For those who are wondering what his eight stages are:
Trust vs. mistrust (ages 0-2)
Autonomy vs. shame and doubt (ages 2-4)
Initiative vs. guilt (ages 4-5)
Industry vs. inferiority (ages 5-12)
Identity vs. role confusion (ages 13-19)
Intimacy vs. isolation (ages 20-24)
Generativity vs. stagnation (ages 24-64)
Ego integrity vs. despair (ages 64-death)
As with all such stage/development constructs, the passages from one to another are fluid, and overlap. The ages for any stage depend on the person. Like Lawrence Kohlberg's six stages of moral development, one can not only go forward, but occasionally backward.
Though I've been in Erikson's stage 7 by my age for many moons, this summer I'm particularly feeling both my age, and the possibility of generativity. The diocese and our bishop graciously gave to me and to our four parishes this summer two seminarian interns.
Chris Mannerino is heading into his third year at St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore. His home parish is St. Cecelia, Rochester. He was with me last summer as an intern, working in both St. Vitus and St. Vincent de Paul parishes, and living in the same rectory with me at St. Vincent de Paul, in the Mahoningtown neighborhood of New Castle. He and I got along well, I think, and he told me that his ten weeks in the parish helped him to integrate his previous three years of seminary academics, with the pastoral work of a parish priest. I was glad to welcome him back, and he felt good returning to New Castle for the summer, feeling more comfortable having gotten to know a few parishioners in both parishes.
Zach Galiyas is studying at St. Vincent Seminary, Latrobe. He hails from Montour, and is a parishioner at St. Malachy Parish in Kennedy Township. This is Zach's first year with me.
Both sems are doing the typical pastoral work of summer: assisting in Vacation Bible School, attending daily Masses and Sunday Masses, lectoring and serving, visiting the sick at Jameson Hospital and local nursing homes, and leading committal services at the cemetery and funeral blessing services in the local funeral homes. I've had them attend a Pastoral Council and Finance Council meeting, and each offers a weekly "reflection" at a daily Mass, to allow them to learn the ropes of preaching. They sit with us three priests when we have our weekly Tuesday lunch and business meeting, as well as other shared meals during the week. They are experiencing what it is like for priests to serve multiple parishes in a collaborative process.
Chris and Zach are the fifth and sixth seminarians I've worked with as a pastoral supervisor and pastor. It is definitely a privilege to serve in this role, and to know the confidence that the diocesan officials and bishop place in me, as pastor, and in our parishes to host them.
This is where both age and generativity come into play. I meet with the two of the each week, both together, and individually. Each of them set up four goals for the summer, so we review how they are moving to fulfill these goals. We talk about their ministry, their living together in the rectory, and anything else they want to talk about. We are also walking our way through a book, Living Celibacy, by Gerdenio Sonny Manuel, S.J., a priest and psychologist.
Listening to their tales of doing ministry and seeing their enthusiasm to do ministry, and to move toward priestly ministry, is touching. It also makes me feel old! They talk about their first sermons, recent experiences visiting the sick, and their feelings and difficulties about integrating the actions of ministry with the contemplation of prayer. I talk about working for Bishops Bevilacqua, Wuerl, Bradley and Zubik. They pray to St. Pope John Paul II. My classmates and I were ordained before he was elected bishop of Rome. They easily handle smart phones and texting. I remember the novelty of a fax machine, and the days of finding a phone booth to make a phone call. Their goal in life is to be a diocesan priest in a parish. I share experiences of serving in parishes and diocesan offices, and attending (and occasionally speaking at) national meetings for Catholic social ministry and Catholic healthcare. Biologically I am old enough to be their father. There are moments in our conversations when I feel like I'm talking about attending the Council of Trent in the 16th century, not participating in the recent events of the Diocese of Pittsburgh in the 20th and 21st centuries.
But I do feel that I can contribute a small part in their formation. I share stories of my successes and failures. I try to express not only the "what" of ministry, but also the "why," the "how" and the "who" of ministry. This is the generativity of my age and experience. I bring more than three decades of priestly ministry to our discussions, and memories of other priests and teachers who treated me with respect even though I was at one time wet behind the ears. Working with these young men as both a mentor and a brother is invigorating, and builds my confidence that what I have learned can be shared and passed on.
My two associates, Father Bill Siple and Father Nick Vaskov, also interact with Zach and Chris, and offer their own experiences and personalities to this summer internship. So do parishioners and staff members from all four of our parishes.
I hope that Chris and Zach have good internships this summer in New Castle. I am looking forward with hope (God willing!) that they will be ordained deacons in the spring of 2014, and priests in the spring of 2015. And I am grateful to serve the church as a mentor and almost senior priest.
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