Office of Priestly Vocations invites Catholics to share their love with priests via 'spiritual bouquet'

Contribute your letters and prayers here

DETROIT — They celebrate Mass, listen to confessions, preside over weddings, perform baptisms, anoint the sick and bury the dead. 

Let’s face it: Without priests, there is no Church.  

In recognizing all that priests do for the community, both seen and unseen, the Archdiocese of Detroit's Office of Priestly Vocations is offering parishioners a chance to formally and spiritually thank the men who have offered their lives to God. 

“As a show of support and love for our priests, we encourage everyone to offer a spiritual bouquet for the men who serve as our spiritual fathers and shepherds,” said Fr. Joe Horn, director of priestly vocations for the Archdiocese of Detroit. “A spiritual bouquet is a collection of prayers of your choosing (the rosary, Mass, etc.) that you intend to offer up, in this case, on behalf of a priest.” 

The prayers will be collected and published in honor of Priesthood Sunday, which this year is Sept. 29.

Parishioners can contribute their intentions, along with a note thanking a special priest in their life, by visiting http://www.detroitpriest.com/support-seminarians/spiritual-bouquet-for-priests/. 

Once a parishioner fills out the form, they are prompted to click “submit” and print out a confirmation email. Parishioners are then invited to place the printed form in the collection basket during Mass on the weekend of Sept. 28-29 as a way to inform their pastor or associate pastor that they will be praying for them. 

“Printing out your bouquet and offering it to your priest is a powerful sign of love and support for your pastor,” Fr. Horn said. “And let’s not forget to pray for our chief shepherd, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron as he leads us closer to Christ.”