Vocations Spotlight: Fr. Darryl Millette, Part 2

Morning all! It's time for another installment with Fr. Darryl Millette, and I received *wonderful* feedback about part 1 of my talk with him. Fr. Darryl is such a natural writer! The thought he put into each of his answers really shines through. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter to hear more of his thoughts and talk with him one-on-one (@frdarryl), and check out his website, Saskapriest, which includes audio files of his homilies, and a link to his fabulous SportsFathers podcast!

And so without further ado, here is the rest of my interview with Fr. Darryl:

What has been your favorite experience so far as part of your priestly ministry?

Leading a parish through Holy Week (which I’ve done on my own 5 times now) is simply amazing and physically draining and an incredible shot-in-the-arm to my faith. This has been especially true on those occasions where I’ve been able to bring an adult into the faith through baptism and confirmation. Those Holy Thursday/Good Friday/Easter Vigil rituals are some of the most beautiful things that exist on this planet. No question.

I also love presiding at the other Masses in my parishes.

Hearing confessions is perhaps where I most feel like a priest. It is incredibly humbling to pray the words of absolution, knowing how much and how often I need to hear those words myself. But then to know that Christ has released someone from their sins through my being there in the confessional is an indescribable feeling.

I love being able to meet my people in my small, rural community as I walk my dog. :-)

What has been the most challenging part of being a priest?

There are often very many commitments to keep straight in my (often scattered) brain, including many meetings and committees on parish and diocesan levels. While they are necessary, they can strap my energy.

Generally speaking, I am an introvert and so it takes a good deal of effort to be with large numbers of people for an extended period of time. I like my quiet time. But I’ve learned to pace myself with this, too.

Driving can be a bit of a chore sometimes.

Dealing with my own weaknesses and not getting discouraged by them can be challenging as well. This is where a spiritual director/confessor is not a luxury: he’s a necessity.

What is one unique thing about you and/or your ministry that readers would find interesting?

Well, I’ve mentioned my engineering background already, which has amazingly come in handy on a number of occasions. Don’t ask me to do calculus though - I’m way out of practice on that.

I also like my sports. I play hockey and follow the NHL (sadly, the Flames are pretty brutal this year). I have a deep passion for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL - as does everyone else in this province. I’m sure it’s in our DNA.

I have a three-and-a-half year-old Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier named Chloe. She mostly runs my life. And in her extreme patience and unflappable loyalty she has revealed to me incredible glimpses of those aspects of God.  She also has a habit of taking up 3/4 of my bed by the morning… #spoiledrotten

(Go Riders!!!)

Can you describe your prayer routine and how you balance it amongst your other responsibilities?

Not to cop out on this question, but I had read the response that Fr. Kyle Sanders wrote prior to writing my own response. I’d love to just copy his, because it’s basically the same for me!

The cornerstone of my personal prayer life is the liturgy of the hours. If I’m late in praying a particular hour (which perhaps happens more often that I’d like to admit), something just seems off-kilter. It is a huge blessing to be able to take a few minutes at certain, set times of the day and to just be with God through the praying of Scripture. In addition, the longer readings from Tradition in the Office of Readings often gives me a good deal to meditate on. The intercessory prayer at Lauds and Vespers reminds me to pray for others.  And it’s generally a tremendous comfort to know that the exact psalms that I pray are being prayed by other priests, religious, laity, the Pope, etc. It reinforces in my mind the reality that I’m/we’re not alone, even if it’s just me and the dog in the rectory…

Mass is also essential, of course. :-)

Many Catholics do not frequently avail themselves of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. How do you prepare to administer this sacrament, and how would you advise Catholics who wish to return to this sacrament after many years away?

As I answered in the discernment question, I’d say… don’t be afraid. The priest understands sin, mainly because he’s a big ole sinner himself. He isn’t there to judge you but to welcome you back. And he’ll help you through it if you forget what to do.

Yeah, confessing sins can be pretty darn hard. It’s not easy for me to humble myself before another priest when I go to confession. It’s never easy to voice out loud those sins that I know in my heart are blocking me in some way from God.

