Interviews with a Few Special Priests (#6 )

      For 19 Years He Directed Spiritual

Formation of Priests at a Major Seminary

What was wanted and unwanted

in a parish priest

Sins his church members confess

   today and benefits thereof

By Robert R. Schwarz

          In his  pastor's office at St. Gregory the Great church on Chicago's  North Side  we recently talked to Fr. Paul Wachdorf  about his work from 1981 to 2007 as director of prayer and spiritual formation of young men to be ordained as priests.  Soon to be 70 years old and  looking forward to retirement  and a move  to his mobile home in Lake Zurich , Illinois , Fr. Paul  is a thin man with white hair who expresses this thoughts precisely without  wasting time. He  spoke candidly about his role at Mundelein  Seminary , a major Catholic learning institute  with a large, scenic campus in Libertyville , about an hour's drive from his church . 

     

At a Cubs-White Sox  game with his
pastoral assistant (center ) and a
parish member

     His responsibility at Mundelein was to recruit and monitor   more than 20 priests  who instructed at least 200 seminarians during their four  years of formation ( now six years if  their had not studied philosophy before enrolling). The normal dropout r ate,  he  said, was ten to twenty per cent ,  would normally occur during the student's  first three years. " After that, they were pretty solid ," he said. The most common reason for dropping out , he explained,  was the seminarian's desire  to get married  or,   " the student  found out that being  a priest was not what he really wanted to do . " In some cases,  the faculty had to ask them to leave because it thought  the seminarian was "not really cut out to be a priest or that he just needed to mature more ." Other  reasons were "unresolved psychological issues " or an untreated addiction.

        

With his uncle about  to take an aerial  tour of Chicago

  "T he pillars of the program at Mundelein,  " Fr. Paul, continued, " were  to make sure that the seminarians were good and balanced human beings and that they loved   God and neighbor  and  had a willingness to give their life for t he people in their church.  "  He stressed the  importance of  a new priest  having compassion and empathy and the ability to relate  communicate well to people  , especially when preaching and explaining Holy Scripture. "Christ had to  be at the center of their lives, "

        

With Mom and his  sister

  Other requirement  included the seminarian's having  the capacity  to learn administrative skills like working with budgets and building projects . These  skills, he said with  some misgiving, "were not emphasized when  I was there. "  Learning that particular  skill when he came to St. Gregory  was " a steep learning curve " for him.

          Asked if he thought  today's seminarians at Mundelein  come  with personal  religious principles different  from those when he was there,   F r. Paul  said   students " tended to be 'traditional '  with a more  conservative outlook. We called them 'John Paul II seminarians ' . He was the Pope who inspired a whole generation of seminarians who came here, and they reflected that Pope's spiritual outlook."  

Candidates  Were Screened for Problems

       

   Asked  if  candidates for the priesthood at Mundelein  were screened for homosexuality when he was there, Fr. Paul , "I was there before the crisis hit. We had a psychologist  who screened all of our  candidates to make sure a candidate had an  unresolved  problem that would impede him from moving forward [ to ordination ] . The seminary admissions  board picked the candidates' brains to make sure the men  were healthy [ in all respects ].   The  board asked them about their sexual orientation . If they said they were a homosexual , the seminary  would accept the candidate , providing he had been chaste for  the last  three years and that he would continue living a  chaste and celibate life . This was also  required for heterosexuality. "  Asked if that policy at Mundelein is in force today,  he said , "'I would hope  so."

Soon to Retire But Not From Having Fun

     

       Pastor Paul at Aspen on his way to a 
 "top tier" medal in the 
National Standard ski  race

      Fr. Paul   received his "call"  to become  Mundelein's  spiritual director when pastor for a church in Chicago where he was also mentoring its  five deacons. Soon after accepting that invitation from  Mundelein  (  which  had  ordained him in 1975) , he went to  Creighton University in Omaha . Nebraska  and earned a master's degree in Christian spirituality. 

