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Year for Priests: Reflecting on vocation, ministry

Name: Father Thomas E. Geelan

Birth date: March 18, 1936

Hometown: Ruthven

Education: Silver Lake H.S. (Ayrshire), St. John’s University, Creighton University, Mt. St. Bernard Seminary, University of San Francisco, Loyola of Chicago and University of Dayton

Ordination date: May 26, 1962

Current assignment: retired

Hobbies/interests: flying, skiing

Describe your call to priesthood. Having attended a public high school and a one-room county school, the priesthood was not a vocation that I thought much about. (Being a priest did occur to me a few times in grade school.) But growing up on a farm in a good family, the faith, however, was not something that I knew much about. In fact I like to say that by the time I went through high school, I was quite religiously ignorant. I decided that the best way to find out more about the faith that was part of my family was to attend a catholic college. The priesthood was not something that I wanted at that time and I wanted to enroll as a regular student, but the priest-registrar put me in the seminary department. He did this by “mistake.” I stayed and grew to like it more and more.

Did anyone provide you with the inspiration to follow the call to priesthood? I was probably influenced by my parents because they were always practicing the Catholic faith and were very free in the choices I made. My pastor, Father Elmer Thom, also was influential. He was a good example and I served Mass regularly.

Was it a difficult decision to make? It really wasn’t difficult after I tried it for awhile. The attraction to the priesthood grew through the years.

What do you enjoy most about being a priest? The best part I enjoy is offering Mass for the people. Administering the sacraments is something that has become something that makes me realize that Christ is the center of our lives. The worship offered and the prayer in the Mass and sacraments are truly inspiring. Also, I really enjoyed meeting so many people through being a school administrator and teacher for several decades.

Are there any particular devotions or prayers that are dear to your heart? When the Liturgy of the Hours was changed to English, I made it the prayer that kept me well focused on my life as a priest of Jesus Christ. The psalms can easily be applied to our lives today. I found that through this official liturgical prayer I was really not alone, but praying with and for the universal church and all its members.

Why do you find the priesthood to be a worthy vocation? There are ups and downs in every vocation that truly comes from God. But God’s grace is never lacking. I really don’t believe that I could have been happier in any other vocation. Serving the people of God cannot be more rewarding.

What would you say to a young man considering a vocation to the priesthood? Try it, you will like it. If the love of God and his people is important to you, the grace of a vocation can be discerned. There is no other vocation of service to God’s people that brings so much joy (or demands) as taking care of human lives on this earth and preparing them for a life with God forever.