SAN FRANCISCO (CA)
Catholic San Francisco
January 11th, 2012
By George Raine
You would think it would be counterproductive for Father David Ghiorso, vocations director for the Archdiocese of San Francisco and pastor of St. Charles Parish in San Carlos, to say “no” more than “yes” to men who show an interest in the seminary, given the relatively thin ranks in the priesthood.
He said five men last year were somewhat easy calls: They were 55 and older, which would give them senior status after some seven years in the seminary. Others lacked, by Father Ghiorso’s standards, fire in the belly.
“They have to be people who are going to take charge,” said Father Ghiorso, who succeeded Bishop Thomas Daly as vocations director when, in May, then-Father Daly became auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of San Jose.
The seminary is very structured, Father Ghiorso said: “‘This is what you do and when you do it.’ When you get to a parish no one is going to be telling you what to do. You are going to take initiative.”
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