Rite of Candidacy Reflection | Mr. Aaron Yohe

Bishop Salvatore Matano, Bishop of Rochester, celebrated a Mass of candidacy for nine seminarians representing five dioceses on Sunday, May 1, 2022.

Being accepted as a Candidate for the Priesthood in the Archdiocese of Boston is a call for me to persevere in my formation and is a moment to mark the seriousness of what I am undertaking. Among the words of the rite are "are you resolved to complete your preparation so that in due time you will be ready to be ordained." Emphasis on the "due time" I reflect on the five years that I have been in formation to bring me to this point and upcoming pastoral year, the two remaining years of seminary after that and I recognize that indeed this is all in God's time. I have participated in the rite once before as a Candidate for Ohio, but in my vocation journey I have transferred to the Archdiocese of Boston, and hearing the words "Archdiocese of Boston" after my name when I was called forward during the Candidacy Mass held a special meaning for me. Having a rite within Mass to commemorate this step reminds us that what is happening in the temporal realm is caught up in the eternal.

By: Mr. Aaron Yohe
Archdiocese of Boston