February 6, 2021

Seminarian Fund Collection Feb. 6-7; Bishop Byrne to direct vocations office

REGIONAL
Staff report

 

SPRINGFIELD — As parishes in the Springfield Diocese hold a special collection for the Seminarian Fund on the weekend of Feb. 6-7, Springfield Bishop William Byrne has announced a restructuring of the Vocations Office, which he will now direct with the assistance of Fathers David Darcy and Jonathan Reardon.

Installed as the 10th bishop of Springfield on Dec. 14, 2020, Bishop Byrne came to western Massachusetts from the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., where he was most recently pastor of Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Potomac, Md. He had also served as chaplain of the Catholic Student Center at the University of Maryland, where he inspired more than a dozen young men and women to enter the priesthood or religious life.

Among those present at Bishop Byrne’s installation Mass, were four seminarians and one seminary applicant, all of whom served as altar servers at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Potomac.

“We have a sad reality that we have zero seminarians in this diocese but that’s going to change,” Bishop Byrne said in a YouTube video, which can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9oXOHRwpfE.

“God has not stopped calling men in western Massachusetts to bring us the Eucharist, to baptize, to preach the Gospel.”

Bishop Byrne continued by asking people to pray for vocations.

“I want you to pray. I want you to say ‘Lord, send shepherds to western Massachusetts to Bishop Byrne.’” He also asked people to start asking young men they know if they would consider the call to priesthood.

“Here’s the criteria I want you to consider: If that guy, that kid would be a good son-in-law, that’s what I’m looking for,” he said.

Father Jonathan Reardon, the pastor of Holy Family Parish in South Deerfield, has been appointed the director of recruitment.

“I think this is going to be a unique way to promote vocations and an opportunity to rally the priests together to show young men out there, that it’s not just the young priests on fire, but all of us,” Father Reardon said. “We all love being priests. We love our role in the church. Young men need to see that – joyful, loving, happy priests,” he said.

Father Darcy, who has been serving as a co-director of the Vocations Office, told iObserve that diocesan seminarians have been “exceedingly appreciative” of the financial assistance offered to them through the Seminarian Fund. “They appreciate any kind of assistance,” he said, “and they are truly grateful to the people of the diocese.”

Receiving assistance from parishioners also creates a connection between the seminarians and the diocese as they complete their studies in the seminaries, which are located outside of western Massachusetts.

Although there currently are no seminarians studying for the Springfield Diocese, Father Darcy said the vocations office continues to receive inquiries. “Every time I see people coming forward, I have hope,” he said. “People are still feeling called (to the priesthood), so that is hopeful.”

Seminarian Fund Collection

There will be envelopes in the churches for this weekend’s Seminarian Fund Collection, but those parishioners who attend Mass virtually can send checks made out to “Seminarian Fund” to: Diocese of Springfield, P.O. Box 1730, Springfield, MA 01102-1730.

Those considering a vocation can contact the Vocations Office at 413-452-0816 or vocations@diospringfield.org.

Contributing to this story were Rebecca Drake and Carolee McGrath.