'IT'S GOD'S GRACE' WIDOWED DAD OF 3 ORDAINED A PRIEST.Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer Cicadas buzzed overhead the day Ron Schmidt and two of his sons struggled for words outside a large wooden door of the Jesuit novitiate in the bayou town of Grand Coteau Grand Coteau may refer to:
``Good luck,'' the young men said as the door closed upon dad, a 50-year- old widower and retired U.S. Army officer called to the cloth by a self- described summons from God. Outside the divide, two sons cried. Inside, an exuberant father sobbed. Eight years later, the father of three sons is also the Rev. Ron Schmidt, a newly ordained or·dain tr.v. or·dained, or·dain·ing, or·dains 1. a. To invest with ministerial or priestly authority; confer holy orders on. b. To authorize as a rabbi. 2. Jesuit who returns to his boyhood church of St. Charles Borromeo For the Indian sprinter, see . Saint Charles Borromeo (Italian: Carlo Borromeo; Latinized as Carolus Borromeus) (October 2, 1538 – November 3, 1584) was an Italian saint and cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. in North Hollywood this weekend to celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving. In doing so, the 58-year-old grandfather joins a rare but growing body of priests called in their later years to a life of celibacy, service - and best behavior. ``Wow, I'm a priest,'' said Schmidt, a good-natured man with a gray goatee, gazing down at his priestly garb. ``I can't believe it. I'm still catching up to it. ``I've been a priest now for 10 days: It's pure joy.'' How a family man with a house full of antiques and collectibles from around the globe cast off his worldly goods for a Jesuit vow of poverty, obedience and chastity has awed his family and church superiors for nearly a decade. For Schmidt, who grew up in North Hollywood and Studio City as freeways unrolled across the Valley (his childhood home was bulldozed to build the Ventura Freeway The Ventura Freeway is a freeway in southern California running from Ventura to Pasadena. It is the principal east-west route through Ventura County and in the southern San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County. ), had never really wanted to be a priest. Instead, he married his tall, blond girlfriend from Georgetown University Georgetown University, in the Georgetown section of Washington, D.C.; Jesuit; coeducational; founded 1789 by John Carroll, chartered 1815, inc. 1844. Its law and medical schools are noteworthy, and its archives are especially rich in letters and manuscripts by and , entered the Army Signal Corps, served in Vietnam, rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel, had three sons, settled in Augusta, Ga., and was unflappably content. Until Gretchen succumbed to cancer on Feb. 26, 1990, at 46. After her death, he yearned for more - or less, in his case. ``I probably was depressed,'' said Schmidt, who had rarely attended Mass since his boys choir days at St. Charles elementary and Notre Dame Notre Dame IPA: [nɔtʁ dam] is French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In the United States of America, Notre Dame High. ``But I don't think I got that existential. I was curious: Where was God in my life?'' He would attend a contemplative retreat. Someplace some·place adv. & n. Somewhere: "I didn't care where I was from so long as it was someplace else" Garrison Keillor. See Usage Note at everyplace. to pray. Get personal with God, a first. But the retreat master, a Catholic Bible thumper Bible thumper n. Offensive Used as a disparaging term for a Christian, especially a fundamentalist or evangelical Christian, considered to be overly zealous in haranguing or censuring others. , made him squirm, he said. ``I didn't come for this,'' he thought the first Friday First Friday is a city-wide public event that occurs on the first Friday of every month. The events may take on many purposes, including art gallery openings and social networking. of the retreat outside Atlanta. On Saturday, he warmed up to a meditation on the Passion, or death, of Jesus. Most importantly Adv. 1. most importantly - above and beyond all other consideration; "above all, you must be independent" above all, most especially , he said, he prayed for stronger belief. ``I woke up the next morning, it was just there,'' said Schmidt, his voice cracking. ``With the call to the priesthood. ``It just overtook me - it was definitely something from without. It (a voice) said, 'You are going to be a priest; I want you to be a priest' ... I said, `This is not me, this is unbelievable.''' Friends said he was simply depressed. Others said he was merely