I’m one of the younger priests in the Catholic Diocese of Gaylord, Michigan—in terms of service, that is. I was ordained a priest in June 1993. Mine was a late vocation—very late. My situation has another unusual aspect. I’m a priest who has four married daughters and twelve grandchildren, ranging in age from 25 years to 6 months. I’ve been privileged to baptize the four youngest. To some people, I’m Father Dad. You see, I was ordained a priest after my wife died.

I had been married 42 years, when on a bright, sunny day in March 1989, during the Lenten season, my life suddenly changed. It was the First Friday of the month. My wife and I had been in the habit of going to Mass together on the First Fridays. This time she went alone, because she was meeting some women friends for a birthday luncheon afterwards.

I was doing some work at home about noon when the phone rang. It was the hospital. There had been an auto accident and my wife had been admitted to Emergency. “Is she seriously hurt,” I asked. “Come as soon as possible,” was all they’d tell me.

Immediately it felt like my heart was in my throat. I drove the 15 miles or so to the hospital, praying all the way, all the kinds of images going through my mind. When I got there, the chaplain met me at the door. My wife was seriously hurt—severe head injuries. Doctors were doing all they could, but the prognosis was not good. The chaplain had given her the last rites of the Church. She never regained consciousness. She died on the operating table a few hours later.

Some of you may have had similar experiences, or know what it is to lose a spouse. I was going through the grieving process—shock, denial, acceptance, anger. I was questioning, groping to understand God’s will in these events. “Why? Why must it end this way?”

One day I happened to glance at a Catholic newspaper we subscribed to. It highlighted the Pope’s Lenten address and the Biblical verse: “I am the Resurrection and the Life; whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet will he live.” I picked up the Bible and read the words in context—John 11:21-27. Jesus’ words of Resurrection stuck in my mind. I repeated them again and again. I thought, “My wife believed, she lived her faith, she lives now.” That is the well-founded hope of all who believe. I began to feel the burden lift.

I took a deeper interest in the Scriptures. I read more contemplatively. I began to appreciate that for the believer, death is not the end; it is simply the step through the doorway to eternal life, a change of dwelling place. By saying He is “the Life” Jesus is referring not only to that life which begins beyond the grave, but also to the supernatural life which God’s grace brings to the soul while still wayfarers on this earth. For “whoever lives and believes in Me shall; never die” (Jn. 11:26).

This eternal life, which the Father has promised and offered to all of us in Jesus Christ, is the final fulfillment of our vocation, our very reason for being here. No matter what life brings, to live in and for Christ must be our constant desire, the force that motivates us day by day. I recalled a prayer which a holy man of God, Venerable Father Solanus Casey, used to pray daily, “Father I adore. I give myself to you. May I be the person you want me to be, and may your will be done in my life today.” It’s the kind of morning offering prayer that everyone should say at the start of each day.

We need to keep things in perspective. In spite of all the material riches one may find in this life, they mean nothing when life here is ended. All that matters is the spiritual riches we’ve accumulated in heaven by the good we do on earth. The good and faithful servant stands at the threshold of the next life, beyond which he sees Christ and our eternal home. We come from God with a mission—to know Him, to love Him and to serve Him in this life—and we’re to return to God, hopefully mission accomplished, to be happy with Him forever.

One night, while lying in bed contemplating these things and thinking of my wife, the thought struck me, “How blessed I’ve been, really, to have had the love and companionship of this beautiful woman all these years. If the Lord wishes now to take her to be fully His own, how can I object.” It was a time of resignations. “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor? Who has given Him anything so as to deserve return?” (Rom. 11:34, 35).

Some time after my wife’s death I began to think about what I should do with the remainder of my life. I retired from active employment in 1986. I’ve been blessed with good health. Our children were all on their own. My wife and I had been very active in our parish church. We were on the Parish Council, visited the sick together, and I taught religious education classes.

I also had been assisting the chaplain, as altar server, at the Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament, a community of cloistered Dominican nuns. One day after Mass we were having breakfast together. He asked me if I had ever thought of becoming a priest.

Well, I was thinking of possibly being a deacon, but a priest—is it possible at my age? He showed me an ad in a Catholic magazine, placed by Holy Apostles College and Seminary . It seemed they catered to older vocations. I recalled my wife telling me years before, “If I should die before you, I want you to be a priest.” At the time I dismissed it, saying, “We’ll be in our eighties then. How could I be a priest?” Now at age 67, I began to give it serious thought.

I was aware of the shortage of priests. Perhaps I could fill the gap for a few years? I prayed about it and felt called. If someone earnestly desired to be a priest and was able, regardless of age, I thought he’d be gladly accepted.

But things don’t happen that easily. There are often obstacles to be overcome, sacrifices to be made, especially when setting out to do the Lord’s work. I talked with the Diocesan Vocation Director and was told I was too old for the priesthood: “We retire priests at the age you’d be ordained,” he said.

I contacted Holy Apostles Seminary and was told I’d first have to be sponsored by a diocese or religious order. I also had to take a psychological examination. That was an interesting experience. The conclusion was that I had the aptitudes to be a minister or priest, but I should wait longer before making such a drastic change in my life; it was to soon after my wife’s death. But at my age how long could I wait? I wanted to go on, now. I wrote a letter explaining this to the psychologist, with a copy to the seminary. The seminary replied, saying they’d accept me for the upcoming semester, but I’d have to have a sponsor by the end of the semester.

I was busy that first semester, writing and sending resumes to diocesan offices. I wanted to be a priest in my home state, if possible, but I contacted dioceses in several states. I was surprised at the number of turndowns I received, just because of my age. One expressed interest only because I had an MBA degree, and they wanted me to be their office manager. Finally, the Diocese of Gaylord, Michigan invited me for an interview and accepted me as a seminarian.

Seminary life was quite an adjustment at my age—getting into the books again and living in a dormitory situation. I sold my home, not knowing where I’d be stationed nor for how long. Fortunately, my children were very supportive of my decision. They were happy when they learned I’d be staying in Michigan. I completed my seminary studies with a M.A. in Theology and a Masters of Divinity degree. I was ordained on June 11, 1993 at St. Mary Cathedral in Gaylord, Michigan. What a happy day it was with all my family present.

This year I celebrated my seventh anniversary as a priest. After serving as associate Pastor at three locations, I was appointed in 1995 pastor of two churches, St. Catherine’s, Ossinoke, and St. Gabriel’s, Black River, both on the Lake Huron side of northern Michigan. I know that I am where I belong. I thank God for having given me the opportunity and the grace to pursue my vocation.

I would advise anyone, when you reach retirement age, don’t just retire. Retire to what, really. Think how you can be of service to others. There’s nothing more rewarding, and fulfilling, than serving others. There are many ways to serve, but the most important it seems to me is helping others to find Christ, having the well spring of Christ within you, being a source from which others can grow in loving and serving God.

To be a worker in God’s vineyard is a beautiful service. Become actively involved in your parish church. Find out from your pastor how you can help, if you’re not already involved—I’m sure many of you are already involved and are doing great work for the Church.

Especially do all you can to lead young people to Christ. That is probably the biggest challenge all churches face. Help them find the joy that comes from putting God, and following Jesus, first in one’s life. If we can imbue that attitude in our young people, vocations to the priesthood and religious life are sure to follow.

Above all, whatever your vocation in life, do all you do in and for Christ. Offer Him all your prayers, works, joys and difficulties each day. Let the light of Christ shine forth in your lives for all to see.

And remember always God’s sacrificial gift of love that came to its culmination on the first Good Friday. “Whoever wishes to come after Me,” He invites us, “must deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me.”

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