What’s the Difference between Diocesan and Religious Priests?
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A new postulant in the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy was recently interviewed by writer Kevin Banet.
The Order, also known as the Order of Mercy, is a religious community of friars in four states in the United States. Kevin Cush talked to us about his experience as a postulant, or in other words, a beginner in the Order of Mercy.
K. Banet
Tell me a little bit about the Order of Mercy. Just a brief description of it.
Postulant Kevin
The Order was founded in 1218 by St. Peter Nolasco at the inspiration of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the primary charism of reaching out and ministering to all those Christians who are at risk of losing their faith due to any kind of captivity. For him, it was the enslavement of Christians by Muslims. And today, the Mercedarian friars, here in the United States and throughout the world, work to minister to Christians who are experiencing any kind of captivity by the enemies of the Christian faith due to our social circumstances of modern times or persecution in various ministries.
K. Banet
Very good. Okay. Well, Kevin, can you tell me a little bit about yourself? You're now living in Columbus, Ohio, with the other friars, but where are you from? And tell us a little bit about your family life growing up.
Postulant Kevin
I'm originally from Cleveland, Ohio, not too far away from Columbus, where I'm at currently. I'm an only child to two parents, Brian and Jennifer. And I grew up, went to public school my entire life. My mother was Catholic, and my grandparents were devout Catholics. I received the sacraments as a child and began attending daily Mass, actually, with my grandparents as a young boy.
It was kind of from there that my faith began. My walk of faith began with them going to daily Mass. One of my earliest memories was praying the Rosary with my grandpa. So seeing the inspiration of the family was really important in my experience of the Catholic faith, coming to understand the beauty of the faith. I come from an Irish family.
To see the video interview on YouTube, go to “Interview With Postulant Kevin Cush.”
K. Banet
Right, okay. So you had this religious background with a very strong Catholic faith, which is good. And then how did you come to learn about your vocation? How did you discover it? Was it very early or was it during school, or just when?
Postulant Kevin
Yeah, so I would say my kind of journey towards the religious life really has two phases. As a young child making my first Communion, even in grade school, I felt called towards the priesthood, seeing the priests serve at the altar of God, offering the Holy Mass. There was something stirred up inside of me, even as a child, feeling God calling me towards that. And I pursued that vocation for a time. Following high school, I entered the college seminary for the Diocese of Cleveland, and it was really there, most especially, that I realized God is calling me to the religious life, which is distinct from diocesan priesthood.
K. Banet
Yes. Now explain that, please, because I think a lot of our listeners don't understand the difference between a diocesan priest and a friar in a religious Order.
Postulant Kevin
One of the primary differences is just the lived-out experience -- friars and religious tend to live in community. So it is with the Mercedarian friars. Our houses have at least three friars in each community. For diocesan priests, that might not be the case.
Also, the most essential difference is a diocesan priest makes promises on the day of his ordination. For a religious, long before he is ordained, there are professions and religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. With the Mercedarians there is also the fourth vow of redemption, to give ourselves for those who are at risk of losing the faith. But those vows are taken much before ordination to the priesthood.
God willing, in about a year's time, I will be professing these vows.
K. Banet
I See. Okay, so that's a big step, then. The religious men live in a community. They belong to a religious community. They're under their own superior, whereas the diocesan priest is under the bishop. And so you have a different boss. But also with a religious community, you have this idea of living -- there's more of an emphasis in living with the other friars. And so you have a certain life together, community life. And that's a very unique thing.
Postulant Kevin
Before I felt called to the religious life, I finished my undergraduate degree in classics and history and then I entered the Order.
K. Banet
Okay. All Right. Well, let's backtrack a little bit. Were girls ever attractive to you? And did you think about marriage? Like maybe marriage is the thing for me?
Postulant Kevin
Of course, I did think about that. Of course, going through school, that's always on a young teenage boy’s mind. But for me, I never really dated that much. I had some close female friends, but because I kind of had priesthood on my mind, I never really very actively engaged in any kind of discerning marriage.