Yet, sin is ultimately rooted in pridefulness, at some level. Therefore, how appropriate it is that we are asked to be humble in confession - even if just for a few minutes - and to let God be the healing God that he is?

And - confession is usually about 3-5 minutes. It could be longer or shorter. But generally speaking, it’s just a few minutes of humble awkwardness, followed by the most amazing feeling of being completely free that you’ll ever have!

So if it’s been a while, don’t be afraid. Go!

What is one way in which Pope Francis has had a positive influence on your ministry since his election?

Pope Francis has immensely challenged me to be more kind, more gentle, more accepting, closer to people, more self-aware, a better preacher, and more prayerful… among other things. And when I see him I realize that I have a lot more work to do in all of those areas. A LOT more work to do. :-)

But he also gives me hope. Jesus promised he would be with us and he is. He gave Peter the keys to the kingdom and now, nearly 2000 years later, modern means gives me the opportunity to hear and learn from Peter today.

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Oh oh! Once again, this was so, SO lovely!! Fr. Darryl, you should write a book. :) I very much relate to Father's thoughts on confession - I, like many others, in a sense *dread* this sacrament, because it definitely involves a level of awkwardness! There is, however, no greater deterrent to recommitting those sins than knowing that you would have to go back to the priest to confess them again. :0 But hearing about it from a priest's perspective, that they too are humbled by the experience of even hearing confessions because it reminds them of the need for their own, really brings the point home that we should not let ur fears keep us away from this wonderfully freeing sacrament. 

I am also so touched by Fr. Darryl's remarks on the Liturgy of the Hours. As the official prayer of the Church, it is incredibly beautiful to think of countless others around the world praying the exact same psalms, scripture and other prayers as you are on any given day.We are never alone, even when we are by ourselves in our own living room, with an incredibly adorable dog at our side. :)

Fr. Darryl, thank you SO much for being a part of Vocations Spotlight! It was a joy to speak with you! I hope to have more installments in this series after the holidays, but I do not have anyone else lined up right now. If you have someone you would like to suggest, leave me a comment!

*Photo courtesy of artur84, at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Vocations Spotlight: Fr. Darryl Millette, Part 1

Happy Monday all! It's time for another Vocations Spotlight, this time with Fr. Darryl Millette from the diocese of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan! I met Fr. Darryl at the Catholic New Media Conference, and I encountered more than one person who asked me: "Have you met Fr. Darryl yet, the priest from Saskatchewan? He's just wonderful!" His kind, jovial personality made him a hit at the conference. I immediately began following him on Twitter (@frdarryl, YOU SHOULD FOLLOW HIM TOO!). He hosts a podcast called The SportsFathers that I have become a huge fan of, and he's mentioned my comments on a few episodes! It doesn't take much to make this Catholic Librarian a happy camper.

*beams*

If you enjoy sports, you should *definitely* check out his podcast! The shows feature enjoyable banter with fellow priests, and you will also hear from his dog, Chloe. The entire situation is absolutely precious. As well, he keeps a blog of audio files from his homilies on his website.

And so, without further ado, here is Part 1 of my talk with Fr. Darryl:

Would you briefly describe your childhood faith background?

I am the oldest in a rather large (and loud) family - four boys and three girls. Growing up, we went to Mass every Sunday and occasionally on weekdays. Prayer in the evening was mandatory, usually involving a rosary (though I seem to remember looking forward to those rare times when the evening was rushed and we had to settle for just a decade!).

As our family moved a number of times, being connected to the local parish was always a vital way for us to be connected to other people.  My home during high school (and the current family home) is on an acreage outside of a small town. It was there that I started to really enjoy taking time for lengthy walks and bike rides, where I’d occasionally wrestle with my understanding of the faith and talk to God. Mind you, I was oftentimes pretty distracted; these thoughts were usually interspersed with my wrestling with the latest deeds of our beloved CFL team, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, or with trying to figure out some algorithm in my computer programming hobby. But faith was definitely a part of my life growing up, in amongst many other things!

