Priest: Portraits of Ten Good Men Serving the Church Today

Unsung heroes of the priesthood today — at the rectory just down the street! Attacks on the priesthood have grown unrelenting in recent years, as incidents of sexual misconduct reveal chronice, deeply-rooted flaws in seminaries, rectories, and chanceries across the country. Keen observers (among them some Catholics) foretell of the end of the priesthood — and even perhaps of the dissolution of the Church itself. They’re wrong. Christ Himself instituted the priesthood; with tender love, He watches over it. When sin brings down some priests, He causes grace to abound in others. Evidence for this may be as close as the rectory of your own parish; and it extends across our coutnry to church after church where, undeterred by scandal-filled headlines and anti-Catholic editorials, thousands of modest priests continue to serve their flocks faithfully, living quiet lives of love, prayer, and service. To remind us of this, author Michael S. Rose has gathered here the true stories of ten of these faithful priests. Some are yound, some old. They hail from different backgrounds and have different ministries; some work with the poor while others walk the corridors of power. Their talents vary as much as their temperaments. One trait they share in God’s grace is working vigorously in each of their lives, sustaining in them a burning love for Christ and an unwavering fidelity to His church. These true stories of ten real priests show us that, contrary to media reports, priestly virtue — courage, humility, sacrifice, and above all charity — continues to flourish in rectories throughout America. Although its ranks have thinned, there still remains a thriving priesthood of faithful men who are worthy of our support and who deserve our gratitude. Read these stories, and let your faith be restored.