Year For Priests
Announcing the Year for Priests
Pope Benedict XVI has declared a “Year for Priests” beginning with the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 19, 2009. The year will conclude in Rome with an international gathering of priests with the Holy Father on June 19, 2010.
With the announcement of his Year for Priests, the Pope has declared St. John Vianney the Universal Patron of Priests on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the death of the Cure d’Ars.
Click here to read the Address of His Holiness Benedict XVI announcing the Year for Priests.
Prayer For Priests
Almighty God, look upon the face of Jesus who is the eternal High Priest, and have compassion on Your priests in today’s world. They are but weak and frail human beings. Stir up in them the grace of their vocation. Keep them close to You so the enemy may not prevail against them, so that they may never do anything in the slightest degree unworthy of their subline vocation.
O Jesus, I pray for Your faithful and fervent priests, for the unfaithful and tepid ones; for those laboring at home and abroad in distant mission fields; for those who are tempted; for those who are lonely and desolate; for those who are young; for those who are dying; and for those who ae in purgatory.
But, above all, I recommend to You the priests dearest to me; the priest who baptized me; the priests who absolved me from my sins; the priests at whose Masses I have assisted and who gave me Your body and blood in Holy Communion; the priests who instructed me or helped me by their encouragement. I pray devoutly for all the priests who I am indebted in any other way in particular Fr. Rudy Carrola (name any other priest as well). O Jesus, keep them all close to Your heart and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity.
O Mary, Queen of the Clergy, pray for us; obtain for us many and holy priests.
Spiritual Support for Fr. Rudy Carrola and all our priests
Priests are the greatest benefactors for humanity because it is through them that Christ continues to re-enact his unique sacrifice for the salvation of humankind. It is through them that he extends his forgiving hands and opens his heart of Divine Mercy. Since they are called to be the living monuments of Christ’s love in the world today, the priests spend their whole life, for God and His people. They need prayer support to live heorically their priestly commitment and mission in today’s challenging world.
To help provide spiritual support to Fr. Rudy (and all our priests) we can offer up prayers and sacrifices, during the Year for Priests. You can provide spiritual support by offering p to God various spiritual deeds for the santification of a particular priest.
What can you do?
| Pray the rosary |
| Pray the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy |
| Participate in the Eucharist |
| Offer a Mass intention for the priest |
| Make visits to the Blessed Sacrament |
| Fast, abstinence, penances, mortifications |
| Make a sincere examination of conscience and a good confession |
| Do acts of kindness to the priest including gestures of appreciation |
| Visit holy places like Marian shrines, grottos, places of pilgrimage |
| Do acts of charity for those in need |
| Speak well of priests in spite of their imperfections |
| Avoid listening to and spreading gossip about priests |
Compliments for Fr. Rudy Carrola
If you would like to show your support for Fr. Rudy Carrola, please send your compliment(s) to the rectory office (Attention: Webmaster) or send it via e-mail to Webmaster . These compliments will be posted to the web and/or published in the bulletin.
The following are some of the compliments received for Fr. Rudy.
“Fr. Rudy for Frances and I we give you all our support in this year of priesthood. We can help in whatever we can to give you all our support, and we are happy with you for being our pastor in St. John Berchmans. You have been one of the nicest and humble priest we have ever met. God bless you.” — Deacon Francisco & Frances Sandoval
“Fr. Rudy we are blessed to have you at our parish. Thanks for always being around the rectory or school. I know you are truly commited to our school and parish. We appreciate you.” — Edna Moseley
“Fr. Rudy, it is very hard to express in words what our family feels for you. When we could not decide where to go to mass you welcomed us with open arms. You always made us feel at home at Sacred Heart. You have been the saving grace for all of my family; my husband and daughters. Your guidance and your support have brought us closer to God. We have so much to be thankful for because of you. Thank you for all that you do for everybody. Because of your kindness we have new people in our lives, like John and his family. May God bless you always.” — Diana Padilla
“My favorite priest, hands down, is Fr. Rudy. As a prior military professional, I have experienced many priests in my travels around the world and have been a member of many parishes in those years. Like ordinary folks with their individual personalities, priests have their personalities as well. Some are unassuming men with little or no charisma, while others have tremendous drive and can hold their congregation’s attention in the pulpit; somewhere in these two extremes is Fr. Rudy. A man of quiet determination whose personal devotion to the children and the members of St. John Berchmans Catholic Church and School is exceptional. Like many older parishes, everything needs attention of one degree or another. Fr. Rudy in his open and honest assessment of any situation, informs the congregation of what needs to be done and how it can be accomplished through team work. This approach works, as with any family, items needing repair are prioritized and as each one is fixed, the next project is addressed. This is how the situations are addressed to the congregation of St. John Berchmans. Through his low key persistence he has brought St. John Berchmans’ congregation together to better its facilities and not sink the Church into deep debt; a remarkable feat to say the least. Common sense prevails here. Additionally, he solicits cooperation from the various ministries within the Church and this close unity with these entities re-enforces the feeling of community and service.
The devotion of this man of God has inspired me to want to do more for myself as a Christian and as a parishioner. To this endeavor, I have become more involved in the ministries of the Church, for example: Eucharistic Ministry, Lector/Greeter duties, ACTS Member, and I volunteered to be the 5:00pm Mass Sacristan, as well as a member of his Pastoral Council. Fr. Rudy has been a very positive role model for me and my family. I am so thankful for the experience of having a close association with this man of God.” — Respectfully Yours, Michael J. Wells, USAF, Retired
Fr. Rudy is the a great priest! He is kind, giving and a trustworthy priest. For me he has been a mentor and spiritual guide. i admire his love for his church, parishioners and for the children that attend our schol. His sermons help me think about the Gospel messages and help me to try to apply those messges into my everday life. He is truly an inspiration. Thank you, Fr. Rudy for being who you are. May God bless you always!
Anonymous