by Moira Cullings
moira.cullings@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The call to the priesthood might be best illustrated by Caravaggio’s “The Calling of Saint Matthew,” suggested Father Dan Morris.
“In that painting, there’s Jesus pointing to Matthew, but then there’s Peter also trying to point like Jesus,” he said.
“Imperfectly so, every call comes through Jesus Christ and his church — not just Jesus personally to the individual,” he added.
Since 2018, Father Morris has discovered and fostered vocations in the archdiocese as its director of vocations. He’s now moving on from the role.
In May, Father Morris was appointed by Archbishop Shawn McKnight to serve as associate pastor at Most Pure Heart of Mary Parish in Topeka. He will continue his role as director of seminarians.
Passing the torch
Taking his place is Father Timothy Skoch, who never expected to be involved in vocation work.
But he believes the past three years of his own priesthood will serve him well in the role.
“I know what the priesthood has done for my life,” said Father Skoch. “I feel like I’m doing what God has called me to do. I’m fulfilling my purpose in life, and I’m happy.
“And so, if I can help other men find their purpose in life and be relatively happy on this side — and perpetually happy in eternity — that’s great work.”
‘Everyone has a vocation’
Father Skoch was ordained a priest in 2023 and since that year has served as associate pastor at St. Patrick Parish and chaplain of Bishop Ward High School, both in Kansas City, Kansas.
He will continue his role as chaplain, have an office at the chancery in Kansas City, Kansas, and will also provide part-time sacramental assistance to the St. Lawrence Center at the University of Kansas in Lawrence.
Father Skoch was initially appointed as assistant director of vocations in January. Now, he’ll be tasked with seeking out and fostering vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
He looks forward to continuing and expanding the work of Father Morris with Archbishop McKnight’s vision in mind.
“My vision for vocations aligns with Archbishop McKnight’s vision for vocations — that they’re in parishes and that everyone has a vocation,” said Father Skoch.
“Everyone is called by God for a special task, and that’ll be found when our parishes are centers of charity,” he added.
Opportunities abound
Father Morris left Father Skoch with multiple avenues to find and foster vocations to the priesthood.
“I wanted to cast the net wider from the get-go,” said Father Morris.
“I developed, with the help of others, a stairstep approach to entry-level vocation office events that were non-threatening,” he said.
That meant events that didn’t make attendees feel pressured into a religious vocation.
Two father-son opportunities are the Master’s Cup — an annual event that includes nine holes of golf, a barbecue meal and a talk by a guest speaker — and a pilgrimage to Father Emil Kapaun’s hometown of Wichita.
Another event is Kenrick-Glennon Days, where high school upperclassmen serve as counselors and sixth through ninth grade boys attend a week of summer camp at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis.
Father Morris has also continued what was in place before him, like the Compass discernment group for boys who are homeschooled and Project Andrew, which was typically a day where the vocations director and seminarians shared their vocation stories.
Under Father Morris, it grew into an experience for eighth grade through high school boys to hear a presentation on what it means to be a man, including calls as a husband and father.
He also lowered the age for the Quo Vadis disceernment retreat, which grew in attendance from 20-30 a year to 91 last year.
“He’s put in so much work,” said Father Skoch, “and it’ll bear fruit as long as I show up and do my part.”
Father Skoch sees even greater opportunities to reach young men through parish life.
“There is a huge opportunity to spend more time in the parishes and to do more vocation witnesses or vocation talks,” he said, “because a vocation happens in the family, and families make up our parishes.
“So, vocations are in the parishes — not just in our high schools, not just at the campus centers — but at our parishes.”
Looking ahead
Father Morris and Father Skoch want young men and women to know that reaching out to the vocations office does not result in unwanted pressure.
“What we have interest in is you coming to know what Jesus is calling you to be and then following that,” said Father Morris. “We want to help you in your relationship with Jesus.
“By reaching out to us, you don’t have to worry that we’re going to be a biased accompanier of your vocation in a way that we want you to be a priest [or religious].”
As Father Skoch takes on his new work, he recalled what Archbishop Emeritus Joseph F. Naumann always said — that one of the best things he did as a bishop was ordaining a man to the priesthood.
“And if I can play a role in that in this era of the church in northeast Kansas, then that’s the greatest work that I could be doing for a bishop — helping him find men to ordain to the priesthood,” said Father Skoch.
