Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., of Trenton, New Jersey, discussed his favorite saint, Catholic education, and his advice to men considering the priesthood in a Jan. 27 video.
“My favorite saint is Saint Vincent De Paul,” he said in the video, which is part of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) “5 Minutes With a Bishop” series. “I belong to the Congregation of the Mission, which was founded by St. de Paul, and I’ve always had great love and affection for him, and I’ve used him as a model for my life, especially in my life as bishop.”
Bishop O’Connell explained why he chose his episcopal motto, “To serve and not to be served”: the phrase appeared in the Gospel reading the day he was ordained a priest, and it has always stuck with him when he has reflected on his vocation as a member of the clergy.
The bishop shared that he asks every young man he meets if he has thought about the priesthood.
“Frequently they say, ‘Well, I’m not a Catholic,’ I say, ‘Eh, we can work that out,’” he joked.
His advice to men considering the priesthood is twofold: to pray and to talk with other people about it – especially priests they admire – to learn more about the vocation and how to follow God.
Bishop O’Connell, who is also chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Catholic Education, then began to discuss his own schooling. He said that he benefited from his experience attending schools run by the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Philadelphia.
“I learned a great deal from them,” he said of the Sisters. “I learned how to study, I learned how to socialize, I learned how to pray, really.”
He explained the purpose of the committee, which he said aims to understand the state of Catholic education across the country and find ways to improve it.
The bishop said that he believes Pope Leo’s emphasis on Catholic education will bear fruit in the Church. He added that the Pontiff is the product of a religious order that is deeply invested in education, which Bishop O’Connell thinks will impact the way that he guides the Church.
Bishop O’Connell concluded the video by discussing the importance of talking with young people, which he said is especially crucial for priests and bishops to do.
He said that the church must “reach out to young people, to make them know that they’re welcome, that we care about them, and that we want the best for them.”