grieving. But because of Schmidt's persistence - or passion - everyone, including his family, came around to supporting his black-robed dream and eight-year seminary ``formation.'' It took two applications before Rome would accept the 50-year-old supplicant In an authentication system, supplicant refers to the client machine that wants to gain access to the network. See 802.1x. to a 450-year-old Jesuit order Noun 1. Jesuit order - a Roman Catholic order founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in 1534 to defend Catholicism against the Reformation and to do missionary work among the heathen; it is strongly committed to education and scholarship Society of Jesus of men once described as ``the storm troopers of the Pope.'' Then it took two lawyers to help him divide his property among sons Kevin, now 33, Matthew, 31, and Jason, 27, of Van Nuys, and others. On June 15, Schmidt was ordained during a tear-filled ceremony before his sons and 90-year-old mother in Mobile, Ala. ``There are not many Jesuits with three grown sons,'' said the Rev. Marvin Kitten, vocation director for the New Orleans Province of the Jesuits, which runs the novitiate for novice priests at St. Charles College St. Charles College may refer to:
``He brings a distinctive background to the order. It's just a joy to watch him. He'll be able to deal with some people who we otherwise would not.'' Church officials say Schmidt may be part of a growing trend. Priests who once entered the seminary right out of high school are now taking years longer to become ordained, according to a recent study by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate a·pos·to·late n. 1. The office, duties, or mission of an apostle. 2. An association of individuals for the dissemination of a religion or doctrine. at Georgetown University. Between 1930 and 1940, the average priest was ordained at 26; throughout the 1990s, he was ordained at 34. With half the priests now enrolled in seminary to fill projected vacancies, the church may be forced to recruit older parishioners to fill the gap. ``It happens increasingly among religious orders and among diocesan priests,'' said Mary Gautier, senior research assistant for CARA CARA Chicago Area Runners Association CARA Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (Washington, DC) CARA Center for Astrophysical Research in Antarctica CARA Classification and Rating Administration , of Schmidt's ordination June 15. ``Orders increasingly understand it's better for priests to make a free-will choice - go to college, get a little life experience, make sure that this is what you want. ... They don't have the immaturity problems as young guys; they already know what they want.'' Schmidt, who dated briefly before he entered the novitiate and fast-track theological studies in Spokane, Wash., and Berkeley, said he won't miss the intimacy of marriage. Instead, the son of a filmmaker has joined the Jesuit community at Loyola Marymount University to counsel students and create inspirational films for Loyola Productions. ``The Jesuit community has welcomed him,'' said the Rev. Paul Bernardicou, rector of the LMU LMU Ludwig Maximilians Universität (München) LMU Loyola Marymount University LMU Leeds Metropolitan University (UK) LMU Lincoln Memorial University LMU Location Measurement Unit Jesuit community. ``He is certainly an important contributor of Loyola Productions. His sons, also filmmakers, beam at their new man in black. ``I don't think I could be prouder,'' said Jason, who now works with his father making ``Witness,'' a 30-minute film about the El Salvador murder of six Jesuits and their housekeeper in 1989. ``It is one of the most moving experiences of my life.'' Jason can't envision any stepmother replacing mom. Or any father more fit for a vestment among a growing church scandal connected with sexually abusive clergy. ``Right now, this is the kind of person the church needs,'' he said. ``I think, Wow, my dad just became (a priest); that's pretty cool.'' Schmidt says the priesthood has actually brought him closer to his sons, his fellow man and his God. ``I don't think I'm the same guy,'' he said. ``Far more reflective, far more compassionate. But I didn't get there by myself - it's God's grace.'' CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) The Rev. Ron Schmidt, a widower with three grown sons, will celebrate his first Mass at St. Charles Borromeo Church. (2) The Rev. Ron Schmidt said he received the call to the priesthood after the death of his wife of cancer in 1990. Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer |
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