When and why did you decide to become a priest? Was it a specific experience, or did it take root over a long period of time?

The thought of being a priest had crossed my mind during high school, but it didn’t really take root in me at that time.  However, when I entered university (electrical engineering) I encountered a Catholic group on campus who is somewhat similar to FOCUS in the United States.  This group, Catholic Christian Outreach (CCO), really challenged me to take this faith in which I had been raised and to make it my own, developing my relationship with Jesus in an intentional way.  They also challenged me to share Christ in different ways. I became involved with this group on an organizational level, helped lead faith studies, and so forth.

During this time, the question of my vocation became louder. However, I also became equally adept at suppressing it. It’s not that I had any sort of big, mystical moments where St. Joseph and Bl. Mother Teresa appeared to me in the clouds and told me to become a priest.  Rather, it was more what I call the gentle, annoying persistence of God, usually taking the form of a slight twinge in my gut when I would hear a vocation talk, or when friends would talk about discernment, or even when I’d see a priest doing something priestly. Usually I’d be able to get that out of my mind relatively quickly… but then a short time later God would annoyingly put some other person or situation in my life to remind me. Over and over. Annoying, gentle persistence. :-)

Finally, when I finished engineering I decided to give a year to work for CCO in their head office as an IT guy.  I wanted to give something back to the ministry that had meant so much to me.

So I worked… for a Catholic organization… requiring a more strict prayer schedule… and having time to think…

That is a Dangerous Combination (TM).

Partway through that year I couldn’t ignore God’s gentle persistence any more.  I sought the guidance of a priest, who later referred me to the vocations director, who referred me to the bishop, and the following fall I was unpacking at St. Joseph Seminary in Edmonton, Alberta as a seminarian for the Diocese of Saskatoon.

And I was home.

Do you have any suggestions or guidance for those who are currently struggling with vocational discernment?

Don’t be afraid.

Fear was probably the key factor that led me to keep pushing God’s call out of my mind, over and over. Persistent questions for me included: How could I be happy without marriage? How could I be happy by being obedient to a bishop? What would it mean if I did all this engineering and didn’t use it as a priest? What would my friends and family think?

I’ve learned a few answers to these questions over the years, and I’m still learning:

- God’s call for your life, whatever it is, will be the most fulfilling thing for you and a source of immense joy.

- I have given up marriage, which is certainly a sacrifice. The young, married parents in my parish have basically given up sleep. I don’t say this to trivialize anything, but rather to point out that sacrifice is required in any vocational following of Jesus Christ. Jesus commanded us to take up our cross daily and follow him. That can be frightening. That can be an immense challenge. It’s easier to turn around. But you are not alone; Jesus is with you. And he’ll lead you right through the cross and into resurrection.

- Obedience can be challenging sometimes, but God’s grace works amazing things through it. Example: Two months after my ordination I was asked to become the main priest chaplain of the largest hospital in the province of Saskatchewan. This was hard. It was very hard for a new, young, somewhat naive priest to take on. The assignment lasted close to a year. But looking back I can see that I learned so much about myself and about ministry during that year. Obedience can be tough, but God is ever faithful. Obedience can also be a source of consolation: there is much need in our world, and it is wonderful to know that I have a shepherd who’s got my back, and who, along with me, discerns where I might be needed most. Obedience is therefore a freeing gift that opens me up to experiences in ministry of which I wouldn’t have dreamed!

- Your background/gifts/talents are important things that God can use in you, no matter what your vocation. Amazingly, I’ve done a good amount of engineering-type work since becoming a priest. My first parish where I was an associate was undergoing a major building campaign and I ended up working on technical specifications. Currently one of my parishes is doing some renovations and I’m in the midst of sound system design. God works in mysterious ways!

- I won’t lie; there was initially some reluctance to my decision to enter the seminary from some of my family and friends. They asked questions, often very good questions about my motives. This was important for keeping me honest with myself. But then, very early on I began to receive a lot of tremendous support from those who had been skeptical. And they all rejoiced with me and my diocese on my ordination day and continue to support me immensely.

