A Day As A Priest

My interview was with Reverend Andrew Booms who has been appointed by the Bishop of Saginaw to serve as the permanent priest for St. Michael Church in Port Austin. I decided to ask him questions about how he became a priest. There are many details I can learn from a priest. I never knew priests have so much to do from visiting the sick, to celebrating mass. There are three main issues I would like to discuss with Father Andy: his childhood, his career, and his typical day of work.

When Andrew Booms was very young, he wanted to become a doctor, having a amily and living in the suburbs. As he grew older he wanted to make a difference in the world. While attending Port Hope High School, Father Andy was not a popular young man and did not possess much athletic talent. As a young boy growing up he wanted to live life to the fullest. He did not know one day he would be a pastor. He also didn''t know that he would be pastor in his hometown. While interviewing Father Andy, I noticed we have a lot in common. We both want to make a difference in the world.

I believe he was chosen by God to speak to the younger generation to tell them heir future is full of brightness. At age of 24 Andrew Booms entered the seminary and attend St. John Vianney Seminary in Minneapolis. Attending St. John Seminary he told me while studying Mother Teresa appeared to him and became his spiritual leader. During my time interviewing Father Andy, I noticed while we were talking he kept saying that when it comes to a career God already has a plan for all of us. According to Father Andy there is a shortage of priests, but there is no shortage of work.

Our diocese is undergoing a lanning process to meet both the needs of the community and the limits or demands on priests and deacons. He has planned many trips, like visiting Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit. I have noticed that this is a man who is strong, and who has a strong belief in Jesus Christ. When I first asked Father Andy about his typical work day, he told me that the great part of his Job us there is no typical work day, but however there are degrees of normal. A normal day would begin with time of prayer, than mass at the parish.

After ass he goes into the office, and meets with the secretary and bookkeeper and by noon he is out for lunch and home visits or meetings. After a long day of work he still finds time for exercising, cleaning and then preparing for dinner. Most nights he has an appointment or meeting, but he spends an hour reading and planning for the next day and usually closes the day with an hour or so of TV. After hearing him tell me about his typical work day I was shocked that he does all this plus more. Priests are always on call and they usually get about 5 to 7 hours of sleep a night.

Finally we must come to know that everyone is not perfect. After learning that Father Andy had a dream when he was younger and wanted a family I can see truly that he had a future. During his time as a pastor the bishop has the power to assign a priest to a parish. According to Bishop Cistone (Bishop of Saginaw) a priest can be assigned to a parish for 6-12 years between movies, but the Bishop may request an earlier move if the priest is needed elsewhere. A priest does not always serve in a particular town or parish. A day as a priest By dJbellville