AUBURN - Edison Tayag, who served his pastoral year of seminary at St. Mary's Church in Auburn last year, celebrated his first Mass Sunday, July 6, in that same church as the newest priest in the Diocese of Rochester. He was ordained by Bishop Matthew H. Clark June 28 in the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Rochester.

With the shortage of priests in the United States, the Catholic priesthood has taken a very multicultural approach to filling its vocational vacancies by recruiting priests from other countries. Even Auburn must recruit. Tayag is from the Philippines, but his first assignment will be at St. Mary's Church in Canandaigua, after which he will finish his theological training at Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy.

Tayag processed into the sanctuary of St. Mary's Church, following behind five altar servers and accompanied by the Rev. Frank Lioi, pastor of St. Mary's, and the Rev. John Coffie, his Parochial Vicar. After taking his position on the altar, Tayag's first words to the congregation were the invocation of a blessing: “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

When he gave his homily, Tayag talked about how children are often asked what they want to be when they grow up. Then he wondered how Jesus might have answered it. Perhaps he would have said, “I want to be the bread of Life,” Tayag posed.

If Tayag had been asked that question, he would not have said he wanted to be a priest.

“Having worked as a physical therapist for almost 10 years,” Tayag said in an e-mail interview, “I thought I was set for life.”

His life changed direction in 2001 after he was invited to attend “24 Hours with the Lord,” a retreat for men considering a priesthood vocation. The retreat included attending an ordination service at the cathedral in Rochester.

“The sense of being called to the priesthood came to me so strongly that I felt impelled to respond to it,” Tayag recalled. “I simply responded with, 'God, take over.' It is hard to explain why I became a priest. The call is an awareness of God's personal love for me; a frightening and fascinating reality. After experiencing such love, I cannot help but surrender to it and abandon myself to God, as a response.”

As he prayed for God to confirm his calling and to direct his life, Tayag said, “During the seven years, I received affirmation and encouragement form the people that I have encountered in the seminary, in the university, in the parish assignments and my family and friends. Their affirmations and encouragement served to continue to serve as sure signs that I am on the right path.”

Unknown to Tayag, the parishioners of St. Mary's Church had taken up a collection to help pay for a plane ticket so his mother would be able to come to Rochester for the ordination service. She was ill, and was not able to make the trip. Before dismissing the congregation, Father Frank Lioi presented Tayag with a check for $1,900.

“Thank you for your hospitality and generosity,” Tayag said. Since he could not use the money to bring his mother to America, he said he would use it to help other men attend “24 Hours with the Lord” retreats.

After the Mass at St. Mary's, a reception was held for Tayag in the church hall in the basement. Being the Fourth of July weekend, a red, white and blue decorated cake was on a table. On it was written “Congratulations Father Edison Tayag. Ordained June 28, 2008.” A line of parishioners formed waiting to talk to Tayag and to receive individual blessings from him.