St. Mary's Church in Auburn has a new priest, but he is a long way from home. The Rev. John Coffie is from Ghana, about 5,000 miles from central New York.

Coffie has only been in the United States since November 2007. Although he did not know where his vocation would take him, he never had any doubt what he wanted to do with his life.

“From my infancy I knew I wanted to be a priest,” he said. “I was an altar server as a young boy. When I was 10, I was involved with the youth apostlates. My father wanted me to get married and perpetuate the family, but my mom liked the idea.”

A few years later, a priestly ordination was held at the Cathedral of St. Thomas in Ghana, and Coffie was an altar server. His father was in the congregation, and when he saw the service and his son's role in it, he started crying.

“After the service,” Coffie began, “he asked me if I still wanted to be priest, and I told him I still had the desire. And then he gave me his blessing, and he knew that was where I belonged.”

According to Coffie, “The church is very active in Ghana. There are many young people there who want to become priests.” That situation is not the same here in the United States. Approximately 300,000 Catholics live within the 12-county area of the Diocese of Rochester, which includes Cayuga County. Fewer than 150 priests actively serve at church Masses or administer the sacraments to their congregation.

Within the past few years about 50 priests from the religious orders and an additional 30 priests have come from other parts of the world, such as Poland, Lithuania and Africa. Even with this extra support, estimates predict that within the next 20 years there will may be fewer than 75 priests to serve in the Diocese of Rochester.

Becoming a priest is not for just anyone. The first step toward priesthood involves an introductory

period called discernment. Here the candidate meets other men considering the same vocation while studying pre-theology for two years. Then the men enter the seminary, where they will pursue four more years of study followed by one year working in the diocese. Before being ordained as a priest, the seminarian becomes a Transitional Deacon and makes an initial vow of celibacy and obedience to the bishop.

Looking back to his own training and ordination, Coffie says, “My bishop used to say the church is universal. The church in the United States has been helping missions for years. If they now have a need, we will help them. I'll go wherever there is a need.”

Coffie will be serving in the Diocese of Rochester for two years.

Another priest from the same home diocese as Coffie is the Rev. Peter Enyan-Boadu, who is the pastor of Nativity Church in Brockport. Three other priests from the region of Obuasi in Ghana are serving in the Diocese of Syracuse.

Coincidentally, the members of St. Mary's have been saving coins as part of

a Lenten Project to raise money for the HIV/AIDS orphans in Obuasi. Donations to this fund may be made by contacting the church office at 252-9545.

For anyone interested in learning more about priesthood or other vocations,

the Diocese of Rochester recommends talking to parish priests, youth ministers, contacting Carol Dady, coordinator of Vocations Awareness at (585) 461-2890, or visiting dor.org.