By Cathy Blankenau Bender
Southern Nebraska Register
The priests of the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln will gather in Kearney May 27-30 for a convocation.
A convocation by definition, is a “calling together of a group of people,” explained Father Douglas Dietrich, vicar for clergy for the diocese. He is overseeing the event.
“In this instance,” he said, “Bishop Conley is ‘calling together’ all the priests of the Diocese of Lincoln.”
He said the purpose of the convocation is three-fold, and summed up in the theme of the convocation: “Flourishing as Priests: Body, Mind, and Soul.”
The event will offer daily talks to the priests on the theme of wellness and health – physical, spiritual, and social health. In addition to the talks each day, the priests will be given time to relax; to pray; to get caught up on sleep. They will be given time for socializing with their brother priests, and for recreation.
“Workload and distance prevents many of our priests from experiencing all of these things on a routine basis,” Father Dietrich explained.
“The convocation will not only speak to the priests about the importance of a well-balanced lifestyle; it will hopefully afford them the opportunity to experience it, and for more than just a couple of hurried hours which run head-long into parish meetings and classroom lesson preps.”
Father Caleb La Rue, chancellor of the diocese, said convocations are a “very, very common practice throughout the United States.” This is the first, however, for the Lincoln Diocese.
After each daily talk, there will be a concelebrated Mass with Bishop Conley and all the priests. There will also be an adoration chapel available throughout the day to spend time with the Lord in prayer. The afternoons will be free time for the priests to rest and relax and enjoy fraternity, and the evenings will consist of dinner and then time to play cards or other games, or simply sit and visit with one another. Some priests have made plans to golf; some plan a short canoe trip on the nearby river.
The structured talks, the bishop said, are meant to help the priests of the dioceses “maintain and re-invigorate their love for the priesthood and their dedication to their people.” The talks will be led by Father John Riccardo, a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit.
Father Riccardo is well known from his longtime nationally-aired radio show, “Christ is the Answer.” In 2019, after 23 years in parish ministry, he founded Acts XXIX, an apostolate that aims to proclaim the gospel in an attractive and compelling way, and to equip clergy and lay leaders for the age in which God has chosen them to live.
In a video message to priests of the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln, Father Riccardo described his hopes for the May 27-30 convocation.
He said he has led more than 3,000 priests on retreat in the last five years, and he and his team want to reflect with the Lincoln Diocese priests on what they’ve learned “from the front lines … to help those of you who might feel alone, to know that you’re not alone.”
“What we’ve seen,” he went on, “is something like this: there are a ton of brothers who are, thanks be to God, thriving right now in the priesthood. And there are a number of guys who are not.
“They love Jesus,” he stressed. “They love their people. They love the Church. But they’re just not thriving, for whatever reason, and so what we want to do is have the chance just to soak for a little bit in the gospel.”
Priests certainly know the gospel, he said, and in fact can “give a talk out of our back pocket,” which is both good and “not so good” when priests “get used to the magnificence” of Scripture.
“So we want to spend a little bit of time just reminding ourselves that Jesus right now, He’s not anxious. He’s not nervous. He has no rival. He’s already defeated – though not yet destroyed – sin, death, and Satan.”
The talks will share with priests what Acts XXIX staff call “three essential principles for transformation.” They long to bring transformation and renewal to the ordained, to the lay faithful and to leaders in the Church, Father Riccardo said.
“We can’t wait to be with you.”
Bishop Conley is looking forward to the convocation.
“I feel like, as shepherd of my priests, as spiritual father of my priests, that a good father will not only be interested in the spiritual welfare of our priests, but (also) the joy that our priests have.
“It’s a tough job,” he continued, “and I realize that. Sometimes you’re lonely and sometimes you don’t have time to be with your brother priests.”
He said in the seminary, “we had that community, but then when you’re ordained, you could be out in a parish where you’re 20 or 30 miles” from the nearest brother priest.
“And so I’m really excited that this is going to be an opportunity for all of our priests to be together and to share that bond of priesthood that we all share in Jesus Christ, and that it will be a great opportunity and a great help for the human flourishing of our priests.”
The bishop said his prayer for the event is that the time together will help all the priests rediscover the joy of their vocation. He asked the faithful to “pray for us while we are in Kearney and I would like to promise them our prayers.”
He was quick to assure the faithful that the priests are not “abandoning” their flocks while they’re away, although there will be obvious changes during the few days the priests are in Kearney. Priests will report to the convocation the evening of Monday, May 27. Daily Masses on Tuesday and Wednesday will be celebrated regionally, and priests may resume daily Masses as they are able late on Thursday, May 30.
“We are very blessed in the Diocese of Lincoln to have Mass available daily on a level that is becoming more and more rare in the U.S.,” said Father La Rue. “While not having Mass offered in every church is a sacrifice, it is an opportunity to unite in prayer and offer up this sacrifice for all those Catholics around the world who lack access to weekly or even monthly Mass, much less daily Mass.”
A central number has been set up to address sacramental emergencies across the diocese. The emergency number for the days of the convocation will be 402-915-1206. It will be in operation from noon on Monday until 3 p.m. Thursday.
The convocation will be held every other year, and organizations like the Knights of Columbus and private donors have donated funds to offset the cost of the event.