          I asked why he was  retiring next year?  He laughed when saying " because I'll be seventy and I'm  tired , " and then added, " The administrative  task of being a parish  priest today is enormous.  I'll be volunteering my time at a few churches , anointing the sick, hearing confessions, and doing baptisms,  weddings, and other church sacraments. Right now, I want to continue doing spiritual direction. I have twelve people who   see me in my office. I find that very life-giving. "

          Fr. Paul likely will continue to make time  for some fun and recreation. He  plays  his ukulele while singing with  the children's choir  and sometime performs  a juggling act while giving a homily .  He said he  loves reading mystery novels (especially those by James Patterson ) ,  eating anything with chocolate, and riding  a  roller coaster rides—he rode 51 this year at the  Great America amusement park.  Movies he's recently seen were "Angel Has Fallen " and Hobbs and Shaw. "

  

         His Thoughts for Many about Spiritual Direction

          In another interview, Fr. Paul fielded the following   questions  many of might have about spiritual direction : 

           What are most  people looking for in spiritual direction?

           Most want a spiritual companion , like me, to accompany them  on their spiritual journey in life. They want to know what God is inviting them to do with their life, their talents. 

          And also  see the fruits of their efforts?

            Well, remember that the fabled Johnny Appleseed who sowed apple seeds all over the countryside  never got to see even one of his apple trees . 

            Can you be more specific ?

            Spiritual direction can be clear if people respond to what Saint Ignatius exhorted  [the  16th Century priest and theologian who founded  the Jesuit religious  order ]  : " The hand of God is found in everything ." 

          Even, for example, in a mother's housework ?

          Yes. Even in secular things.

          Can anyone benefit from seeing a spiritual director?

         

          I suspect that everybody at some time could benefit from a spiritual director. Some see me weekly or monthly , like some see their doctor for a periodic checkup. Others come  when something comes up in their life they want to process or talk about. But most who come to me are not dealing with serious psychological problems. In that case, I might refer them to a counselor.

          I understand that most Catholics don't see a spiritual director. Why ? 

          Most feel they don't need one. Most Catholics don't go to confession, much less to a spiritual director. Some fear a spiritual director will judge them, think less of them or that he will try to control them  in some way. Or maybe they had parents who were too intimidating with authority. I'm not aware, however, of any Protestant denomination that has spiritual directors—it’s been a Catholic phenomena throughout history. Nevertheless, I believe most people come to a point in their lives when they want to be helped out by someone who's been on the journey. 

          What about evil,  that word which everybody seems to either shy away from or use rather loosely ?

          You can't do Ignition spirituality work without belief in the evil spirit.  There definitely  is a presence of evil that influences us because of our  flawed nature  [  that which Adam and Eve incurred in the Garden of Eden when they disobeyed God's command not to eat that apple ] .    You can spend too much time trying to discern  whether this influence is from  the Devil  or from our  flawed nature  [ sometimes  called our  "Old Man"  ] .   I'd rather deal with  evil simply as a reality I can't ignore. Everyone, regardless of  church denomination,  should be aware of the ways in which we are tempted or seduced to act against our best selves , 

such as tearing  down others or not  loving  God and neighbor as our selves.

          Can you mention some of the Devil's tactics ? 

          One is to hit us at our Achilles'  Heel, where we are the weakest, such as being impatience or lustful.  But when an individual matures in his or her spiritual life and becomes aware of this tactic, then the Devil can appear as  an "an angel of light " , as something or someone good, and steers us down a bad path. 

          Can you say something about the evils of  pride , like when we are unaware of  having too much ego attached to a respectable  work  project , even when it's for a good cause ?

          I call that a kind of pride ,   the "tail of the snake ", which, when you sense its presence .  run from it!

           For those not inclined to seek out a spiritual director yet want to learn more about  all of this, can  you recommend, for example, a book ? 

          One of the best book I ever read on evil and how the Devil attempts to seduce us,   is " The Screw Tapes Letters"    by C.S. Lewis .   

