Priests of the Archdiocese

Once more the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions has produced a very useful preparation aid for the seasons of Advent and Christmas. This includes an Advent Penance Service and other useful tools for the upcoming seasons. Click HERE for a copy in English.

On the occasion of the 160th anniversary of the death of St. John Vianney, patron saint of parish priests, Pope Francis sent a letter to all priests.

Dear Brothers,

A hundred and sixty years have passed since the death of the holy Curé of Ars, whom Pope Pius XI proposed as the patron of parish priests throughout the world.[1] On this, his feast day, I write this letter not only to parish priests but to all of you, my brother priests, who have quietly “left all behind” in order to immerse yourselves in the daily life of your communities. Like the Curé of Ars, you serve “in the trenches”, bearing the burden of the day and the heat (cf. Mt 20:12), confronting an endless variety of situations in your effort to care for and accompany God’s people. I want to say a word to each of you who, often without fanfare and at personal cost, amid weariness, infirmity and sorrow, carry out your mission of service to God and to your people. Despite the hardships of the journey, you are writing the finest pages of the priestly life.

To continue reading the letter, click HERE.

The Marian Servants greet you in the love of Christ! 

 As one way of expressing their gratitude and support to the priests in our archdiocese, the Marian Servants^® of the Incarnate Wisdom have sponsored a number of priests over the years to make a retreat in Clearwater, FL on the grounds of their Founding Community, the Marian Servants of Divine Providence^®.  They are  extending that invitation again this year to continue their commitment to serving us. As in the past, the Marian Servants^® of the Incarnate Wisdom will cover all retreat fees (excluding travel arrangements) and will assist you with the registration process.

There are opportunities for private directed retreats or, if you are a graduate of the IPF program, you may be interested in one of the upcoming IPF Alumni Retreats.

The available dates for the retreats are:

Private 5 or 8-day Directed Retreat Dates: (click for more info)

• February 5 – February 13, 2020
• March 2 – March 10, 2020
• April 15 – May 14, 2020

• November 4 - November 11, 2019
• February 17 - February 24, 2020
• November 2 - November 9, 2020

Location:  Our Lady of Divine Providence House of Prayer  702 S Bayview Ave, Clearwater, FL 33759

They are also very excited to share with us that a new retreat house (the “Mother Couderc House”), was completed early this year.  This beautiful new building has been specifically designed to serve priests on retreat with 20 private bed/bathrooms, a common area and chapel. See accompanying photos.

If you wish to attend or would like some more information or other assistance, please contact Cindy Stegemeier. Also, you are encouraged to share this information with any other diocesan priest serving the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston who you think might be interested.  More information about the Marian Servants community in Houston, can be found on their website:  www.marianservantshouston.org or you may enjoy viewing their video. Visit them on Facebook

P.S. Thans you to the many priests who support their School of Spiritual Direction each June by celebrating Mass and providing the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the students.  Please keep the school in your prayers.  They will hold their 6th school session in Houston June 12th – 27th, 2020 at St. Mary’s Seminary.

Mother Couderc Retreat House Chapel

With great affection, I address this Apostolic Exhortation to all Christian young people.  It is meant to remind you of certain convictions born of our faith, and at the same time to encourage you to grow in holiness and in commitment to your personal vocation.  But since it is also part of a synodal process, I am also addressing this message to the entire People of God, pastors and faithful alike, since all of us are challenged and urged to reflect both on the young and for the young.  Consequently, I will speak to young people directly in some places, while in others I will propose some more general considerations for the Church’s discernment. 4. I have let myself be inspired by the wealth of reflections and conversations that emerged from last year’s Synod.  I cannot include all those contributions here, but you can read them in the Final Document.  In writing this letter, though, I have attempted to summarize those proposals I considered most significant.  In this way, my words will echo the myriad voices of believers the world over who made their opinions known to the Synod.  Those young people who are not believers, yet wished to share their thoughts, also raised issues that led me to ask new questions.

For the full document, click HERE.

The Office of Worship has a some exciting events that we’d like to bring to your attention:

The Annual Liturgical Resources online and paper order forms for the 2020 liturgical year is now available. Click here to order online and pay via credit card or use the paper form (Excel) for your orders. Please note that all orders will be processed upon receipt of payment.

Save the date for the Fall 2019 Liturgical Ministry Formation Day Workshops I and II that will be held on Saturday, October 5 at the St. Laurence Ave Maria Life Center in Sugar Land and Saturday, October 26 at St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Spring. Sessions in English and Spanish include Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and Preparing the Lector. Other sessions are still being added and will be updated as they become available. Click here for more information on the Fall 2019 Liturgical Ministry Formation Day Workshop I and Fall 2019 Liturgical Ministry Formation Day Workshop II. Registration for these Fall workshops will open in August.

The events of the past few weeks have left many people in the Church – clergy and faithful alike -- confused, angry, shocked, and bewildered. We grieve for the victims of abuse and for their families. They have endured years, even decades, of physical and psychological scars. All of us, as the Body of Christ, must do all we can to assist them.

Unfortunately, it seems that news accounts have painted the Church and its hierarchy with too broad a brushstroke –condemning all for the failings of a few. Thousands of good and faithful priests are tainted by the actions of those who abused the most vulnerable in their care. Diocesan bishops were all made to look suspect, even though most were diligent in following the charter for the protection of children. The wonderful programs and policies of the Church have become overshadowed by more salacious headlines.

What can we do? First, we can turn to our God in prayer. He never ceases to guide his Church, to sanctify its members, and to protect it from harm. Once again and still, we turn to Jesus, our High Priest, and find consolation and strength in his Word and Sacraments. (FDLC Resources Introduction)

Here are listed a variety of resources to assist you in gathering people for prayer. The FDLC resources are extensive. May God assist us all as we turn to Him, the Source of all healing, comfort and peace.

A Prayer For Our Church (English)    (Spanish)

A Litany of Forgiveness (English)      (Spanish)

FDLC Resources for Liturgy and Prayer  (English)    (Spanish)

To download the Year of Grace 2018 document, click HERE.

To download the Year of Grace 2019 document, click HERE.

Welcome to this website for the priests of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. The intent of this website is to become a place where our brother priests can find information to assist them in their priestly life and ministry. It can also be a place for the sharing of ideas and information to become more effective ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please feel free to share your ideas and suggestions with the Ongoing Formation of Priests Committee. We can be reached by clicking HERE.

This document is the basic plan of ongoing formation for priests who count themselves among other believers but who also stand and serve in a unique way in the Church of Christ, conformed to Christ as his sacramental representatives in the presbyteral order. God invites them to transformation across their lifetime, and their formation is marked by constant elements at every stage of life. At the same time, there are specific formational challenges that emerge in particular seasons of their priestly ministry. Both the constant and the changing elements of formation are included in the basic plan.

For a complete copy of the Basic Plan for the Ongoing Formation of Priests, click HERE.