09/07/2026
"The priest is not his own. He is a man who must pour himself out daily. Hope is what fills him again when he feels empty." — Venerable Fulton J. Sheen
Today, we congratulate Father Hunter LaRocca on the first anniversary of his priestly ministry. He was ordained on September 6, 2025, in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Father LaRocca serves as Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church in Sulphur.
One of the things that has surprised Father LaRocca about himself during his first year of priesthood is how the grace of Holy Orders really comes into play at the right time.
"There are days where I do not feel as if I have anything else to give, or I cannot come up with the right thing to say to someone, then all of a sudden, the Holy Spirit is there to intervene,” said Father LaRocca. "And how I know that, is because I could not have done that by my own natural abilities. Truly, the Lord is at work in those instances!"
Father LaRocca shares some highlights from his first year of Priesthood:
• Offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
• Celebrating the Sacraments, especially Confession and Anointing of the sick
• Serving as Chaplain to Our Lady's Catholic School
• Witnessing the effect that the Priesthood has in the lives of the people he serves
"There is no place else in the world I would want to be a priest than in my own home of Southwest Louisiana!"
PRAYER FOR PRIESTS
Gracious and loving God, we thank your for the gift of our priests. Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments.
Help our priests to be strong in their vocation. Set their souls on fire with love for your people. Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
Inspire our priests with the vision of your Kingdom. Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel. Allow them to experience joy in their ministry. Help them to become instruments of your divine grace.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest. Amen.
