On our way back from a short Colorado trip this year my husband and I were making our way through the Denver airport. I believe this was also the day after a Taylor Swift concert and DIA was utterly overrun with swifties, some of whom still sported their concert costumes. Blessedly, we arrived at the airport with hours to spare and the security line moved quickly. Once through we prepared to board a train to carry us to our gate and caught sight of the black clericals and white collar of a priest in the crowd. Given that we were on our way back from baptizing our niece in an incredibly reverent mass, I felt this was the perfect ending to such a holy weekend and I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. 

He was dressed much the same as all the other priests I’ve met but for two details. Around his neck hung a large beautiful golden crucifix and on his finger sat a gold ring which looked to be a seal. My husband and I were sure that this was no ordinary priest. We boarded the train and ended up standing directly in front of this holy man and I wracked my brain for some small comment of appreciation to say to him. I came up blank as I couldn’t decide how to address him without being sure of his name or position in the Church. 

As we sped toward our gate, the train rounded a bend and jostled as trains do. We’d shuffled to the middle of the car to allow others to board and now, being somewhat unanchored, I literally bumped into the man. Of course I wasted no time in making a brief but sincere apology which he graciously accepted. Again, I was left searching for more words to express my joy at having found the Church and my gratitude toward all the holy men who have chosen the priesthood. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance as he deboarded at the next gate and we continued on. 

We later found him through a quick google search and excitedly texted my parents to tell them that I had bumped into Archbishop Aquila, the Archbishop of Denver. This experience called to mind a story my sister told me about one of our priest friends visiting her and her husband in Little Italy while on a trip to Cleveland once. They’d all gone out for lunch and he’d even concelebrated mass at Holy Rosary Church there. Throughout his visit, random strangers would wave and say hello, obviously noting the priestly clericals. My sister said it was almost like being out to lunch with a celebrity. The people in Little Italy were hardly shy about showing their appreciation for the priesthood.

This is how we should treat our priests! I am by no means advocating the kind of idolatry which has become commonplace to reserve for the pop stars of society. We are not to worship false gods and it’s true that some individuals mistakenly make their way into the priesthood, but even these men have been put there for a reason, though we on earth may never know what it is. However, there is no denying that, on the whole, these are holy men, ordained by God and solely capable of acting in the person of Christ while conferring the sacraments. We ought to afford special respect to the white collar and certainly those who wear it.