Detroit -- In honor of Priesthood Sunday on Oct. 31 -- a day designated to celebrate the gift of the priesthood in the United States -- The Michigan Catholic during October solicited letters from readers about the priests in their lives.

After several pages of such letters were published in the newspaper’s Oct. 22 issue, The Michigan Catholic kept receiving more letters in praise of local priests.

Here is your second installment of “priest praise” letters.

Fr. Lesniac of St. Alphonsus Parish is a wonderful priest whom we have been blessed to know and become almost like a family member. My mother, who is 87 years old, is not of good health and recently had a stroke. Fr. Lesniac has visited her regularly and blessed her and brought much joy to her and our whole family. Whenever he would greet her, her face would light up with a huge smile and her day would be a happy one. The love of God echoes from his being and those around him can feel God’s presence. He especially has a place in his heart for the elderly at St. Alphonsus. He has made the church easier for them to enter with walkers or wheelchairs and actively participates in the senior meetings and activities. Thank you Fr. Lesniak for all your kindness and prayers and love you show for others.

-- Darlene Jasinski of St. Alphonsus Parish, Dearborn

When my father was dying seven years ago, I began attending Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish at 6:30 a.m. Little did I know that I was walking into a devoted group of people and we became a close-knit family. The priest who said the Mass – Fr. Kevin O’Brien – was a retired preist who came to the chapel every morning to be there for us. Fr. Kevin is the master of the three-minute homily, as he knows most of us are on our way to work. But his homilies are always well-told and to the point of Christ and His love for us.

In the seven years I have been there, many people have come and gone and some have left us to receive their reward – but Fr. Kevin has been there for all of us.

He is now in his 80s and is having trouble moving around and is going to have to give up saying Mass for us. He has touched so many of our lives and has always let us start our day with Holy Mass and his wonderful homilies. We are all truly blessed to have had him in our lives every morning for all these years.

We love you and wish you good health for the rest of your days, Fr. Kevin. You are truly one of the Lord’s devoted and have been a good shepherd for all of us at 6:30 Mass.

-- Bill Fedelem

So everyone sits down and Fr. Phil Ching starts his homily:

“If you could ask God for anything, I mean anything, what would it be?”

And then my seven-year-old’s hand springs up.

And Father chooses my son, Billy.

“An X-Box.”

As a parent of two kids in a Catholic school, and a parent who has 12 years of Catholic school education, my first instinct could have been, “Really? Where’s the Catholic angle on that?” But instead, I found myself really overjoyed that my son was actively participating in the Mass. He was engaged and thinking.

Fr. Phil is a true blessing in our family and our parish. He is current. He is funny. He loves the kids and he is present around the school and church. Even when it is not his turn to say Mass on Sunday, we usually find him available after Mass in the social hall. My kids approach him and discuss things with him.

In the Oct. 22 issue of The Michigan Catholic, there is a beautiful photo of Fr. Phil on page 15C. He mentions in the issue that “priestly life is about dying to oneself for a God whose love is greater than anything we can imagine.” He lives that life at St. Lawrence School in Utica, and we are so blessed.

-- Patricia Boulus of St. Lawrence Parish, Utica

If you want to meet Jesus face-to-vace, come and meet our Fr. Mike Verschaeve, pastor of St. Joseph Church in Lake Orion. We have 3,000 families registered and about 400 children in our school system. Fr. Mike shepherds us all. He actively participates in all church and school functions. If the school’s team wins, he rejoices with them. If they lose, he consoles them. He even mentions the scores at Sunday Mass.

Fr. Mike is always there to oversee church activities. He stops by at senior coffee, Bible study, knitters group, school rallies. He visits the sick in the hospitals, celebrates Mass at the retirement village and nursing home. Fr. Mike even went half-way across Michigan to visit a former parishioner in jail. He plants flowers at the monastery, and checks the homeless groups and sees how they’re doing in the home improvement project.

When Fr. Mike had an emergency in his family up north, he drove all night to be the celebrant at 7:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, because on the short notice no one could take his place.

His super-excellent homilies include both readings and the Gospel and relates them to our problems, family troubles, unemployment, teens, etc. And yet he manages to say a cheery send-off after Mass. Yes, Fr. Mike is our Super Hero. We love him.

-- Anonymous