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Wednesday, September 26, 2018

LET ME BANG MY DRUM ABOUT WHEN I WAS VOCATION DIRECTOR FROM 1986-1998


When I was vocation director I implemented the following:

1. I had about three or four laymen and women who would interview various candidates for me and they would write an evaluation for me about each candidate. It wasn't a group interview nor did they vote on candidates, they simply gave me their opinion about the candidate. I would also invite them to seminarian gatherings and the like.

2. At the behest of Bishop Lessard we required a pastoral year in a parish after second theology.

3. When seminarians were on summer assignment or a pastoral year, I would ask pastors to have various staff members and/or laity offer an evaluation of the candidate along with the pastor.

4. I evaluated how the seminarians would celebrate Mass by observing them celebrate a "dry" Mass and I would make comments, suggestions and critiques.

5. My greatest success as a vocation director was not who I recruited but who I kept out. I take no credit for the ones ordained but plenty of credit for the ones not ordained.

6. Bishop Lessard never questioned or overturned any decision that I made to "terminate" a seminarian or not accept someone into the diocese.  Of course I did consult with him and did explain the why's. He could have told me to jump in the lake, but he didn't.

7 comments:

TJM said...

Sounds like you were very serious and scrupulous. Thank you for your service

TJM said...

Great picture of St. John Cantius in Chicago! I frequently attend Mass there. Of course, the former pastor there is another victim of liberal "mercy and accompaniment."

Anonymous said...

Bee here:

Ah, home... (photo of St. John Cantius on your masthead...) :-)

TJM: Yes, and that former pastor was, like Fr. Kalchik, also determined to be in need of "pastoral support" at a mental health facility (read: reprogramming).

God bless.
Bee

Anonymous said...

Bee here:

This is off topic, but there's nowhere else to post this...

A few weeks ago I asked for prayers for Fr. Mike, who had an aortic aneurysm that burst, and was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. Somehow he managed to survive but was in a coma for the last 6 weeks or so. I don't think anyone who knew or saw his condition thought he was going to make it.

I just heard today they had him up and sitting in a chair for a little while and he is speaking. It may take a long while, but it appears, barring any complications, he will recover.

I want to thank anyone who prayed for him during this time. I pray God's will restore him to full health. Thank you for your prayers.

God bless.
Bee

TJM said...

Bee,

Joseph Stalin would be so proud!!!

Anonymous said...

I'm glad the bishop did not ask you to jump in a lake, as a lot of the lakes in your diocese have gators and probably all of them have poisonous snakes!!!!

Any idea of acceptance or rejection rate of those you interviewed? (In terms of recommendation for seminary?)

Fr. Michael J. Kavanaugh said...

It is my understanding that once a candidate has been accepted by a bishop, the seminary to which he is sent will accept him unless there are some pretty significant extenuating circumstances.

Once in the seminary, he will be scrutinized by the faculty and formation team. In our case, we heard a review of our progress each year (Maybe each semester) from what we called "The Star Chamber." The rector, vice-rector, academic dean, dean of men, and dean for our pastoral assignments (working our in CCD classes, hospitals, nursing homes, Catholic Worker houses, etc) would tell us what they thought, offering suggestions for improvement where needed. It cold be a little nerve-racking.

In our day we did not do "peer reviews" which, I understand, are fairly common now.

What might be more telling is to look 5 or 10 or 15 years down the road and see how many of the candidates function well in ministry in parish life.