Again: Don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid to seek Christ in prayer. Don’t be afraid to seek guidance from a priest, sister, or brother you trust. Don’t be afraid to consider a seminary or monastery or convent; this is simply another step in discernment, not an “Ohmygoodness for sure I’m going to be ordained/consecrated forEVER!” step.

God is faithful.

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As I was reading over Fr. Darryl's words, I was blown away by how much thought he had put into his answers. It reads like an exciting novel, I got so caught up in the story of his family and vocation! In particular, his thoughts on discernment have my mind all awhirl. It's so true - if you seek God's will, you will *not* be disappointed or left adrift!

I hope that you all are looking forward to Part 2 of Fr. Darryl's interview as much as I am! In that post, he'll talk a bit about his ministry, his hobbies, and Pope Francis! Since next Monday is the first Monday of Advent, I have another post planned for that day, so look for Fr. Darryl again next *Tuesday* December 3rd!

And follow him on Twitter. Seriously. 

*Photo courtesy of artur84, at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Vocations Spotlight: Fr. Kyle Sanders, Part 2

Happy Vocations Monday, everyone! I'm not certain when I will post another installment in this series, but I do hope to do it again. My little mind is all awhirl with plans on this, trust me.

Today we revisit Fr. Kyle Sanders, a priest in the archdiocese of New Orleans. Read Part 1 of his story here, in which we learn about his discernment process toward becoming ordained as a diocesan priest. In Part 2, I asked Father about some specifics about his priestly ministry and prayer life. Do read on!

What has been your favorite experience so far as part of your priestly ministry?

Other than hearing confessions for extended periods during (Franciscan University of) Steubenville conferences, it would have to be celebrating mass on the bones of Sts Simon and Jude in St. Peter's Basilica. 

What has been the most challenging part of being a priest?

Because the priest is such a means of the grace of the Father, Satan hates him with extraordinary disgust. Dealing with greater reminders of my own brokenness through constant temptations and subtle lies has been the most difficult and naïvely unexpected thing for me. The great thing about that is that the Father uses those instances to continue to humble me. The crucible is no fun, but due to faith and hope I can see the pure metal of my soul being forged.

What is one unique thing about you and/or your ministry that readers would find interesting?

My best friend is my sister. We grew up three years apart, and when we were young, I was the typical 'forceful' older brother. Before I went off to seminary, I knew I wouldn't be able to influence her as much especially with regards to faith. She was hanging around friends that weren't trouble makers, but who I could tell were focused squarely not on Christ, but on the world. That worried me, so I forced her to come to youth group with me, and she sat there arms folded, uninterested. Eventually though, she returned, and became an active member there and her faith blossomed. She worked in the office of the Catholic church on her college campus. After college, she became a missionary with FOCUS. In her three years as a missionary, her faith and prayer life grew exponentially. She now lives back home and works with a youth ministry company. She is constantly building up my faith as my ministry is building up her.

Can you describe your prayer routine and how you balance it amongst your other responsibilities?

Why you gotta go and do that!? Hee hee. This is something I'm still struggling with due to the change from the high structured life of seminary to the highly unstructured life of a diocesan priest. So I will give you what it is my desire to do everyday, but I often do not meet my plan. I'll wake early enough drink a cup of coffee while praying the first hour of the liturgy of hours, take a shower, and then do my Holy Hour. Sometime midday-ish I'll pray midday prayer. Then in the evening I'll get evening prayer in somewhere. Then after everything is done. I'll do 15 minutes of spiritual reading followed by night prayer. That's my goal but I often fall short, and now everyone knows. :-/

Yeah, so the balance is what I struggle with because I tend to focus on one thing at a time and forget about other things when I'm in that task or activity.

Many Catholics do not frequently avail themselves of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. How do you prepare to administer this sacrament, and how would you advise Catholics who wish to return to this sacrament after many years away?

To prepare, I usually pray for the grace to be open to the Holy Spirit and ask Our Lady of Sorrows for help and guidance.

