“We Are Fulfilled”
A copy of the 1982 U.S. Bishops’ statement, “Fulfilled in Your Hearing,” which inspired the poem.
Fulfilled in your…
ordained ministerial priesthood,
leadership, responsibility and support,
gathering those whom the Lord has called,
giving expression to the unity that is already present.
Fulfilled in your…
pastoral care of the people of God,
understanding of the human condition,
pastoral skills and academic knowledge,
speaking to people about faith and life.
Fulfilled in your…
preaching commitment to the Church,
effective proclamation of the Gospel,
celebrating the power of God’s Word,
believers witness to the presence and Word of Jesus in the world.
Fulfilled in your…
devoted preparation of the Sunday homily,
becoming a living Word for us and for others,
and relevant interpretation of scriptural texts,
to rediscover the truth of it again and again in our lives.
Fulfilled in your…
carrying out this ministry:
worship, witness and work,
celebration of the Church’s sacraments,
the practice of words and actions.
Fulfilled in your…
inner conversion of heart,
sign of God’s saving presence among his people,
prayerful dwelling,
readiness for praise and thanksgiving,
fuller, richer and deeper levels of faith.
Note: In thanksgiving for all the priests of St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minn., this erasure poem was written for Clergy Appreciation Day on Oct. 11, 2026. It uses text from the U.S. bishops’ 1982 official statement on the homily, “Fulfilled in Your Hearing: The Homily in the Sunday Assembly,” of which our own Fr. William Skudlarek, OSB, was the principal writer.
