CV NEWS FEED // A recently launched campaign called “thank a priest” is giving Catholics the opportunity to share stories of priests who made a positive impact on their lives.
The campaign seeks to combat negative stereotypes around the priesthood, stated the International Institute for Culture (IIC), the campaign’s organizer, noting that a recent national survey found that 25% of non-Catholics associate the Catholic priesthood with predatory behavior, and 28% consider priests untrustworthy.
“These alarming views are deeply disheartening for the many priests who serve faithfully in our communities and act as a serious deterrent to men considering this vocation,” the IIC wrote. “We know that priests are honorable, courageous, and compassionate men, dedicating their lives to serving others and upholding the beauty of the Church.”
The campaign encourages the faithful to share stories of positive impacts a priest, deacon, or religious has made on them. The IIC states that by participating, Catholics raise a “flag of virtue” — as Bishop Robert Barron described it — that spotlights virtues worth emulating and admiring.
“Your stories highlight the courage, compassion, and commitment of those who have answered God’s call,” the IIC states. “They help counter negative perceptions of the priesthood and inspire others to see the beauty of this special vocation. Together, we can celebrate these witnesses to God’s love and encourage others to follow their example.”
So far, the website has uploaded one story, the biography of Bishop Christian Carlassare of the Diocese of Bentiu, South Sudan.
Bishop Carlassare grew up in a devout Italian family and was inspired by his great-great uncle, Father Maximillian Spiller, who was a missionary in Ecuador.
The bishop hesitated to embrace his vocation during his teen years until he visited Assisi and encountered the Comboni missionaries. He entered the Comboni missionary community in 1994 and was ordained on September 4, 2004.
He began his mission work in South Sudan, one of the poorest countries in the world. In 2021, Pope Francis appointed him as Bishop of Rumbek when he was only 44 years old.
When serving as bishop of Rumbek, two gunmen attacked him in the middle of the night, breaking into his bedroom and repeatedly shooting him. All of the injuries were to his legs, and none were life-threatening.
After he received medical treatment in Nairobi and rehabilitated his legs in Italy, Bishop Carlassare returned to Rumbek.
He explained, “I clearly could not turn my back to this call … and abandon the sheep when witnessing Christ becomes demanding.”
In 2024, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Carlassare as bishop of the newly created Diocese of Bentiu.
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