Honoring priest jubilarians

Eleven priests were honored and celebrated on June 9 at a Mass at Immaculate Conception Church in Fayetteville. June 9 is the Feast of Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church and the congregation gave praise to the Blessed Mother through song and prayer. 

Bishop Douglas J. Lucia celebrated the Mass with Bishop Robert J. Cunningham as concelebrant. Newly ordained priests Father John Brusa and Father Joseph Ryan, as well as newly ordained Deacon Cornelius Deep, joined the bishops on the altar to participate. 

Monsignor James P. Lang, who is celebrating 50 years of service, was the homilist. He began his remarks by thanking all those who have supported him and his fellow priests throughout the years.

 “I often look back and when I do, I pray for the folks who are here with us and with me. It is important to say thank you. I offer my gratitude to the faculty, staff, and administration. There are many people involved in many different ministries. And we thank them for their energy, for their leadership,” he said.

“There are many opportunities to do what we promised to do,” Msgr. Lang continued.  “All of us know the challenges faced by priests in the modern church in fulfilling commitments, particularly to the earlier generations. We all have stories to tell and important lessons to share.” 

Msgr. said one of the key lessons is the importance of becoming a strong community. “It is collaboration, subsidiarity, and synodality blended with the down-home foci that enrich communities of the ordained,” he said. “While hope fills us, reality calls us to action. But there are places at which we have not been as strong as one might hope.” 

Msgr. Lang asked his fellow priests to recall their promises to keep vigils; promises made to have a priest present at one’s time of passing. “They have discovered what we have known,” he said. “And we must find ways to assure those who need us that their promises will be kept. But, with a shortage of priests, how will we keep those promises? What more can we do when we are called to be attentive to the many concerns of our faithful?” 

It is Msgr. Lang’s hope that his time will be used to help the next generation (of priests) embrace the issues that need attention during their time. He offered advice to the newly ordained priests — “Carry yourself, work collaboratively, and take care of each other.”

“When Pope Francis spoke to us, he gently offered a conscious plan,” said Msgr. Lang. “Let us not close our hearts. Let us not lose confidence. Let us never give up hope. There are no situations that God cannot change.”

At the end of Mass, priests gathered for a celebratory dinner to honor the 11 priests who had a combined total of 625 years of service to God and His church.