I'm not there to judge, despite previous bad experiences my end is bringing them freedom and new life. I would often tell my experience of confession especially after a really rough time I had during my high school years. People will often here laughter in my confessional. I make jokes and laugh not to trivialize the sacrament but rather to make the penitent comfortable and help them to realize that  that choice was laughable comparable to the Lord.

What is one way in which Pope Francis has had a positive influence on your ministry since his election?
 
(1) I need to be more person-centered in my daily interactions. The theology I learned from JP II, but I was still too young to learn from his actions. I'm learning that from Francis. 
  
(2) I need to spend more time with the poor and broken of my parish. 
________________________________________________ 

I just wanted to hug Fr. Kyle after reading his comments on prayer. :-) I think we can all SO relate to what Father is saying, no? We are all human and struggle with concentration and making time for prayer. Not a single person is exempt from this. It is easy to think that our own struggle must mean that there is something wrong with us - the answer is quite the contrary.

And laughter in the confessional? LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! Of course, the sacrament is a solemn thing, but relating to people and making them comfortable is *key* to them availing themselves of the sacrament again! I find this absolutely delightful.

Many, many thanks to Fr. Kyle for participating in Vocations Spotlight and sharing his journey of faith with us at Life of a Catholic Librarian!  To keep up with Fr. Kyle and his ministry, sign up to subscribe to his blog, Reverenced Reading, and/or follow him on Twitter, his handle is @colonel4God. Send him a tweet to let him know your thoughts on his interview!

*Photo courtesy of artur84, at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Vocations Spotlight: Fr. Kyle Sanders, Part 1

Happy Monday all! I am very pleased to start a new (and hopefully ongoing) series on vocations. What I'd like to do is feature slice of life glimpses from Catholics in different vocations: How did they discern their vocation and what is their day-to-day life like? 

We begin with the priesthood. Fr. Kyle Sanders is an engaging young priest who graciously agreed to my request for a Q&A post, and he introduces himself at his blog, Reverenced Reading, as follows: 

  

"I am a priest of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. I was born and raised right outside New Orleans. I attended Catholic school my entire educational career. By the time I graduated high school, I had two paths to choose: rockstar or priesthood. I pursued both for awhile but eventually came to the understanding God's will was priesthood and my will was rockstardom. After making that decision, to allow God's will to be mine, I needed a new way to channel my creativity. I began writing as I finished up my formation for priesthood. I still play music, but priestly ministry comes first. My bride: St. Rita of Cascia Parish in Harahan, LA."

 And so without further ado, here is the first part of my interview with Fr. Kyle:

Would you briefly describe your childhood faith background?

I grew up in a mixed religion family. My father is Catholic and my mother is Baptist. They were married in the Church, and part of them receiving dispensation for doing so my father promised to raise their children Catholic. For the whole of my cogent life, my mom has not darkened the door of a Baptist church except for her mother's funeral (but she has come to see her son celebrate mass). My father grew up in a mixed religion family. His mother was Catholic and his father was a faithful Presbyterian (who oddly enough was a tour guide in St. Louis Cathedral). My dad, then, had experience seeing what it was like to raise a child Catholic in the midst of a mixed religion family. His mother was what one would call 'a church lady' only her holiness offset the self-righteousness generally attributed to the breed. I was baptized as a child and went to Catholic grammar school. I learned about Scripture and about the faith and was a bit more attentive than most of my classmates at mass. I became an altar server in the fourth grade. My prayer life consisted primarily of the guardian angel prayer before bed.

When and why did you decide to become a priest? Was it a specific experience, or did it take root over a long period of time?

I would maybe rephrase the question slightly to 'when and why did you decide to answer the call to become a priest?' Because ultimately, the man discerns with the Church in the Holy Spirit and although a man may 'decide' to become a priest the call must be confirmed by the Church as a genuine call.

The call was initially inspired by the witness of a newly ordained priest who was assigned to the parish where I attended youth group. I was attracted to the way that he was living his life. They way that he led worship in mass. He was happy, and a happy priest was not what I grew up with.

