CHARLOTTE — An effort to promote priestly vocations that grew at St. Michael Church in Gastonia is expanding to welcome participation from anyone in the Diocese of Charlotte.
“Pray4Priests” began as an individual lay apostolate in 2007 to pray for and support priests. It eventually formed two programs to encourage others to participate in the effort: P4P Prayer Groups and an Adopt-a-Seminarian program.
The P4P prayer groups give busy laypeople a chance to participate in small group prayer for priests, usually before or after Mass for a few minutes once a week. While the prayers can be prayed for any priest, they have a particular focus on supporting the local pastor.
The “Adopt-a-Seminarian” program was launched to provide prayer support and encouragement to all seminarians studying in the Charlotte diocese. Through this free program, people can prayerfully support and be matched up with a seminarian for the length of the school year, which this year runs from mid-October to May 2.
Lonikay Templeton, one of the organizers and also the mother of a Charlotte diocese seminarian, noted that as the number of seminarians continues to rise, there is a need for more people to get involved in this prayer effort.
Once people sign up to adopt a seminarian, they receive an “adoption kit” that includes the name, photo and information related to their adopted seminarian. Then throughout the school year, they pray for that seminarian and send him a note or card of encouragement. Any additional support is optional, and the apostolate provides resources and ideas if people would like to do more.
The program is meant to benefit and sanctify both the seminarian and the people who adopt them, said another organizer, Valerie Morgan. It introduces the men who may be future priests to prayerful laity in the diocese where they will one day serve as pastors. Seminarians are able to experience the love of laity who are striving for holiness. In turn the program gives the laity a personal connection with a man who is also striving to follow Jesus, who will pray for them, and who may one day be their pastor.
For details and sign-up information, go online to www.pray4priests.com and click on the “Adopt-a-Seminarian” tab. Sign up by Oct. 22.
— Catholic News Herald