Priests assess vocations after first years of ministry

Each in his own way, three of the newer clergy in the Albany Diocese are adjusting to the demands, joys, sorrows and surprises of being priests. They spoke with The Evangelist about their lives and vocations.

TEACHER TO PRIEST

Six years ago, Rev. Mark Cunningham was ordained at the age of 51. For more than 20 years, he had been a high school English teacher; switching careers was a major change.

"I loved my job as a teacher. It was wonderful," recalled the pastor of St. Francis de Sales parish in Herkimer, who is also the sacramental minister of Blessed Sacrament in Mohawk.

When he began his ministry as pastor, there were four priests in the area. Now, there are two. As a result, he is doing the work of two priests.

"This past year, we had 100 funerals," he said. "Am I busy? I never imagined I'd be as busy as I am at this job. I am never bored, never looking for something to do. I never have trouble getting to sleep. I get up every day and just go to it."

Father Cunningham admitted that his roles in two parishes, plus serving as administrator for Calvary Cemetery (Herkimer) and being the only priest for more than 200 students in St. Francis de Sales School, keep him on his toes.

"Being a pastor means being an administrator, a manager. That's what we do," he noted. "It is an enormous, daily challenge which takes up a tremendous amount of time. There are all sorts of things that a pastor is accountable for."

One important daily challenge is steering his ministry away from the mundane and towards the spiritual.

Ministering to "the people of God here is where I get the most satisfaction," he noted. "I have been overwhelmed by the amazing level of spirituality, kindness and holiness of the people here, especially in the celebration of the sacraments. The level of trust that they put into the sacraments, especially confession, continuously overwhelms me. It is very humbling for me.

"There is a great privilege in being invited into people's lives for the happy times and also for the horrible times. I consider this a privilege and an honor. There is no better way to spend my life than as a priest."

Father Cunningham calls parish ministry "life-sustaining, holy and essential for the Church."

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PRIEST OF MILLENNIUM

Rev. Anthony Childs, who is just eight months into his position as pastor of St. John the Baptist parish in Greenville, was ordained in 2000.

"I was the first priest ordained in the third millennium, and I felt great joy but also great sadness at that," he recalled. The sadness came because he was the only priest ordained that year.

Commenting on his priesthood, he said that "it has been all I hoped for -- and nothing I expected. The priesthood is definitely a 'people' profession. It is wonderful in so many challenging ways. I experience a great joy in celebrating the Mass, which for me is a humbling experience."

But, he added, the "behind-the-scenes stuff" can be discouraging. "Sometimes, the job goes well; sometimes, not so well," he said. "I'm still adjusting. Sometimes, I do feel ill prepared" for the many demands.

"I am a somewhat idealistic person," he continued. "As a priest, I am learning to balance that idealism with the real experience of this ministry. There is a deep sense of tradition in our Church, but [the Church] is changing. Many people do not see that yet, and this creates tension.

"For me, the last four years have been filled with excitement in many good ways. Sharing in people's lives during their tenderest moments -- death as well as life -- has been tremendously rewarding for me, especially when working with young people."

Father Childs finds that networking with other priests is essential. "De-stressing and taking time off from my job as pastor is critical for me," he said. "We all need that 'down time'. As one person, I can only do so much."

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INTO A NEW WORLD

Rev. Peter Tkocz, a native of Poland who was ordained in 2001, is associate pastor at St. Ambrose parish in Latham. He said his work has proven to be exactly what he'd hoped it would be: being a minister to people.

In the three-plus years of his priesthood, he has not had any "negative surprises," which he credits to his seminary studies. He was trained in spiritual direction and pastoral counseling, and has been able to utilize them both.

As an associate pastor, he has experienced many challenges. "It is a large, diverse, suburban parish with many families and ministries," he noted, adding that there are both good and "not so good" aspects to that.

"I don't like meetings, especially those that are set up for the sake of just having a meeting, the ones that are scheduled routinely for their own sake. They seem pointless," Father Tkocz said. "I do enjoy the work that is involved in preparation to receive the sacraments, such as First Communion, Reconciliation and Confirmation."

Much of that is done by lay staff. "The beauty of this parish is that the large staff is very capable and responsible, and they all do their work independently," he said. "On the other side of that, a lot of tasks are done by this staff that normally the associate pastor would be doing. My job is primarily celebrating the sacraments, which I love to do. That is at the heart of being a priest.

"When I think about the priesthood, I am sure I made the right decision. I have wanted to do this for a long time; it is my calling, my vocation."

(1/13/05)