January 29, 2010
Vocations Office transition brings change, continuity
Father Bernie Etienne and Father Alex Zenthoefer pause during a conversation in the diocesan vocations office. (Message photo by Paul R. Leingang) Click for a larger version.
By PAUL R. LEINGANG (Messsage editor)
After 14 and one-half years, Father Bernie Etienne is leaving the Vocations Office — but he’s not leaving vocations.
“Vocations ministry is the responsibliity of every priest in the diocese,” Father Etienne said in a recent interview.
Father Alex Zenthoefer is the new director of the office, but he’s not new to vocations.
“In some ways I’ve been doing this since I was baptized,” said Father Zenthoefer in a separate interview. “This just formalizes it.”
The similarity of their responses should guarantee a smooth transition, as will their common agreement that every baptized Christian shares in this responsibility.
Father Etienne continues as pastor of Holy Rosary Church in Evansville, where Father Zent-hoefer continues his assignment to provide weekend sacramental ministry.
As Father Etienne steps away from leading the vocation office, he moves into other responsibilities. He is the new chair of the diocesan Council of Priests. And as dean of the Evansville East Deanery, he will have a greater role in the governance of Memorial High School under a new structure being established for the two Catholic high schools in Evansville.
Father Zenthoefer continues as chaplain at the two Evansville high schools, but will end his formal connection with Ma-ter Dei at the end of this semester.
Father Zenthoefer wants to become active in the National Conference of Diocesan Voca-tion Directors, to learn what is being done in other areas of the United States.
Among the strengths of the vocations effort in this diocese is the history of collaboration with women religious as members of a vocations team, according to Father Etienne. The collaboration of women religious and the cooperation of leaders in youth ministry and religious education “is a blessing in our diocese.”
Father Etienne, who has main-tained a small office at the Catholic Center in Evansville over the years, said he will miss working with other members of the diocesan staff. “It has been a blessing to be a part of that, and to work with our bishop.”
The two priests have met at the office on several occasions to clean up files and share in-formation.
“It would be hard to leave this position if I didn’t have so much confidence in Father Alex,” he said.
Fully one-third of priests ac-tive in the diocese today — those who serve as pastors or associates in one-third of the parishes of the diocese — were ordained during the years of Father Etienne’s leadership in the vocations office.
Father Zenthoefer is one of them.
“I really appreciate the fact that he helped me through this process,” said Father Zenthoe-fer. “And I look forward to help-ing others.”
Father Etienne said he appreciates the leadership of Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger, who “has never made this job a matter of numbers.”
One aspect of the vocations office, “probably the one thing most people never see, is helping someone to see that the priesthood is not their calling.” Father Etienne said.
“It is a sacred trust, to be a kind of gate keeper, to hold a person’s future in your hands,” he added.
Even though “now is not an easy time” in the culture of our society, Father Zenthoefer is looking forward “to seeing the miracle of the fact that in the midst of all this, people can still hear the voice of God. It gives me hope.”
What Father Zenthoefer hopes to continue in the office is providing the kind of help he received from Father Etienne.
“Nothing was forced. He was helping me and my brother seminarians to be attentive to the challenges we faced,” said Father Zenthoefer. “What he cared about was that we were able to discern what God was calling us to do.”
What helps Father Zenthoefer be comfortable in his new res-ponsibility is the realization “that I’m not the one who calls people. It doesn’t rest on my shoulders.”
Father Zenthoefer brings a greater familiarity with social media and new communications methods to the office. As he adds the Vocations Office to his current assignments at Ma-ter Dei and Memorial high schools and Holy Rosary Church, he knows that “everything I do now is connected with vocations,” and “part of my responsibility is helping our priests and helping our people, to give them the tools they need to figure out what God wants them to do.”
A diocesan vocations website has been launched and work is under way to make it more effective. Along with improved Internet communications, more personal communication is also important.
Father Zenthoefer hopes that he can help others to see “how family life in general is pivotal for young men and young women,” that “what God wants them to do is made a part of the family conversation.”
He knows that “parents of our priests can be great re-sources” as they allay some of the fears of other parents that their son will be unhappy. “A priest’s life is a life that is very fulfilling, and can bring great joy.”