Holy Hour held on the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests
On the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests, which is celebrated annually on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the faithful gathered in the chapel of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland to pray for our priests, both living and deceased, as well as for those discerning vocations to the priesthood.
Bishop James Ruggieri presided over the Holy Hour on Friday, June 12, during which prayers were also offered for Seminarian Vinh Nguyen. The following day, Saturday, June 13, Nguyen will be ordained to the transitional diaconate at the cathedral.
“Tomorrow, you will give your life to Christ. Never let discouragement or fear tempt you to take it back. Instead, give your life with confidence, confidence in the Sacred Heart of Jesus that has led you to this moment and will sustain you in the years ahead,” said Father Seamus Griesbach, rector of the cathedral, who delivered the homily during the Holy Hour. “Stay close to the heart of Christ so that those you serve will find in you what you have found in Christ: a great and abiding love stronger than any burden, that endures and reaches out to save, that brings joy and peace to those who dwell in darkness, that raises up the fallen and bestows upon them the gift of eternal life.”
During his homily, Father Griesbach reflected on a time when he was in seminary and wondered who would sustain him in times of struggle. While unsure at the time, he said he now understands that the Sacred Heart of Jesus is the reason not to be afraid of being alone or overwhelmed. He said when it seems that there is no one around you to lift you up, the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christi will reach out to you.
“You will not understand how. You will not know where he comes from. He will just be there, with you on the other side of the yoke, with you in the desert, with you carrying the cross,” Father Griesbach said. “You belong to him. You are his, and he will not forsake or abandon you.”
The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated annually on the Friday after the Feast of Corpus Christi, and in 2002, Saint John Paul II established the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests on that day.
All are welcome to attend the ordination Mass of Vinh Nguyen, which will be held at the cathedral beginning at 10 a.m. Originally from Vietnam, Nguyen is a seminarian for the Diocese of Portland and has been study at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
