Home Education and Careers Diocese of Wilmington Mass for Vocations includes candidacy for Michael Preston

Diocese of Wilmington Mass for Vocations includes candidacy for Michael Preston

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Candidate Michael Preston stands before Bishop Malooly during Rite of Admission at Mass for Vocations at the Cathedral of Saint Peter, Saturday, June 15, 2019. Dialog photo/Don Blake

Diocese of Wilmington seminarian Michael Preston received his candidacy June 15 at the Cathedral of St. Peter during the Mass for Vocations.

More than 100 worshipers joined Bishop Malooly in prayer and support of those discerning a call to the priesthood, consecrated life and permanent diaconate.

“We need to continually beseech the Lord to send vocations,” Bishop Malooly said in greeting the congregation.

“We’ve been blessed with the number of seminarians and the quality has been very good,” the bishop said.

“I’ve been here 11 years now, and one of the first things I noticed was the number of communities of consecrated life and the variety of charisms. It’s critical for us to have vocations to the priesthood because of the Eucharist. They are one in the same. But at the same time it’s also critical to have vocations to other ministries in order for people to find their way to the altar.”

[Audio highlights from the Vocations Mass can be heard on the July 6, 2019 episode of Catholic Forum that airs at 11:00 a.m. on Relevant Radio 640. After it airs, it is available online at cdow.org/CatholicForum or by searching Catholic Forum on Apple, Spotify, or iHeartRadio podcasts.]

Preston was officially accepted as a candidate for priesthood. He is on schedule for diaconate next year and for ordination to the priesthood in 2021. The diocese has no priestly ordinations this year, but the Vocations Office held the Mass to promote and pray for more men to consider whether they are being called.

Father Norman Carroll, director of vocations for the diocese, presented Preston for candidacy during the service.

“We come together here to pray for vocations, because when we pray and people hear us pray and talk about vocations, then they think ‘I can talk to them about that. I feel comfortable letting these things out,’” Father Carroll said. “We find ourselves having to develop a very positive culture about priesthood. We have to continue to work harder to develop this culture, this environment that supports vocations. That environment has to be something that the whole church embraces.”