Native of Troy is ordained in his home parish

By KAREN DIETLEIN- | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

Native of Troy is ordained in his home parish Members of St. Augustine's parish in Lansingburgh celebrated last week the ordination of one of their own: Keith Hollis, who became an Augustinian priest. The relaxed, unassuming 32-year-old, who has already been appointed associate pastor of St. Thomas of Villanova parish in Rosemont, Penn., describes himself as a true "home-grown boy" and vividly remembers a childhood spent in the hills, schools and churches of the Capital District. "I have a story for every block and corner in Troy," declared the graduate of Catholic Central High School in Troy. Parish life At St. Augustine's, Father Hollis recalled, "I was a jack of all trades: catechist, altar server, sacristan, Eucharistic minister, lector and parish council member. I painted bricks and scraped gum from underneath the pews. No day was ever the same." His parish did not forget his contributions, so former altar servers, members of the parish council, and children and teenagers he taught were on hand to support him on his ordination day. "The concern and love [St. Augustine's] has shown me is overwhelming," the new priest said. "This is the first time one of their own has been ordained an Augustinian priest. This is as much of an event for them as it is for me." Vocation Father Hollis originally entered the order to become a brother and serve as a director of religious education. As a requirement before taking final vows, he was sent to Florida to work in a parish for a year. That changed the direction of his vocation and convinced him that the priesthood was where his heart lay. "Everyone inquired why I wasn't going to be a priest. That began the process of discerning a possible call to priesthood," Father Hollis said. At the end of that year, "I realized that I wanted priesthood." Challenges Father Hollis discovered that, for him, the priesthood is both a challenge and a calling. "The beeper goes off at four in the morning, but that's life," he said. "Like it was at St. Augustine's, no day is ever the same." The priest's life, he said, is fully devoted to service, "24 hours a day. You're always present for the needs of the community. You never know what you're going to do or what you are going to find." On the responsibilities of his new position, he joked, "I have no fear of giving a homily, but I don't look good in green vestments!" Amid scandal Father Hollis said that entering the priesthood during the height of the sex abuse scandal did not dissuade him and, in fact, calls him to be more diligent and loving in his ministry. "Everyone has felt the burden," he said. "It requires [priests] to work a little harder to show ourselves as credible witnesses to Jesus Christ." He believes that the crisis has generated a need for Catholics to change the way they look at and interact with priests. "People are really starting to look after their priests," Father Hollis commented. "It is time that our ministry on behalf of the Church becomes mutual -- priests looking out for parishioners, parishioners looking out for us -- so that we can have a better relationship to the Church and its people. We're all moving towards the same goal: mutuality and reciprocity." Father Hollis, who was ordained to the diaconate in 2001 and has served in a parish since then, has no doubt that the priesthood is his life's call. "It is a role of service unlike any other walk of life," he explained. "The bottom line is this is what God has called me to do." (09-05-02) [[In-content Ad]]

April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.

AUGUSTINIAN

Native of Troy is ordained in his home parish

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