August 20, 2003 An Open Letter to our Brothers in the Milwaukee Presbyterate: High Bridge, NJ: On behalf of the whole CORPUS community, we applaud the courage and energy it took for you in the Milwaukee presbyterate to facilitate a call for dialogue on the issue of optional celibacy for all called to priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church.

We are grateful for the blessings that some of our brothers have found in their embrace of the discipline of priestly celibacy. We are truly grateful for the blessings that countless numbers of us have found in the gift uniting sacramental priesthood with marriage. We are grateful for the continued priesthood ministry of those who have not found clerical celibacy a gift, but at times an overwhelming burden. We are also grateful for the continued hope-filled enthusiasm of those who stand on the sidelines knowing they are called to priesthood but not celibacy.

Our Holy Father, John Paul II, wrote eloquently and lovingly about the centrality of the Eucharist to our Roman Catholic faith. Yet, for at least 500 years, as Catholic missionary activities spanned the globe, our Church has struggled with a lack of celibate vocations to support indigenous Eucharistic-based communities. According to our own Church's statistics 49%, almost half, of our faith communities around the globe do not have the availability of daily, even weekly, celebrations of the central mysteries of our faith.

These experiences, normative for centuries in Latin and South America, Africa and Asia, are finally impacting us in North America and Europe. At the same time, there stand ready for immediate service over 23,000 married priests in the United States, and over 100,000 worldwide, ready to collaborate in ministry with you, our canonical priest brothers, for the good of our people.

It is time that the lack of celibate clerical vocations is realistically addressed by all interested parties in our Church. We join our voices with yours and our brothers in the National Federation of Priests' Councils encouraging Archbishop Dolan and the Committee for Priestly Life and Ministry to begin an earnest and honest dialogue about priestly vocations.

May you continue to experience the blessing and promptings of the Spirit of Jesus in your ministry. We ask for your prayers as we work for a truly inclusive sacramental priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church.

Sincerely in Christ,

C. Russell Ditzel, High Bridge, NJ William J. Wisniewski, Ravenna, OH, Raymond A. Grosswirth,Rochester,NY Stuart F. O'Brien, Raynham, MA, Anthony T. Padovano, Parsippany, NJ, Joseph M. Cece, Little Falls, NJ, David A. Gawlik, Mequon, WI