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January/February 2007
Issue
Hearing God's call
Hearing
God's call whether it's a whisper or a yell An interview
with Father Ron Hutchinson, diocesan director of priestly
vocations By Amy Hamilton Knowing one's purpose in
life isn't always obvious. "I asked God to yell to
me what my purpose was," said Father Ron Hutchinson,
diocesan director of priestly vocations.
Not too long after this "frank conversation"
with God, Father Ron's eyes were opened at a Holy
Thursday Mass. "'As I have done, so you must do' were
Jesus' words - in that moment, I felt that Christ
was personally calling me," he said.
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Fast-forward a little more than a decade,
and Father Ron is now in the role of asking others to open
their eyes, minds and hearts to the calling of the priesthood.
In addition to heading up priestly vocations for the diocese,
he also will have a recurring column in FAITH Grand Rapids.
The Reed City native originally wanted to
be a dentist, but chem lab at Albion College drove him crazy
- well, not crazy, but into the field of psychology where
he thrived on studying human nature. During this time in undergrad,
he was active in Catholic campus ministry. He felt a nudge
to the priesthood and sought the advice of a priest and mentor,
who encouraged him to remain open to his heart's true calling.
As he prayed and thought and became a devotee of the Rosary,
he pursued a master's degree in college student personnel
affairs at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. His first
job post-grad school took him to Massachusetts.
And then came the Holy Thursday that would
change his life. After the Mass that night, Father Ron approached
the parish priest, who helped him with the next steps in answering
God's call. He went on to graduate from St. Mary Seminary
and University in Baltimore, earning a bachelor's degree in
sacred theology and a master's of divinity degree.
In 1994, Father Ron returned to the Diocese
of Grand Rapids where he was ordained a priest by Bishop Robert
J. Rose. Father Ron is currently pastor of Holy Redeemer Parish
in Jenison in addition to serving as the diocesan director
of priestly vocations. When asked if he was ever unsure about
the priesthood, he replied, "I had to jump off a cliff and
believe that God would catch me. And you know, every day is
like jumping into the unknown - from helping those who are
nearing death to celebrating the sacrament of matrimony -
every day is different. But I love it. I love to serve. This
is my calling."
Five things about Father Ron: " Family: He's
the oldest of three children. " Passion: Cooking - he belongs
to a cooking group. " Guilty indulgence: Ice cream. " Gift:
A beautiful singing voice. " Goal: "To create and support
an environment for our children to hear God's whisper (or
yell!). I pray that not only will our young people hear God's
call but that parents will be open to the wonderful blessing
of their own being called by God." Diocesan call to action:
"
To learn more about the priesthood, please
contact Father Ron Hutchinson, diocesan director of priestly
vocations, at 616-243-0491 or e-mail Father Ron at rhutchinson@dioceseofgrandrapids.org.
Additional information can be found on the diocesan Web site
at http://www.dioceseofgrandrapids.org.
Father
Ron Hutchinson
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