Last week we had the annual priest convocation, what was that all about?
As you may know, our Church is divided into geographic areas that are called dioceses, under the supervision of a bishop or archdioceses if they are under the supervision of an archbishop. Each of these areas has its own guidelines and priorities. A priority that is fairly common has to do with the physical, emotional, spiritual, and professional well-being of the clergy. In the
diocese of San Bernardino, the convocation takes place precisely to respond to these goals.
This year the schedule offered ample opportunity for the clergy to get to know one another. In the diocese, there are approximately 250 priests, of these, about 175 attended. There are plenty of us and many really have not gotten to know one another. As you might realize, often there is a need for fellowship and fraternity that provides us with support in terms of the pastoral responsibilities that we face as well as necessary support for our vocation. Especially on Wednesday, there was plenty of “free time”. After lunch, many took an extended nap, others went out to play basketball or hit a little ball, and others came along to visit the folks who are seeking political asylum. The picture below of our bishop is worth a thousand words.
There was plenty of time for prayer, in fact, besides the daily Mass and shared prayer, the Blessed Sacrament was available for personal moments of prayer.
Hubo bastante tiempo para la oración, en sí, aparte de Misa diaria y oración en común, también estuvo la presencia del Señor Sacramentado para la oración personal.
What was “heavy” was the workshop material presented by Fr. Mark Miller, CSsR. His topic was, “Discernment and Community, in Response to Today’s Moral Questions”. Without a doubt, Fr. Mark came well-prepared and this presentation was well-received. His starting point was always the rule and norm, but not leaving aside the Gospel message and the pastoral response that is always necessary. There were several occasions when he used the phrase: “it is the person who decides, we offer the official perspective, offer help in understanding the sacred text, but the person needs to be attentive to his/her conscience and make the decision”. Charity always. He also quoted the founder of his religious order, Alphonsus Ligori, “when you preach, preach like a lion, but in the confessional be like a lamb”.
What I found significant (aside from the visit to the asylum seekers) was the presentation on sexuality, in particular the conference on sexual orientation. We are all children of God. So often excluded, even by parents who believe that God is going to condemn, bridges need to be built; we need to know one another more and more. Taboos need to be set aside and in accordance with the Gospel message, look for a way to make our church a place of welcome for LGBTQ+ persons.
Father Francisco Gómez, S.T.