Higher call: A Q&A with the Archdiocese of Detroit's director of priestly vocations

Fr. Craig Giera shares how the local Church is developing a culture of discernment through prayer, outreach and invitation

DETROIT — In the first week of November, the Church in the United States celebrates National Vocations Awareness Week, a time set aside to promote "vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life through prayer and education, and to renew our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations," according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Related: Curious About What Vocation God is Calling You To? Catholic School Students Ask About Vocations (VIDEO)

In 2022, Detroit Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron called the local Church to a special Year of Prayer for Priestly Vocations in response to a shortage of priests both in the Archdiocese of Detroit and across the nation.

Fr. Craig Giera, who has served as Detroit's director of priestly vocations since 2019, recently sat down with Detroit Catholic to talk about the state of priestly vocations in the local Church, how parishes and individuals can support a culture of vocations, and the trends he's noticed.

Detroit Catholic: You’ve been vocations director now for almost five years. If could sum it up in a few words, what has your ministry primarily been about, and what's been the most life-giving part for you?

Fr. Craig Giera: My ministry is mostly about being there for the guys, just being present. The more you get to know them, the more you get to talk to them, the more they're not afraid to open up. It's really a ministry of presence. And sometimes they'll come and start talking to me and say, “Well, I really don't know if I'm being called right now, but I'll let you know if things change.” And then two years later, that same person is calling back, and that conversation can just start up again.

The most life-giving part for me is just seeing the potential of these guys. It reminds me of when God was calling me to the priesthood, and it's a very adventurous and interesting time. The world is before you, and God's doing some amazing things; you're going to have an amazing journey. To see that in these guys is inspiring and just reminds me of how good it was when God called me.

Detroit Catholic: In talking to young men who might be considering a vocation to the priesthood, what are the biggest roadblocks or challenges you have noticed?

Fr. Giera: I think the biggest challenge that I see is just guys making a commitment. They have so many different things they can choose from, and they just want to make the right choice. It's hard for some guys to say, “OK, this is going to be my commitment.” In some ways, I think it's just part of the culture, because this is happening with marriages as well. The world says, “Don't commit to anything, because something better might come along.” So that's something that I've really been working on with the guys.

Detroit Catholic: That's a great point. Our culture seems to have lost the idea of “vocation,” of the long-term commitment to some good, whether we're talking about marriage, priesthood or even, on some levels, a career. A term that's popular these days is "FOMO," or the "fear of missing out." So what makes the permanence of a vocation so attractive and beautiful?

Fr. Giera: The faithfulness of God. There are sometimes difficulties in life, and we do have to go through our trials and take up our cross, but if it's a vocation the Lord has given us, we can find not only joy in the midst of those struggles, but even happiness and peace, because we know it's from God. I think guys are afraid sometimes because they want to make the right choice, but it's really not a problem to be solved. Really, it's about having a relationship with a person, and of course, that person is Jesus Christ. Once you have that strong relationship with the Lord, a vocation can be born out of it. If you're not praying, if you're not spending time with Jesus, it's going to be very hard to figure out what God wants you to do in life.

Detroit Catholic: Obviously, prayer is very central to vocational discernment, and I'm sure that's the first piece of advice you give. Are there any specific prayers you find most effective? What's the best way to pray about your vocation?

Fr. Giera: Mass, of course, is a great prayer. That's the best prayer. To pray before the Blessed Sacrament and to spend some silent time before the Lord is awesome, as is having a devotion to the Blessed Mother. She's the one through whom Jesus came to us, and she's the one through whom we go back to Jesus, so have some devotion to her.

In my homilies, I like to tell a joke: “What’s a pirate’s favorite word?” And everybody always says, “ARRR.” So then I tell them, “Pray like a pirate.” The first letter is “A,” to acknowledge God’s presence in your life. Before you begin to pray, wherever you are, acknowledge God is there. Then, the first “R” is to relate to God what’s going on in your life. Talk to him like you would your best friend. Ask him the hard questions, like, “Why are my parents getting a divorce?” or “What is going to make me happy in life?” Give that over to the Lord, relate it all to Him. The next “R” is to receive whatever God might say to you. Sometimes He'll just be silent, and sometimes He'll give you a Bible passage or an image that will be helpful. And the more you do this, the more you'll understand and recognize the Lord's voice. And the last “R” is to respond generously to whatever He gives you. Maybe there’s something more the Lord is asking you to do, like praying more for your family or volunteering at your parish. So, pray like a pirate.

Detroit Catholic: What is a typical week like for you?

Fr. Giera: It's different every week. One week I could be going out to a high school or grade school. I'll be emailing, having phone conversations and in-person meetings with guys who are thinking about the priesthood. Tonight, I'm going to do our discernment group, where we've got about eight guys coming just to talk about the priesthood and have some pizza. A couple weeks ago, we had our discernment weekend, where guys can come and live with the seminarians from Thursday until Saturday or Sunday afternoon. No two days are exactly alike.

