Priest's Corner

At my first mass at St. Rose in Proctor, MN on June 19th 2001, I commented at the end of mass that for years I would think to myself "If I could only say one mass... now all I can think is how I want to say thousands!" After 25 years a priest (and by my math) I have celebrated and presided at the Holy Sacrifice over 9,000 times.

Now all this began when I was in second grade. I was listening to Fr. Fred Method talk about the power of the Priest to consecrate the elements of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ and the power to forgive sins. He was teaching us as a part of our preparation for the Sacraments. I was amazed and drawn to the priesthood immediately. I thought that being a priest was the only job in the world where you can create miracles. Upon my heart was set the call. Later that evening I told my mother that I wanted to be a priest. She said, "If that is what God wills, we will pray that God's will be done."

And it was. On June 18th 2001, the ordinary call was made by the Church to be "a priest forever." Bishop Dennis Schnurr was the ordinary of the mass, Fr. Jim Crossman and Fr. Tom Foster vested me in the priestly garb. My parents were floating around afterwards, so was I. I heard my first confession later that night on the front lawn of my parent's house of a priest who I had known from my seminary days. In the last 25 years I have had 5 assignments and been associated with 18 parishes. My longest tenure was in Aitkin, MN for 11 years. In all these years to do God's work, to do His will, to impart His grace, to share His gifts for the Church and all of this has been an unending joy. Not without many challenges, both personal and vocationally, the priesthood has still forever provided me with ample opportunity to grow spiritually and humanly.

Looking back after 25 years, I am both the same and different. These words or concepts describe the heart of what compels my Priesthood today - "worship", "healing", "grace", "loss" and "Mary". Specifically, to offer true worship to the One, True, God. To be a healing agent through confession and spiritual direction. To bring the light of Christ into the world through His manifold grace. To meet the pain of loss with the help of God's Church and ministries. To rely upon the Motherly Love of Mary for confidence and her intercession.

On my ordination card which was something that all of us from the St. Paul Seminary did (a picture with a saying), I noted John 3:30, "He must increase, I must decrease." John the Baptist said this of Jesus to his own disciples. I always found this truth to be perfectly suited to a life well lived, in light of being a child of God, His faithful disciple, dependent upon His grace and not my own powers or abilities. That others see Christ in me. That I reflect His love.

Please continue to pray for me and all priests continually. I want to serve you, the Church, in 1,000's upon 1,000's of ways because this is my vocation and mostly importantly, for God's will be done.

Fr. David Forsman More to come...