K. Banet
Yes, sure. Okay. All right, that's good. And so how did you find out about the Mercedarian friars? They're right in Cleveland, aren't they?
Postulant Kevin
They are. In high school, I got my license at 16. And many young people are excited when they get their driver's license. And I began actually going to daily Mass at Mount Carmel, which is one of the Mercedarian parishes in Cleveland. They had an early morning Mass at 6:30 am at the time. And I would go to church there before high school.
And that was kind of my first exposure to the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, the Mercedarian Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament there, the parish and then the Mercedarian friars as well. And that was kind of my first attraction to the Mercedarians, to seeing them there at the parish.
K. Banet
Okay. Yes. The Sisters are part of the same religious Order, but are kind of like the women's branch, if you will. Both the Friars and the Sisters are at the same parish, and so they have the advantage of offering their charism and their work to the parish.
So you felt called to religious life. How did that compare to the diocesan priesthood? Was there anything in particular that attracted you to the Mercedarian Friars?
Postulant Kevin
Well, I think above all, the devotion and complete entrustment of our Order to Mary. That was the essential characteristic for me. We really view Our Lady as the foundress of our Order, and giving our entire lives to her in service and in imitation of Mary was something that was just essential.
K. Banet
Okay. All right. That is very special. And the founder, Peter Nolasco, his relationship with the Blessed Mother and that of the Friars is a special thing. The Mercedarians are not very well known because there's not a whole lot of them, but in other countries, such as Central America and Spain, their presence is much more recognized. Isn't that true?
Postulant Kevin
Yes.
K. Banet
Okay. Now, how long have you been living as a postulant with the Friars, with the Mercedarian Friars? And what is that step? What does it mean to be a postulant?
Postulant Kevin
Yes. I've just finished my first year with the Community, so I entered in August of 2021. Now we're speaking in August of 2022, to finish one year. During that year, I attended St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia. And I lived at the Monastery of Our Lady of Mercy there in the city of Philadelphia. During that time, as you see, I'm not wearing the habit of the Order. I will be receiving that in a few weeks in Spain.
But the year of postulancy -- the word postulant comes from the word from the Latin root postulare, which means "to ask". So it's a year of you living with the Community in kind of a gesture of asking to be received into the Order. So once you enter the Novitiate, you're part of the Order in a more formal sense, in a more canonical sense. So this year, you're living with the Community, seeing their life, and at the end, asking to be received.
K. Banet
Okay. So the end of your postulancy is when?
Postulant Kevin
Within the next few weeks, when I'll be receiving a habit in Spain.
K. Banet
Okay. And then that's called -- you will be a novice. Is that correct? Are you looking forward to that, to wearing the habit?
Postulant Kevin
Yes, absolutely.
K. Banet
You'll be dressed in white, and that's a powerful statement, I think, to those around you and to yourself.
Postulant Kevin
And during the year of the novitiate, there's no kind of formal academic classes. It's a year living with the community, but dedicated especially to prayer and to study about the Order, most especially the Rule and the Constitutions of the Order to prepare myself, God willing, to make vows at the end of the year. So the entire year is a time of preparation to profess your vows at the end of the year.
K. Banet
Okay. And those will be temporary vows, is that right?
Postulant Kevin
Correct.
K. Banet
Yes. Now tell me about that. I mean, you're moving to another country, living in a completely different culture with a different language. How familiar are you with this? Have you ever traveled to Europe? And do you know Spanish, and how is this going to work out for you?
Postulant Kevin
Yeah, so my senior year of high school, I was a foreign exchange student in Mexico, so I was given the opportunity to learn Spanish during that year, which was now a real blessing, being in this Order, which is a Spanish Order. So hopefully my Spanish that I learned in high school will help me in my time in Spain. And I have traveled to Europe. Some of my family live in Ireland, so I was able to visit them this summer before entering.