          Care to say anything about demonic possession ?

[ Smiling ]  It's a topic that the public gets interested in whenever Hollywood comes out with a movie like  " The Exorcist. "  Actual incidents of demonic possession , I would say, are extremely rare. 

          Do you have a spiritual director?

          Yes, I do.

          And you  go to confession?

          I try to go two or three times a year.

            But you do sin now and then ? 

          [ With a chuckle, but still serious  ]  Of course.

          I'm not going to ask you what your sins are. 

          [ Enjoying the humor ] Nor would I tell them to you.

          Generally speaking, what sins are people confessing nowadays?

          A lot of nitty-gritty things like impatience with one's  spouse and children or impurity, such as lustful thoughts, gossiping, being judgmental towards people or having been dishonest during past confessions to a priest . No one has ever confessed a murder to me, but shoplifting—yes. As for children,  I hear things like,   " I  fought with my brother and  sister . "

          Do you see ever the faces of those making a confession ?

          Not in the confessional booth.

          Your goals as a spiritual director?

          I want people to grow in their relationship with God , to increase  in the  three theological virtues of  hope, faith and love and to be more discerning about  what their  "God moments" are  and what might be " Devil moments." As a pastor, I want  them to know what it means to be a  follower of Christ.   For myself, I want to practice every day what I believe God is inviting me to do to bring about His kingdom. 

          And  challenges !

          My biggest challenge is not to  make people into my own image and likeness, not  to impose my agenda on others. Though I have certain  ways I prefer to pray, to live out my Catholicism,  and though this or that  has  value for me, it well may not have value for that person .. That's one of the pitfalls of being a spiritual director . He needs to respect the diversity or people and their life story.

          Is this  a discipline you have learned ?

          As a matter of fact –yes.  During my four summers studying spirituality at Creighton University [ in Omaha, Nebraska  ] , I was taught, by role-playing , to be a good listener,  to  focus on the other person's "story" and not on my  personal values. 

          Other skills or talents you have ?

          I juggle, sometimes sing with the children's choir , and  play the ukulele—have been for forty years. My father had a  three-piece band in the 50's and 60's called the " Diplomats. "  He himself played the sax and clarinet and gave music lessons in our home.  He did  this to  augment his income as  a display ad salesman for the South Town Economist newspapers.          

          Anything you had to learn the hard way ?

          I learned , when instructing international students at Mundelein Seminary  , that  talking louder to a student for whom English is a second language doesn't help them to better understand. That was an awkward lesson. I also had to learn that my homilies or sermons had to reflect the background of  my audience .    

         

          What in your life  do you believe shaped you the most ?

            My parents and my mother's parents. They  came from Ireland, from County Mayo , near the national shrine of Knock .  [ Where an  apparition  of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, John the Evangelist, angels , and the Lamb of God ( Jesus )  appeared to several observers of all ages  in 1879.]  My grandparents lived across the street, and  my grandmother and  mother would walk my sister and me  to church every day. But the definitive moment in my life was being ordained.

            So, what makes you happy ?

            Being with people. My encounters with them are just fascinating.  And riding roller  coasters gives me great joy. Last summer I rode them fifty-one times  at Great America. 

            And sad?

            Dealing with   people who are sick or suffering or dying.  

            What about recreation or fun?

            For something completely different,  I like  to read murder mystery novels  by James Patterson  and solve them like Sherlock Holmes might.  .  

            Anything else ?

            I love anything chocolate,  and meatloaf, the way my mother made it.

            One last question: How would you like people to remember you ?

            As a priest who loved and cared for his people.  

THE END

Note:  A list of online  websites on Fr.

Paul can be searched  by typing in " Fr.

Paul Wachdorf. "

Beginning Nov. 3:
A Marriage Nourished  by 8 
Children  and a Steadfast
Life of Faith and Service

All comments are welcome.

rrschwarz7@wowway.com

© 2019 by Robert R. Schwarz