I’m beginning my third month in my new assignment as pastor of St. Gerard parish in Lansing. I have greatly appreciated the warm welcome that I have received along with a number of dinner invitations. Sharing meals with parish families is a great way for me to get to know them, and a great way for them to get to know me. As part of the usual chats around the dinner table, I can usually count on one particular question to get the ball rolling:  “Fr. Dwight, how did you sense God was calling you to be a priest?”  I don’t get tired answering that question, and my answer usually touches on the following, which, as it turns out, is appropriate as we get set to mark the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi on October 3.

I grew up at St. Thomas Aquinas parish in Saginaw. At the time it was one of the largest parishes in the Diocese of Saginaw, and it was staffed by Franciscan priests from Milwaukee. It was not unusual at that time to have at least four Franciscan priests assigned to the parish, along with a transitional deacon, and several Franciscan brothers. They spanned the range of ages from young, newly-ordained priests, to older, more seasoned veterans.

I think of priests like Fr. William, who was the pastor during the time the current church at St. Thomas was under construction. I recall him as a happy, patient teacher, whose love for St. Francis was reflected in how he pastored so gently and in how he used his artistic sense to guide the construction of the church, ensuring that its beautiful stained glass windows told the story of the Canticle of St. Francis.

Then there were younger priests like Fr. Pat and Fr. Ed. I admired Fr. Pat’s tremendous gift as a singer and the humorous way he loved to celebrate the sprinkling rite during the Easter season. It always seemed like my family got just a little extra holy water as he made his way through church. Fr. Ed was so genuine in his faith and love for God. He was always a prayerful presence on youth group retreats and was so open about his careful priestly discernment, always wanting to make sure he was seeking to do God’s will first and foremost.

There are others, like Fr. Brendan, whose love for Sacred Scripture was so patiently shared in the weekly Bible studies which he led for many years. In the context of those he revealed a voluminous knowledge of Scripture and an equal love for history and storytelling.

Each of those Franciscan priests offered me an inspiring vision of priesthood. They are part of a larger cadre of priests and laypeople whose joyful dedication to the work of serving people of all ages and social settings helped, in time, to plant and reinforce the idea of priesthood in my mind and on my heart. In their joy, wisdom, knowledge, grace and dedication, the Franciscan priests of my early life helped to shape and form my own priestly journey.

As we prepare to mark the 800th anniversary of St. Francis’s journey into eternal life, there is still much we can learn from the Little Poor One, as he was often known. It comforts me to know that his inspiration touched the lives of those who have been an inspiration to me. May each of us seek to honor St. Francis in some way each day, in faith, love, poverty of spirit, and joyful service to the poor. And so, our journey in FAITH continues.