December 17, 2010
Personal Reflection
Celebrating the gift of a vocation to the priesthood
Father Jim Blessinger and Father Dave Fleck stand together at the Sacred Heart Summer Picnic in Vincennes. (Message photo courtesy Zoe Cannon) Click for a larger version.
By ZOE CANNON (Sacred Heart Church, Vincennes)
Part four of a series
What has kept faithful people believing in the salvation story for over 2,000 years? St. Paul said, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God.” (Eph.2:8) How do we receive this gift of grace? The beautiful sacraments in the Catholic Church provide us with so many chances and second chances. It is the Catholic priest who makes these contributions possible, but do we recognize the importance of these opportunities in our lives?
Throughout scripture there are countless stories of people who remind us of the power and love in God’s grace. By their holy example, the lives of saints, also teach us so much about perseverance, sacrifice and faithfulness. Do we believe these stories? The season of Advent is a season of faith; a season to celebrate our Catholic gifts. This fourth article in a series on the vocation of priesthood highlights two men who have a combined 81 years of serving as Catholic priests.
Father Jim Blessinger, pastor of Corpus Christi Church in Evansville, was ordained on May 23, 1964. He entered St. Meinrad Seminary as a high school freshman. He admits that if his cousin and another classmate had not been going at that same time, he might not have been so brave. Growing up he recalls his mother and dad speaking of the Catholic priest with the greatest respect in their home, unkind words about them were never tolerated. Raised with all brothers and going to seminary so young, he recalled teaching at St. Rose Academy for girls in Vincennes as his first real opportunity to experience an all female environment. I sense from that comment, it was at that time, he rejoiced in his decision to become a Catholic priest.
Father Jim was pastor at Sacred Heart in Vincennes from 1987 to 1998. During those 11 years my husband and I were raising four young children. The love and strength our family received from his ministry was invaluable. He guided our children through their first sacraments, heard our confessions, nourished us with the Eucharist, and helped bury our parents. Who could do more to bring Jesus into your lives? Father Jim shared that he begins each day with Holy Hour in a chapel, which has been set up in his apartment. Time for prayer in his life and celebrating Mass each day are still “awesome.” He recalled how humble and yet privileged he felt the first time he took the Body of Christ into his hands as a deacon to give to his mother and dad. In celebrating Mass at a nursing home, one of the persons receiving Holy Communion cried out, “my Lord and my God.” That experience really touched him. This humble man is a great example of God’s sufficient grace. Father Jim said, “The Lord feeds us with the right things at the right time.”
His greatest fulfillment is in loving, serving and inviting people to engage in their faith, and in return, allowing them to love him as well. His joy is in seeing lay people use their gifts to build up the Church. Wit-nessing the faith of others come alive in CRHP and CURSILLO groups, as they share with one another, gives him great hope. He has many great memories of people who have touched his life as a priest, but one he still very much appreciates, came during a time when he too needed God’s grace. In 2000, diagnosed with melanoma cancer, having surgery and 11 months of chemo, he said he only missed two weekends of celebrating Mass. “The Lord let me experience the greatest love and care from the people of Corpus Christi parish, who helped me around the altar for Eucharist.” His doctors agree it was this love and gift of presence that brought him back to good health.
Father Dave Fleck is currently the pastor of St. John and St. Vincent de Paul parishes, as well as the Dean of the Vincennes Deanery. Ordained Sept. 5, 1975, he just recently celebrated his thirty-fifth year as a Catholic priest. Father Dave feels that in those 35 years, the priesthood has given him many wonderful opportunities. After high school and college at St. Meinrad, he spent four years studying at Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. Whether, in his own education, in teaching students for 11 years, in counseling lay people or guiding as a vocations director, he has felt blessed to have so many experiences. He finds his sacramental ministry a privilege, as he walks with people through the healing of Reconciliation, as he witnesses the acceptance and peace he can offer to those who are nearing death, and comfort to their families. When he has the opportunity to be a Spiritual Director for Teens Encounter Christ Week-ends, he enjoys the experience of interacting with young people in their faith journey. Recently, Father Dave has been spending time ministering at Wabash Valley Correctional Facility and has found this new ministry experience to be very rewarding.
Father Dave supported our Catholic community in organizing the opening of an Adora-tion Chapel this past summer at St. Vincent Church. He shared that taking time for his personal prayer life is very important, especially beginning the day with Morning Prayer. He be-lieves the Adoration chapel is a great place for time with the Lord. Exercise is important to him, but he admitted that driving a tractor on an open farm field, or driving a school bus when he has the chance with his busy schedule, are relaxing opportunities. Father Dave said, “Walking with people in their spiritual journey“ is his greatest joy as a priest. I will confirm how seriously he takes that responsibility with a personal testimony.
In 2007, Father Dave led the people of my parish, Sacred Heart, through a time when we found ourselves without a pastor. With his already full schedule at two parishes, he was al-ways available to us, with guidance, hiring a new secretary, assistance with all the sacra-ments, our weddings, funerals and scheduling a priest for our weekend Masses, until a re-placement was assigned for Sac-red Heart. As the Dean he was making sure our church stayed active. As a “Good Shepherd” he was lovingly making sure there were no sheep getting lost in his care. As Father Dave, his work ethic, assurance, calmness and sense of humor, kept the spirit at Sacred Heart alive. Watching our parishioners step up to partner with him in this mission was an amazing witness. St. Ambrose said, “Take firm hold of the rudder of faith so that the severe storms of this world cannot disturb you. The Church of the Lord is built upon the rock of the apostles; therefore it remains unmoved.”
We will always be grateful for the time and energy Father Dave shared as an apostle during those many months to assure that the foundation of our Church remained solid. The work certainly did bear great fruit. Father Dave has become a true friend in Christ, one who will be remembered for making personal sacrifices for others in the name of Jesus. My prayer for him personally, would be to take more time to relax, time to drive a tractor on a farm or a school bus to a fun place.
The priests in our diocese work so tirelessly. They may be ordained Apostles of Jesus, but they are human and only attain super powers when God deems it necessary, so pray for them, partner with them in making sure the foundation of the Church remains unmoved. Do we recognize the importance of this opportunity in our lives? If not, we are missing out on so much. Even on the coldest day of winter, grace becomes visible when the warmth of God’s love is shared. “See to it that no one misses the grace of God.” (Heb 12:15) Amen!