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Home  / News & Publications /  Michigan Catholic News / 2009 /  Priests of archdiocese celebrate years of service

by Kristin Lukowski of The Michigan Catholic
Published May 29, 2009

Gregg McIntosh | The Michigan Catholic Fr. Henry Villerot reflects on his 68 years as a priest.

Detroit - Retirement doesn't keep Fr. Henry Villerot away from his ministry too much; neither does living in a retirement home, nor being in his 90s. Celebrating 68 years to the priesthood next month, Fr. Villerot, with only two priests in the archdiocese serving longer than he, was one of many priests celebrating their call to the priesthood Tuesday with a special Mass.

Young priests, old priests, priests with a few years of ministry under their belts, and those with decades of service were all recognized by Archbishop Allen Vigneron with Mass at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, and with lunch following at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. The annual celebration honors the men called to shepherd us all in our faith, whatever their particular assignment, with a special focus on those priests celebrating 25, 40, 50, 60 and more than 60 years in ministry.

Fr. Villerot, now living in a retirement home in Roseville, has been retired since 1985, but still celebrates daily Mass a few times a week and every other Saturday. "I'm still saying Mass, and getting into trouble," he joked.

His favorite of his many assignments over the years included heading parishes with schools: "You met more of the people through the youngsters," he said. And he was always blessed with religious sisters in those schools, to help the students prepare for their sacraments, as well as educating them.

But he enjoyed all of his assignments, he said, even dreading when he was to move to a different parish. "I didn't want to make any of those moves," he said, because he had enjoyed the previous assignments so much. However, "Every one of them turned out perfectly well."

He saw the Holy Spirit not only in those assignments, but inspiration for his preaching, and even in the confessional. He's the oldest of nine children; he and his next-youngest brother, Tom, became priests for Detroit, and three of their sisters are Sisters of Mercy; one of his other sisters has a son who is a priest for the Diocese of Peoria, too.

Fr. Villerot enjoyed the chance Tuesday to reconnect with his priestly brothers are, and to keep up acquaintances with them. "Once you're retired, you lose that contact," he said.

In the basement of the cathedral before Mass, a handful of priests gathered, catching up with each other. Many of the younger priests introduced themselves to their elders.

In the Mass's opening remarks, Archbishop Allen Vigneron called it a "great day for all of us." He acknowledged the presence of retired Bishop Bernard Harrington, and joked that he can join the rotation of confirmations; he later acknowledged Fr. James Hayes, the archdiocese's longest-serving priest, with 71 years this year. The archbishop said there were many things to celebrate that day, including their own memories, joining with their brothers, and God's gift of sharing in their priestly ministry.

In his homily, he said the day leads the priests to think about "what God has called us here today to accomplish," he said. "Thanks, above all, to God our Father for all these many years of priestly service."

He talked about Jesus' hour, when his ministry was to be made public. And to understand Jesus' hour "makes us think more deeply about the priesthood," he said, "and be thankful to God for the years of the priesthood lived out by our jubilarians."

He also talked about the many demanding hours that come with being a priest: hearing confessions, performing marriages, preparing children and adults for their sacraments of initiation. "We understand then that all these hours that have gone to make up all those years of priestly ministry have been given by you and by God through you, for the sake of this one hour," he said.

And at the celebration, priests were thankful to God for the hours to come, as well as for what the Holy Spirit has already done, he said.

Fr. Michael Hrydziuszko, pastor of St. Isidore Parish, Macomb, said that because the priests of the archdiocese are spread so far and wide, and often so thin with responsibilities, they don't get many chances to gather together.

"It's important to honor those who have done so much for the archdiocese, especially those celebrating special anniversaries," he said. He added that it was "amazing" how long some of them have been in service to the archdiocese.

"And it helps us younger guys, by setting a good example," he said.

Fr. Hrydziuszko also said the day offers a chance to look back at the ministry. "It's a chance to see where we've been, where we are and where we're going," he said.

Fr. William Herman, pastor of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Harper Woods, was there to acknowledge his brother priests: "I think it's very important to be here to support one another in ministry, and to celebrate all the years these men have served," he said. "It's important for solidarity among the clergy."

Although the Mass is usually held at the seminary - the chapel is currently under repair from a fire there earlier this year - Fr. Robert Blondell, of St. Hubert Parish, Harrison Township, said he liked coming back to the place most of the priests there were ordained. "It's a chance to recall what God has done for us," he said. "In a sense, we're all celebrating an anniversary, regardless of the number of years."

Fr. Blondell pointed out that the jubilee celebration took place on the feast day of St. Philip Neri, who believed in the importance of congregation. "I think it's important for us to pray together," he said. "I like these times that we're called together. Everybody comes to this."