The Catholic Monitor

When you Read the Book you'll get the Inspiration Father Ray Devlin wrote a book about his brother, CHA: A Biography of Father "Joe" Devlin, S. J., which was published late last year by Nenagh Books. Q. How and why did you become a priest? A. My brother was a great priest and I was imitating him. I recognized what he was doing. The key of vocations is others follow Christ and you follow them. Q. Can you give us an example? A. I don't have one example. It was his whole life. You don't do anything for one example. You do it for a life that's truly dedicated. You saw that he was a happy person. That's the key. People have vocations when they see young Jesuits and older Jesuits who are happy warriors. My brother said always be a happy warrior. Q. What was your toughest experience in the priesthood? A. That you serve God, save your soul, and help others. A priest didn't join to become a star golf player or a great coach. He comes to help people save their s...

The Spiritual Life is a Love Affair Father Edward Warren was an assistant dean for 25 years at Santa Clara University. Since retiring in 1988, he does volunteer work at parishes throughout the Bay Area. I met Father Warren in the mid 1970s. He picked me up while I was hitchhiking in San Jose. This encounter with Father is one of the factors in God's mysterious providence that helped bring me back to the faith. Q. How and why did you decide to become a priest? A. You have not chosen me. I have chosen you, Our Lord said. I thank Our Lord for choosing me for his love. He uses parents and friends for his mysterious choices. I had good religious parents. Also, I went to U. C. Berkeley and belonged to the Newman club. There I got in contact with those who went to Mass everyday for Lent. They wanted me to go every day with them for Lent. This was a new idea for me. I survived. I didn't die. So, I kept going every day after Lent. This encounter got me going to daily Mass. That's wh...

A 1960'S TRADITIONAL DOMINICAN Father Dominic De Domenico is a child of the 1960's and a traditional Dominican. He helped out at Our Lady of Peace in Santa Clara when Fr. John Sweeny was the pastor. He teaches classes on the rosary and devotion to the Virgin Mary. Q. How and why did you become a priest? A. I was attending Fresno State College and involved with football, and track and field. I wasn't thinking about being a priest. A sister at grade school said I had a vocation, but I didn't think I wanted to do that. I went to Catholic high school and wasn't especially religious. I went to Mass on Sundays and prayed, but when I went college I met those who didn't have the faith. So I started sharing my faith. After three years in college, I began to consider becoming a priest. I went to a principal at the high school around 1960. I was older -- 21 years old. So the principal said it would be better to try the religious order. I had a friend who was a baseball ca...

Rosary Evangelist His dark shades below a dropped cap with ponytail- J fits the guise of a war veteran. Then, he smiles-takes off his sunglasses showing his smiling eyes-and you feel at home. Since 1984, J has been involved in a threefold ministry of reaching out to help, bringing God into everyday conversation, and introducing persons to the gospel rosary. His real name is James Wallace, but everyone in the streets and veterans hospital call him J. Veteran Marcia Nagles- outpatient at Menlo Park Veterans Hospital- says,” J make you feel like part of the family.” She was sitting in a hospital corner in 1990 when he said, “You don’t look like your doing well, do you want to talk?” Marcia said, “He shopped, picked things up, walked me home, got me to daily mass and rosary. He made me a better Catholic and I’m a convert. James said “I consider Marcia and many like her to be my family, now.“Nagles connected with him because when she converted to Catholicism in 1964 her family kicked her ...

A Saint Dancing in Heaven A Three Act Play about Blessed Miguel Pro By Fred Martinez Prologue The child, Miguel, is in a bed coughing. His Dad is silent, his Mom (Josefa) is crying and an arrogant doctor is standing by her. There is a big picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the room. Josefa (Crying)-His burning up! Miguel is going to die! Don Miguel-He will not die, yet! Josefa-Are you crazy! Look at him! Doctor Mateo-She’s right. His death is imminent. Get a priest, now! Josefa- (Crying again)-Get a priest! Don Miguel (Goes to his wife and hugs her)-Not yet! Doctor Mateo-Are you crazy! Don Miguel (Moving away from his wife he goes to his son and picks him up.) Doctor Mateo-Put him down, now! Don Miguel (Ignoring the doctor, he carries his son to the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and cries out)-My Mother give me back my son! Miguel (Silence for three to six seconds, then, the boy shudders and vomits a bloody mass of phlegm.) Don Miguel- He will not die, yet. Doctor Mateo (The doctor m...