• Year opens on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart — June 19

• June 20/21 — Formal announcement from Cardinal Rigali to be read in every parish announcing the Year of the Priest to the people and inviting them to participate prayerfully.

• Veneration of the Relic of St. John Vianney, Patron of Priests
The relic will travel to all the parishes of the Archdiocese during the year.
Click respective Vicariates below for schedule:

Bucks County
Chester County
Delaware County
Montgomery County
Philadelphia North
Philadelphia South

•  A Novena of Holy Hours for Priests — Priests will pray together on
the first Friday of each month at various churches in the Archdiocese.
             
•  Celebration of the Feast of St. Peter Claver — September 9
Mass to be celebrated at the St. Peter Claver Center, 12th & Lombard Street, 7:00 pm. Celebrating the service of Priests in our Archdiocese for the African-American Catholic Community.

•  Feast of the Holy Rosary — October 7
Rosary recited in every parish and every school for priests and priestly vocations and for Cardinal Rigali on the sixth anniversary of his installation as our Archbishop.

•  Live dramatic presentations on the life of St. John Vianney,
 Curé of Ars — November 30 to December 4 — Showtime 7:30 p.m.

Dates and locations of five evening performances to date:
Monday, November 30, Saint John Bosco, Hatboro
Tuesday, December 1, Saint Cornelius, Chadds Ford
Wednesday, December 2, Saint Helena, Blue Bell
Thursday, December 3, Holy Cross, Springfield
Friday, December 4, Our Lady of Ransom, Phila.

To learn about this Drama and to see aspects of the presentation, go to www.vianneydrama.com

Plan to encourage all parishioners but especially young men to consider attending this special dramatic performance.

• Day of Sanctification for Priests — December 9, St. Charles
Seminary
Bishop Robert J. McManus, Bishop of Worcester, speaker.
Books and periodicals on priesthood and priestly spirituality will be on display.

•  John Cardinal Krol Chair, St. Charles Seminary — Lecture series on the Priesthood
I.     Men of Prayer:
       Priests and Holiness
       Msgr. Michael Magee
       Thursday, February 18, 2010

II.    Men of the Word: Priests and Scripture
       Father Patrick Brady
       Tuesday, February 23, 2010
 
III.   Men of Faith:
       Priests and Church Teaching
       Father Robert Pesarchick
       Tuesday, March 2, 2010

IV.  Men of Compassion:
       Priests and Forgiveness
       Father Dennis Billy, C.Ss.R
       Tuesday, March 23, 2010

V.   Men of Service:
       Priests and Pastoral Life
       Father Anthony J. Costa
       Tuesday, March 30, 2010

VI.  Men of Vision: Priests and Leadership
     Father David Diamond      
     Tuesday, April 6, 2010

•  Eight-week catechesis on Priesthood in the Catholic Standard and Times during Spring 2010
    Pre-Lent and Lent – 8 weeks
1. The difference and relationship between the ministerial priesthood and the baptismal priesthood
2. Why does the priest have to be a man?
3. Why is the priest celibate?
4. Spiritual fatherhood
5. Priest as preacher and teacher
6. Priest as healer and consoler: The role of the priest in sacraments of healing and as consolers in times of grief and loss
7. What is the difference between a diocesan priest and a religious priest?
8. The necessity of the priesthood and the role of all the faithful in the promotion of vocations

• Holy Thursday
Prior to Holy Thursday, every parish will receive a Sunday bulletin
announcement inviting parishioners to the Chrism Mass or to view
live streaming of the Mass on the archdiocesan web site, archphila.org

Morning Prayer in the parishes will be celebrated as a special prayer for priests and priestly vocations.
    
Special catechesis for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper will  be prepared and sent to all parishes for possible use.

• Ongoing — Interviews in the Catholic Standard & Times with priests representing various apostolates.

• Participation of our School Children
                        Daily prayer for priests
                        Letters to priests from students
                        Grade school art contest on priesthood

• Concert of Sacred Music — End of Lent

• Convocation for all Priests — May 10 - 12, 2010 — Hershey, Pa
Archbishop Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, is the keynote speaker.   

• Closing event for the Archdiocese — Solemnity of the Sacred
       Heart,  June 11, 2010 —  Holy Hour for priests and people in
       each vicariate concluding the Novena of Holy Hours,
       preceded  by 24-hour Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.      

• Pilgrimage of Priests to Rome for the closing of the
       Year of the Priest by Pope Benedict XVI — June 16 - 23, 2010

See the Archdiocesan web site at archphila.org for these events and more resources during the Year of the Priest.