Companions Around the Altar: On the 20th Anniversary of My Priestly Ordination
Praised be Jesus Christ! Now and forever.
Seventy-five years ago last All Saints Day, Karol Wojtyła was ordained a priest in this very chapel by Adam Sapieha, the princely archbishop of the long night of Krakow’s occupation, made a cardinal earlier that year by the Venerable Pius XII.
The year 1946 was a very good year for the Church in Poland — St. John Paul the Great ordained a priest, Blessed Stefan Wyszynski consecrated a bishop and Sapieha created a cardinal. May those heavenly intercessors obtain from the Lord the graces the Polish Church needs to remain semper fidelis.
Places and dates, shrines and anniversaries are very important to me. This chapel became an important place for me during the seminar in 1994, when I was a participant discovering my own priestly vocation. In 2002, just weeks before my ordination, I joined the seminar for a few days so that I might pray in preparation in various holy places, including the cell of Maximilian Kolbe at Auschwitz and again in this chapel.
On my 10th anniversary, the day after the seminar ended in 2012, I returned to this chapel for the Holy Mass with my parents, our seminar leader George Weigel, and a few of the participants. Now for the 20th anniversary, it a blessing to be here again, though this time with the entire seminar. Please make the prayers of this Holy Mass, using the proper formulary for a priest on his anniversary, your prayer for me on my 20th anniversary.
The first reading from Jeremiah is often read at ordinations: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. I pray on this anniversary in gratitude for my parents and my extended family who were such exemplary models of the faith. I think particularly of my godmother, Blanche de Freitas, whose prayers I am convinced were at the root of my priestly vocation.
The priestly vocation can be intimidating, for Jeremiah is told: To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. That can even be a bit frightening, so the Lord God adds those words which St. John Paul made resound all over the world: Have no fear before them, because I am with you.
How is the Lord with us? I often feel the Lord’s presence in the companionship of the saints and in the companionship of Christian friends here and now.
On this anniversary, celebrated in the company of the seminar that was a decisive step on my path to the priesthood, I give thanks to Jesus, our great high priest, for those companions along the way.