Detroit Catholic: You mentioned discernment groups. What is it about these groups that makes vocational discernment a little bit easier?

Fr. Giera: I think it's relational. Sometimes we can get stuck in our heads trying to figure it all out, and we just keep going over and over the same things. When you start to talk to other people, to see their struggles and their excitement and to see that they have the same questions, you realize you're not alone. It makes it a lot easier to say, “OK, God might be calling me to this.” I usually get a pretty good number of guys coming to the discernment group, and by the end of the year, I lose most of them because they either applied to the seminary and were accepted, or they chose not to apply. And then every year starts off new with a new set of guys.

Detroit Catholic: You’ve also been hosting the “Men of the Hearts” podcast for a few years now. What do you enjoy about that?

Fr. Giera: It's been really interesting to talk to different priests and hear their vocation stories. These are priests I already know in a lot of cases, but I really didn't know any of these stories. It’s pretty edifying to see how God called different priests and to know them a little bit better. But secondly, men who are discerning a possible vocation are listening to these podcasts, and it makes me more of a known person. So when a guy does call, he feels like he already knows me a little bit, and that makes it easier to talk to them, because they know who I am.

Detroit Catholic: Any favorite episodes so far?

Fr. Giera: Oh, they're all interesting. They all have something different going on. I can't really choose any one of them. Our first ones are a little bit rough because we didn't know what we're doing, but I really enjoyed them all.

Detroit Catholic: Studies have shown as many as 70 percent of men who become priests served as altar servers during their youths. That's a staggering number. Why do you think that is? And given these statistics, is there an opportunity to encourage more young people to consider altar serving?

Fr. Giera: I 100% believe altar serving is what helped me come to the priesthood. I enjoyed Mass, especially when I was taking my faith more seriously, but when I told my pastor I was considering the priesthood, he said, “You need to start serving immediately.” When I started serving, it was like an “aha” moment for me. The Mass became so much more interesting, not because I had something to do, but because it felt like this is where I was called to be — in the sanctuary, moving around and doing what the priest did. I remember thinking, “OK, I can do that. I can be a part of this.”

I think that's what happens when young men and young women serve. I think they can see themselves serving in the Church for the rest of their lives, either in a religious order or as priests.

Detroit Catholic: Another powerful influence is the invitation and example of priests themselves. Why is it so important that mentor priests reach out and personally invite young men who might have a vocation?

Fr. Giera: I think it really comes down to belonging. Everybody has this longing to belong to something. If a man truly is called to the priesthood, and he's looking, and someone actually invites him into that, that makes it so much easier to make that choice. To see a priest happy and loving what he's doing, and to be invited by that priest to serve with him — it makes a huge difference.

I know examples where priests have invited guys to go to the hospital with them during an anointing, and it had a huge impact on their lives. It's more than just saying Mass on the weekend. When young men can be invited to work in the church or participate in different ministries, they get a really good taste of what church life is all about, and they can see themselves being a part of that. Then, when the pastor says, “Hey, have you considered being a priest?”, it's almost like an invitation to their vocation. It's saying, “Come, be a part of this.”

Detroit Catholic: A year ago, we completed the Year of Prayer for Priestly Vocations, during which Archbishop Vigneron asked parishes across the Archdiocese of Detroit to pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood. How have you noticed that Lord answering that prayer?

Fr. Giera: I really believe we're starting to see the fruits of that. Last year, we had eight guys enter the seminary, which is a lot of guys. So that was really great to see. We just did our discernment weekend, and we had nine guys from Detroit. We have a huge group of guys wanting to come to our discernment group as well; I'm already talking to a couple of guys in high school who want an application after they graduate. So it just seems like there's been a generous response to what we've been praying for as a diocese, and it's having a good effect.

We still have some parishes that pray the prayer for priestly vocations at every Mass, and that’s having an impact, too. I’ve even asked some guys why they feel God is calling them, and they’ll say, “Well, we still pray the prayer for vocations at Mass, and every time we pray it, I feel like God is talking directly to me.”

Detroit Catholic: Thank you for taking the time with us, Father. Is there anything on the horizon you'd like people to know about?

Fr. Giera: One of our large events that is really well-attended and I think is an easy entry point is our dinner and evening prayer with the archbishop. It's a time for the archbishop to pray with guys who are considering a vocation, hear seminarians' vocation stories, and spend some time with the Lord. We've been getting more and more guys every year — this year, we had over 200 guys come to that dinner. The next dinner is coming up in February, so hopefully we'll get the same kind of turnout.

It's not a long event, but it's a good way to get guys into the seminary, to talk to seminarians, talk to priests. Again, it's that sense of belonging, to know they're not alone.