K. Banet
Are you going to live in a dorm with other novices or just what kind of a living arrangement will you have?
Postulant Kevin
Yes, I'll be living actually at the shrine and convent [men’s monastery] of St. Raymond there in his hometown, where he was born and where he was buried. So there at the convent, I'll be living both with the friars, living with the local community there, as well as with the novices. So they will be my brothers.
K. Banet
And I guess, are they going to be from Spain or from all over the world?
Postulant Kevin
They'll be from all over, so I don't know exactly who all will be there. I'll find out when I get there. But they'll likely be some from Spain, some from Central America, and Latin America.
K. Banet
And you're the only one from the United States then, isn't that right?
Postulant Kevin
Right, that's correct.
K. Banet
I see. Now, what is the town where you'll be living in?
Postulant Kevin
It's called San Ramon.
K. Banet
Is that near Madrid?
Postulant Kevin
It's near Barcelona.
K. Banet
All right.
Postulant Kevin
We were founded in Barcelona, so we're there, kind of in the motherland -- the location of our origin.
K. Banet
Yeah, I know. When you're from the U.S., and then you go to Europe, when you tell people what town you're from, they always say, is that near Disneyland? Because I think that's all they know. Have you had any contact with other Mercedarians from around the world, or will this be your first exposure?
Postulant Kevin
So this will be kind of my primary exposure. I've been in contact with some of the friars, most especially the provincial, who is my major superior, who is in Rome. So that's kind of my connection with the Order outside of the United States. But one of the primary reasons now that the Mercedarians are having these -- what are called interprovincial novitiates -- having novices from all different parts of the world, is to have this unity and to encounter friars from different parts of the world, to create kind of a bond, a special bond between us.
K. Banet
Yeah. And I'm sure you'll form friendships that will carry you through as you travel about throughout your life. Perhaps you'll run into those fellows every now and then, because I think when you go to school and you're young, it's a special time of friendships, and you have the potential for forming bonds that could be lifelong, and that's a good thing.
Then the novitiate is typically one year. Is that right? And then what's the progression of your vows, like, temporarily leading up to permanent profession?
To see the video interview on YouTube, go to “Interview With Postulant Kevin Cush.”
Postulant Kevin
At the first profession of vows, at that point, you are a consecrated religious, so the later vows are renewing the original consecration. That happens at the first vows. So you take temporary vows for a minimum of three years, up to nine years, usually somewhere in between. So anywhere from three to nine years, someone can be in what are called "temporary vows".
K. Banet
Okay. Yeah. So then how do you determine whether it's three or nine years or something in between?
Postulant Kevin
Well, usually through prayer, through discussion with your spiritual director. And then also it's something in discussion with the community. So you consider when the community feels you're ready to make your lifelong commitment through permanent vows.
K. Banet
Okay. All right. Yeah, that's good. Now tell me, living with others is very important, that sense of fraternity, whether it's a family or religious community, it really forms a sense of security and a sense of belonging on the part of the individual. And I've lived in a Dominican community for a number of years, and so I know how important it is. And tell me, what has been your community life like so far and what do you look forward to?
Postulant Kevin
I think one of the greatest joys of living in community is the communal prayer. So coming together several times throughout the day to pray as a community and then afterwards, usually a meal or some kind of recreation together is really just very special because it's not just the prayer. It's not just living together. It's the combination that really brings a lot of joy and makes communal life special.
K. Banet
Yeah, that's good. Right. And so I suppose you've found friendship within your community life, other fellows that you have things in common with?
Postulant Kevin
Of course, it's important to be close with your brothers and community. But also this past year, I was also at St. Charles Seminary in Philadelphia and also having friends with the seminarians there, having friends outside of the community as well.
K. Banet
Okay, so other men who were studying for the priesthood, for different dioceses, I guess, is that right?
Postulant Kevin
Correct.
