathered downstairs in Cana Hall to share a meal.
Laughter filled the room as they shared stories and memories of priests they had ministered with and been inspired by.
Priests who served in the diocese before its founding are remembered in the prayers of the various neighboring dioceses to which they belonged.
“Strength and witness”
Bishop O’Donnell thanked all of the priests, other clergy and laypeople who attended the Mass, including students from Helias Catholic High School in Jefferson City.
Helias Catholic senior Clara Underwood said it meant a lot to her to be able to follow along with the reading of the names of priests of the diocese “who had given their lives to Christ, not for their own sake, but for the people of this community.”
“This is truly an experience I hope every student at Helias will have the chance to be a part of,” she said.
She emphasized the importance of praying for the souls in purgatory who are being perfected for eternity in heaven.
“I think many Catholics, myself included, like to believe that all good people, especially our priests and religious, just go straight to heaven after they pass,” she stated. “However, Purgatory is a very real place and a place where millions are suffering. We pray for the dead as we pray for anyone who may be suffering.”
Bishop O’Donnell said his first Mass for Deceased Priests in this diocese was a moment of gratitude for him.
“As we gather today to honor those who served before us, and as we stand today and pray for the those who will stand at the altars in this great diocese in the future, we thank Almighty God for the many gifts he’s given us,” he stated.
“We truly feel the strength and witness of all those who have served before us as we move forward in the glory of God the Father,” the bishop said.
