Considering priesthood

July 26, 2005

JOEL DAVIDSON\Frontiersman reporter

WASILLA - Christopher O'Brian, unlike most 13-year-old boys, is considering a vocation few think of these days. If he follows through, his life will change forever.

Despite a near crisis-like need for this ancient calling, fewer and fewer young men choose the post. O'Brian, however, may break the mold if he finally decides to become a Catholic priest.

Spiritual trek heads through wilderness

Last week, O'Brian played with 17 middle-school-age boys in a secluded hayfield just off Fairview Loop Road. The sunburned boys wore baseball hats and blue jeans as they threw footballs, studied the sports pages, read Harry Potter and debated the legitimacy of Sammy Sosa's career.

The boys hailed from places scattered across the globe. Wednesday afternoon, however, they were in Wasilla, having just returned from two weeks in Alaska's backcountry, where they combined spiritual lessons with king-salmon fishing, river rafting and outdoor adventure.

Four dads accompanied the boys, along with an ordained priest, a chef, a medical doctor and a young seminarian.

The adventure sought to provide an atmosphere where the boys could deepen thier faith and seriously consider their spiritual calling - whether it be marriage, single life or the priesthood.

The activities were part of Camp Kodiak Alaska's overall goal to encourage the boys toward spiritual lives that actively serve the church.

"We're trying to intermingle Catholic faith into all the fun and activities so it makes the faith a normal, natural part of their day," said camp director Ray Arsenault, who said that each day, regardless of whether they were on a river bank or near a glacier, the group celebrated Mass in a large tent, recited the rosary and meditated on Gospel readings.

"It's all mixed together in what I like to call a unique Alaskan experience," Arsenault added.

The boys came to Alaska from Canada, Mexico, Germany and various parts of the United states. When they landed in Anchorage, however, they brought only the essentials for wilderness adventure.

"We tell them to leave their Game Boys and CDs at home because this is its own atmosphere - it's very dynamic," said Father Kermit Syren, the founder of the 10-year-old camp. "Usually it's pretty busy and they don't have time for that anyway."

Raising young

Catholic leaders

Syren is a member of the Legionaries of Christ, a relatively new priestly order that seeks to inspire and educate lay Catholics. Founded in 1941, the Legionaries now have 3,000 seminarians and 600 priests.

In an era in which the Catholic church is experiencing a dramatic shortage of priests, especially new priests, the Legionaries strive to encourage young men to consider spiritual vocations, including the priesthood.

Syren explained the Legionaries' current popularity as a reflection of the church's needs.

"When there is a new need in history, God raises up different groups," he said, while citing missionary work, education, youth development and mass media as key areas for the modern Catholic church.

In America, the number of Catholic priests has dropped from roughly 58,000 in 1965 to only 43,000 in 2003. The startling decline is expected to continue in coming years, leaving increasingly more churches without priests. According to a 2000 study by the U.S. bishops, 27 percent of current American parishes don't have resident priests.

Through youth formation programs, junior seminaries and spiritual retreats, the Legionaries and other Catholic organizations are hoping to turn the tide and re-establish the priesthood as a viable calling for young men.

"A lot of times in our society, it's automatic that you're going to get married," said Doug Wayne, a dad who attended this year's camp with two sons and two nephews. "We need more priests and maybe married life is not the plan for some. We want these boys to be open to what their calling might be."

The decision to become a priest and live a celibate life dedicated to God alone, however, is not something that the boys should ever be pressured into, Syren said.

"You can't force that on anyone but you can encourage them to consider the option," he explained. "I think every young man should consider where he is going in life. Really there is only three options: It's married life, single life or dedicating yourself to God - now is a good time for them to think about that."

Trying out for the priesthood

Joining the priesthood is something O'Brian will consider seriously this summer. Next month, he joins two fellow campers for a one-month trial run at a Legionaries boarding school in New Hampshire. The school serves as a training ground for boys as they work out their final decisions.

O'Brian said the priesthood has always been in the back of his head but he didn't start thinking about it seriously until he joined a spiritual formation club for boys in Syracuse, N.Y.

"Before joining I thought I might become a priest, but I didn't say I wanted to go to seminary," O'Brian said. "Then, when I started doing the boys club, I realized that there was a possible way if I really wanted to become a priest."

O'Brian still isn't 100-percent sure, but he's ready to test the water.

"It's something I'd like to try out and if it's my vocation, then great," he said, during a break from playing in the field. "I'm prepared for it and if I think about it, maybe it's God's will."

O'Brian's parents have supported him during his inquiry.

"They're not holding me back," he said. "They're letting me try it out."

As the Alaskan adventure wound down, Syren gathered the boys for a final Mass at the edge of the field.

Sitting on coolers and camping equipment and slapping occasional mosquitoes, the boys quietly listened as Syren spoke.

"Some gifts come only once," he said. "I know when God called me to the priesthood, I didn't think it was such a good idea. I wanted to answer God's call but I hoped it wasn't that."

Syren then spoke of the moment where he realized it was his last chance to become a priest.

"It takes courage to step forward," he said, "but it's important to take those moments God provides. It takes a lot of work but it's nothing compared to the gifts God has given."

Contact Joel Davidson at 352-2266 or joel.davidson@frontiersman.com.