Then during my senior year of high school, I came to the crossroads all seniors come to: where am I going to college? The call the that I had heard two years earlier was still there. It had come back in small ways, like little grace-filled post-it notes, little reminders, but I wanted to be 'sure.' So I spent many hours upon hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament praying for the discernment of my vocation. Slowly I was beginning to abandon myself to the divine will although it was still not totally clear for me.

Then one night I was in adoration. A person walked into the chapel and soon after his phone rang. I had my eyes closed praying the rosary, but I could hear unintelligible speech outside. He comes back into the chapel and asks the person closest to the door where a neighboring parish was. As soon as those words leapt from his mouth my heart lit up like a bonfire of Guy Fawkes Day. It was beating as loud as a military tattoo. In all that, I heard the words, 'Kyle, show him where it is.' I hesitated out of confusion mixed with fear, but the fire and beating of my heart was irresistible. So I got up and left the chapel. I could see his break lights so I ran to his car and knocked on the driver's window. I could tell I scared him, but he rolled down the window and in the glint of the streetlight I could see the white of a Roman collar. I was too slow to realize the importance of that. I told him to follow me, and he did. We arrived at the parish and the parking lot was packed. The pastor of that parish was also the chaplain at my high school so I figured I'd say hello, only he wasn't anywhere on the campus. Resigned not to see him, I walk back towards my car. In the parking lot, I ran into the priest that first initiated my desire for the priestly life. This is the second priest but I still wasn't getting it. He invited me to go a part of the campus I had not explored where there was a dinner. I walk into the school cafeteria and on a white banner hanging from the ceiling written in red letters were the words 'Thank You Priests for Being Priests.' It was then that I realized what God was doing. I spent the next 10 minutes outside in tears, praise and awe of what the Lord had done.

Do you have any suggestions or guidance for those who are currently struggling with vocational discernment?

My first advice would be to pray, pray, pray, pray, and then pray some more. We aren't able to receive the depth of the Lord's will unless we listen in silence within the communion of prayer.

Abandon your own thoughts and desires and make your prayer to be conformed to the will of the Father. In other words pray often with the agony in the garden and the conversion of St. Paul.

The Lord doesn't work episodically like a sit-com. He's more of a novel writer, so reflect on your past as look and see where and when He was active. He's been guiding you and showing you His desire for you throughout the entirety of your life, not just now.

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 The above are the questions relating to discernment of his priestly vocation, we still have more to come from Fr. Kyle! Before I give you a teaser for what I'll post next week, I wanted to briefly reflect on what is written here. I find family faith stories SO incredibly interesting, and I note that Fr. Kyle came from a mixed religious household. That applies to so many families, and shows that a vocation to the priesthood can blossom even when both parents aren't Catholic. 

I absolutely loved Father's clarification on my second question, about how he decided to become a priest. His explanation of it as "answering a call" rather than a decision in the traditional sense is just beautiful. As well, I know that I will be reflecting on his thoughts about discernment for a long time to come. His description of the Lord being a novel writer, and our discernment of His Will as needing to incorporate a look back on the story of our lives to see where He has been active and how He has been guiding us...is just sublime. This visual will guide my prayers from now on. The Lord as the Master Storyteller, I just love this. And we certainly need to be paying attention to the plot to see where the author is leading us, no?

Come back next Monday to learn about Fr. Kyle's thoughts on:

- his favorite experience in priestly ministry;

- the most challenging part of priestly ministry;

- his daily prayer routine and how he balances it amongst his other responsibilities;

- the highly underused Sacrament of Reconcilliation;

- Pope Francis,

...and more! To keep up with Fr. Kyle and his ministry, sign up to subscribe to his blog, Reverenced Reading, and/or follow him on Twitter, his handle is @colonel4God.

Thank you SO much to Fr. Kyle for agreeing to be featured in Vocations Spotlight at Life of a Catholic Librarian, and see you all next week for Part 2 of his interview!

*Photo courtesy of artur84, at FreeDigitalPhotos.net