K. Banet
So you get a perspective of what their vocation is like, and you form connections and networks, I suppose.
Now tell me something about your prayer life. And by the way, I'm going to ask you to say a little prayer at the end of our conversation to ask for the Lord's graces for all those men who may be thinking about a religious vocation. Go ahead, tell me, what is your prayer life like? Has it changed? Has the life in the community changed your prayer life at all?
Postulant Kevin
Absolutely, because we pray what's called the Liturgy of the Hours together in common. Those are set prayers offered by the Church primarily based on the Psalms several times a day. So that's kind of the foundation of the prayer life -- that and holy Mass. So those two elements are fixed.
You don't have to worry, as you would living on your own. Before I entered, I lived in an apartment and did things on my own. Before entering the Order, you have to think, okay, when am I going to pray? When am I going to get to Mass? Where am I going to go? So first thing, those are all set in the day here.
At least this past year at the monastery in Philadelphia, we began in the morning with morning prayer, also known as Lauds and Mass at 6:30 in the morning. Your day starts with prayer and then throughout the day, the private prayer that we do as individuals, reading of Scripture, all fits in because those essential kind of components are already built in. It really allows you the freedom to find other time for prayer throughout the day.
K. Banet
Yeah. So your prayer day begins with Lauds and then Mass at 6:30 a.m. Right. So what time are you waking up?
Postulant Kevin
Usually just before that. Some people are morning persons. Some people are usually just on time, too.
K. Banet
Okay.
Postulant Kevin
Some of my classmates were good about getting into the chapel very early to pray before, but I'm usually right there at 6:30 and like to spend other time throughout the day.
K. Banet
Yes, waking up with the farmers and even earlier with the chickens, if you wake up that early. I know -- I lived in a Catholic community in a rural area and I would always hear the chickens that early.
Okay, now you think that God is leading you to the priesthood. What does a young man do if he joins a religious Order? Because there's not only the priesthood, there's being a brother, being a friar, and helping out in a different way. So, do your goals fit in with the way that things are done there at the Order of Mercy?
Postulant Kevin
Yeah, absolutely. For me, the religious life, being a consecrated person is primary. So that discernment is the first, most essential. Priesthood is a secondary kind of discernment. In my case, going through the application process, I discerned: Okay, I think God is calling me to the priesthood. I like the studies and I'm attracted to, God willing, one day, celebrating the sacraments. This past year I have been at the seminary, but not everyone in the community makes that discernment. So, we're all first brothers in the community, and some do later go on to priesthood.
K. Banet
All right, so the first year and then you're going to be in Spain, and it's not really an academic program, but it's prayer. It's learning about the Order as well as your Rule and Constitutions and doing a lot of discernment. Okay, so that's the Novitiate, right? And so then after that, where do they have you going?
Postulant Kevin
So after that, I'll be studying theology at a seminary. I'll be a student prior, at that point. It's not yet determined yet where I will be for my studies. It could be in Europe or it could be here in the United States, at our house of formation here in Columbus. Before then, I will be professing, God willing, a year from now, the vow of obedience, to be obedient to where the superiors decide to send me for studies.
K. Banet
Okay. All right, that's good. That's how it is. I'm just wondering, do you look forward to being a parish priest or do they have men, Mercedarian men, who are visiting prisons and doing other types of rehabilitation work? I mean, do you have any particular area of interest or are you just going to say, send me anywhere?
Postulant Kevin
Yeah, well, as with most religious communities, the superiors discern and make the decision for what your assignment will be. I'm open to whatever they assign me to, but one thing that I would be particularly attracted to would actually be hospital chaplaincy.
working in prisons and hospitals is in the Mercedarian spirit. I would be very grateful if that would be a future assignment, at some point, to work with the sick in the hospitals.
K. Banet
Yeah. Okay, well, that's very good. That is a special ministry, and sickness and death is a time of trial and preparation and perhaps a purging of our own spirits, a time to draw closer to God. And yet it's a great challenge to meet with people who are going through all these difficulties. Yeah, but that's a good thing to do.
