On the Feb. 5 episode of the “Practicing Catholic” radio show, Sister Esther Mary Nickel of the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Michigan, describes the priesthood as it applies to both the ordained and the baptized. Her remarks are a preview of her Feb. 9 presentation in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Faith and Culture Series. She is the series’ fourth and final speaker.
Sister Esther Mary Nickel
Sister Nickel assists in evangelization to rural communities in the Diocese of Saginaw, Michigan, is the director of the Office of Christian Worship for the Archdiocese of Detroit and assists with faith formation at the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption in Saginaw.
On a Jan. 15 episode of “Practicing Catholic” that focused on the Faith and Culture Series, Archbishop Bernard Hebda said Sister Nickel is particularly well versed “on this question of the priesthood and … how it is that the laity and the ordained priests are able to carry forth the mission of the Church.” In addition to her work with seminarians at St. John Vianney Seminary in Denver, he praised her expertise in liturgy.
Sister Nickel told “Practicing Catholic” host Patrick Conley that speaking about the priesthood is a privilege because “we’re talking about the priesthood, the priesthood of those who are baptized and the priesthood of those who are called in a particular way to serve us by their vocation to the ordained ministerial priesthood.
“So what we need to begin with … is that all of us are made in the image and likeness of God, and all of us recognize our limitations and our needs to be redeemed, that God was so kind and generous to send us his son, Jesus, so that we could participate in his life,” she said.
God did so, she said, by also recognizing that he was a priest, prophet and king for each of us. “And so we’re baptized into his life.”
Sister Nickel sees differences and similarities in the priesthood of the baptized and of the ordained priesthood. “Without the ordained priesthood, we would not be able to participate in this wondrous gift of the offering of the holy sacrifice of the Mass. So, when we engage and when we’re attentive, we receive the graces as if we were standing with the Lord as he breathed his last, this great act of mercy for our salvation.”
To hear more of Sister Nickel’s discussion of the priesthood, tune in to the radio show at 9 p.m. Feb. 5 at Relevant Radio 1330 AM. Or use one of the links below. And find the Faith and Culture Series at archspm.org/synod.
“Practicing Catholic” is produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Other guest interviews on the Feb. 5 “Practicing Catholic” show are Dianne Johnson, who discusses the World Day of the Sick Mass, and Susanna Spencer who describes a new Lenten devotional from Blessed Is She.
Listen to their interviews after they have aired:
soundcloud.com/practicingcatholic
Practicing Catholic on Spotify
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