By Father John Geaney, C.S.P.

"I would guess the people of Memphis are well served by their priests. They are an impressive group. It's been a delight to be in their presence." Monsignor Ed Burns was reflecting on a group of 44 priests who had traveled from all over the diocese last week to spend four study days at Paris Landing State Park reflecting on how to be better at helping others answer the call to the priesthood.

Monsignor Burns is the Executive Director of the USCCB Secretariat for Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations.

Early in the study days, Monsignor Burns pointed out to the Memphis priests that few people were aware that during the pontificate of John Paul II the number of vocations to the priesthood had increased over 75 percent. In 1978 there were 63,882 seminarians world wide, but in 2005 there were 114,439. "Most of that increase many believe was due to the efforts of Pope John Paul II," Monsignor Burns said. He also pointed out that the picture in the United States was not quite so rosy. In 1975 there were 5,279 graduate level seminarians, but in 2007 that number had dropped to 3,274. However, the number of priestly ordinations has been quite steady in the United States during the past 5 years.

80 percent of those ordained in 2007 noted that "a priest invited me" to become a priest, Monsignor Burns said. He also pointed out that 51 percent of those ordained had been ministers of Holy Communion in their parishes, 60 percent had been lectors, and 76 percent had been altar servers. Monsignor Burns insists that priests have a gift that comes to them through ordination to invite others to be priests.

"Vocation efforts will always be a mystery," he said, "so it's difficult to say exactly what causes someone to go to the seminary." But he also pointed out that "my purpose in giving the study days is to prepare priests and awaken the gift that is in them to be Fishers of Men. I believe the gift is synonymous with the gift to celebrate the Eucharist, or to forgive sins. Priests have the gift to invite others in the person of Christ."

What number of priests do we need in the United States? Monsignor Burns admits he doesn't know. "A CARA study says that people feel as though they are being well served by the Church. That shows that priests are really providing for the needs of God's people," the Monsignor said. "The legacy of John Paul II will live on, and even as it does I noted recently that Pope Benedict has said to young people _`Let your imagination soar' when you think about following Christ.. There's a clear connection between the Pope and young people _ it is the rock that is leading people to Christ."

Toward the end of the study days, Monsignor Burns showed a recently produced video entitled Fishers of Men. "It's a resource for priests," Monsignor Burns said. "It helps them establish discussions. It's a discussion starter that helps young people look at the joys of priesthood. It's a very contemporary film, fast paced with lots of insights from diocesan priests and priests from religious communities. It shows the benefits, the joys and the challenges of priesthood."

The video can be customized if a diocese chooses to do so for its own purposes. It has been shown in 19 countries. Fishers of Men can also be acquired in a Spanish subtitle version.

As the study days came to their conclusion Monsignor Burns reflected on the priests who had been with him during the four days. "I want to commend Bishop Steib. This group of men are good, holy, healthy, grounded and dedicated priests. It was a delight to be in their presence. Their hospitality is beyond compare."

Monsignor Burns has been in ministry at the USCCB for ten years and will return in August to the Diocese of Pittsburgh, the diocese for which he was ordained and which is his home. There he will serve as Rector of St. Paul's Seminary and Director of Pre-Ordination Formation. St. Paul's is a college and pre-theology house of formation for the Diocese of Pittsburgh.