Looking back, I'm just curious, how many years have you been out of college?
Postulant Kevin
So I entered [the Order] immediately following graduation from college.
K. Banet
Okay, all right.
Postulant Kevin
In my last year of college, I made the visits and the discernment with the community and did my application to enter the Order. So I made that transition directly from college into the Order.
K. Banet
And another question that comes to mind. You mentioned that you're an only child. How do your parents feel about this? When an only child leaves home, it can be kind of a sad event. They can miss you very much. What do they feel?
Postulant Kevin
Well, I think they're supportive because they realize that this life is something that will provide me happiness and satisfaction in serving God. So they're supportive of me in that regard. My father a little bit less so. My father's side of the family is not Catholic, so that can be some point of difficulty at times. But with my mother, and her side of the family, they're very supportive.
K. Banet
Okay, yes. Well, I think they will be very encouraging of your work. And if a person is not a Catholic, it's kind of hard to understand. And even for Catholic parents, sometimes they don't want to see their son or daughter enter religious life, and maybe they just don't understand it very much.
But in any case, God can work with anything if it's a true calling. So I'm just wondering; we're about ready to wrap this interview up. Do you have any advice for other young men discerning their vocation, whether it's to marriage, religious life, or priesthood? Give us a little bit of advice here.
Postulant Kevin
I would say number one is to trust God that there's no kind of magical way or process or some kind of secret knowledge that you have to find in order to obtain your vocation. To trust God more than anything that He will have you be where He is calling you to be, to not be anxious about your vocation, but to really view your vocation as an act of love and service to the Church.
The second would probably be to not be overly anxious as some people are. They say, okay, I have to find the perfect community, and they go on for years and years discerning -- but to really just make an act of faith. Okay. You have an Order that you feel attracted to, that you feel God is calling you to -- just trust Him.
K. Banet
Yeah. Because God works with the people that he sends our way, and we don't have to go to the other end of the world to find it, usually. Anything else that I've left out, Postulant Kevin?
Postulant Kevin
Well, to turn to Our Lady kind of as the final thought, she was the Mother of Christ, but was also there and provided encouragement to the apostles following Christ's Resurrection as they were going out on mission. She was there as a kind of a spiritual mother for them.
And I think that's important for anyone discerning the religious life or priesthood or married life, that you are going out to be apostles to the world and to really turn to her for Mary's protection.
K. Banet
Okay. Yeah, that's all right. Excellent advice then, Postulant Kevin. Very good. Well, this has been a very enjoyable talk, very enlightening. I wish you well in your endeavors, and I think the Mercedarian Order is going to be greatly helped by your presence and the work that you do. So I'm just wondering -- to wrap this up, do you think you could say a prayer and encourage us and also include those who are searching for their vocations?
Postulant Kevin
Of course.
+In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
K. Banet
Amen.
Postulant Kevin
Come, Holy Spirit, inspire the hearts of all of the faithful. Fill all those who are seeking after the face of God. Fill them with your light. Drive fear from their hearts, especially all those who are discerning how to best serve your holy will. We ask that through the intercession of Mary, our Mother of Mercy, that all your faithful people may be freed from all the snares and bonds of the deception of the devil so that they may freely run after you with all their hearts. We make all of this prayer -- all of these prayers through Christ our Lord. Amen.
+In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
K. Banet
Okay, great. Thank you very much, Postulant Kevin. Well, I wish you well, and may God go with you to Spain, and may the Mercedarian Order flourish in the years ahead.
Postulant Kevin
You're welcome. Amen. Take care.
To see the video interview on YouTube, go to “Interview With Postulant Kevin Cush.”
Kevin J. Banet is a journalist and publicist. He provides marketing for religious communities, non-profits and healthcare services. Kevin and his family live in the Chicago area. His website is VocationPromotion.com.
