Msgr. Noel C. Burtenshaw

The statistics tell us that at least 10 percent of all new migrants to the North Georgia area are Catholic. Some say the number is more accurately placed at 20 percent.

The Southeast and the Southwest -- Sunbelt country -- are the population meccas of the next century. The question is this -- how will the Church serve those who will settle in those areas if the ordained ministers needed for that service are not there now, as this avalanche begins?

Example: The Archdiocese of Atlanta will ordain one new priest this year. The total seminarian picture is as follows: four students are presently preparing in Ireland and eight were preparing in the U.S.

“It goes without saying,” says Father Vincent Dwyer, founder of the Ministry to Priests program, “that we are short of priestly vocations everywhere, but why? The priest himself must answer that question.”

One Atlanta priest now a professor of theology in Theological College in Washington, D.C., Father Gerald McBrerity, said recently, “We have more seminarians this year. Our enrollment is up, but we must be honest, we are probably getting those numbers because many seminaries across the country have closed. As of now we are not gaining.”

So where does the Church go from here?

About 15 years ago Father Vincent Dwyer, a Trappist monk, asked that same question and out of his deliberation was founded the program called Ministry to Priests. He decided that the most needed element in the life of the American priest was thorough renewal movement. Not a retreat movement, a renewal movement that would help the priest look at his own growth, spiritually, physically, and psychologically.

“It was a holistic approach,” says Father Bill Hoffman, Atlanta’s Director of Continuing Education for the Clergy.

“Something new was needed over and above the annual retreat. The experience is there for us to see. We are not getting vocations, that concerns the priest. And hundreds of priests across the nation have left the active ministry. So something is needed to be done. Father Dwyer came up with this approach.”

When asked -- Who will minister to the minister? -- the Ministry to Priests program says, “the priest must minister to the priest.” This program suggests how it can be done.

Recently the priests of the archdiocese voted to invite Father Dwyer and his staff to come to Atlanta and implement the program here. The process was initiated. It is now in place.

“About 25 of us gathered at Ignatius Retreat House last month,” says Father Hoffman, “to begin the program. We are the leadership group and have been elected by the priests to be their leaders. After having been instructed in this first phase we will now move on to other carefully planned phases.”

The next phase is called the Convocation Day. This will take place in May. The ministry team will come here from Washington and meet with all the priests. Each Atlanta priest will be asked to write an appraisal of himself. This will be confidentially studied by the team from Washington.

The third phase will be a retreat in October. Along with one member of the Ministry team, the individual priest will, during this retreat, go over his own appraisal. He will be asked to pick one other priest, from the leadership group, that he will meet with and begin to confide in. This priest to priest relationship is considered vital to the program.

The fourth and final phase probably takes place the following spring. The Washington team returns and gives to the assembled clergy a profile of the archdiocese. Recommendations are made for continuing education for the clergy and small support groups are set up to meet regularly and provide helps.

“These support groups are found to be vital,” says Father Hoffman. “And they are not entirely new. Some are already in existence among our priests. For years a group of priests have been meeting on Thursday for golf, support, recreation. Another meets on Tuesday. More recently a group is spending Monday together. These gatherings are most helpful and their continuation will be essential as we get into the Ministry to Priests.”

The Ministry to Priests program has been popular across the nation but especially in the Mid-West and New England. Where it has been most successful and where its benefits have been felt most, are in those dioceses where the support group has worked.

One of the Florida dioceses which used a program similar to the Ministry to Priests reported that after one year the program seem to have faded among the clergy. When asked why, one priest quickly admitted that of the 30 support groups initiated a year ago only three remain in existence.

“Support groups and well planned continuing education are needed,” says Father Hoffman, “if success is to be seen and growth in the life of the priest is to be experienced. It is only at that point, we will see growth in vocations to the ministry.”

It is a new day for the priest. “The Council changed a lot for priesthood,” says Father Hoffman. “The ‘mystique’ that surrounded his life was taken away, to a great extent. Latin was gone from the liturgy. The regimented rectory life vanished. Very little was put in its place. Add to this the lack of vocations and the priest begins to ask if others are going to follow in his footsteps. We all know that burn-out happens, often. We need to minister with new ideas in new ways to accomplish it for our priests in North Georgia through the Ministry to Priests program.”

The first phase has taken place. The 25 priests have been selected and the first training has been given to them. They will now encourage their brothers in the ministry to participate (the program is optional) and work to make the second phase a success.

The ministry to each other has begun.