His love of the priesthood sustains him

Father James Bramlage, 83, who is celebrating his 25th anniversary as chaplain of Legatus’ Cincinnati Chapter, grew up in a pious Catholic family in Dayton, Ohio. He entered the seminary for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and was ordained a priest in the historic Cathedral Basilica of Saint Peter in Chains in 1964. He served in a variety of parishes and archdiocesan administrative posts in the years following, including 20 years as cathedral pastor. At the request of his archbishop, he helped found the Cincinnati Chapter, which began meeting in 1993 and is now in its 25th year.

What is your Cincinnati Chapter like?

It is made up of about 45 couples who are exemplary Catholics. They make their faith central to their lives both at home and at work. They are wonderful examples of what devoted Catholics ought to be. It has been my pleasure to be their chaplain these past 25 years, and I always look forward to interacting with them at our Legatus events.

Why did you choose to be a priest?

I was interested in the priesthood from a young age. In high school, I leaned towards going to college to study chemistry, but the thought of the priesthood returned, and I opted instead to give the seminary a try.
It was a different world in the Church back then. The Second Vatican Council was still going on when I was ordained, and we were all curious as to what its effects were going to be on the Church.

Many of your fellow priests left active ministry in the late ’60s and early ’70s. Why did you persevere?

Yes, many did leave. I had my own struggles, but I love the priesthood and always wanted to be a priest. I was determined to work through any issues that came along.

What have you found rewarding about the priesthood?

I love parish ministry. I love being among the people. The archbishop asked me to go into archdiocesan administration for a time, which I did, although I did not expect nor relish it. It did turn out to be a great privilege to work at the chancery; however, I longed to get back into parish ministry. After seven years I was allowed to return, which pleased me very much.

What was it like serving at the cathedral?

You do the work of a typical parish, but also have the chance to do things that don’t happen at a typical parish, such as ordinations or other special archdiocesan events. As we were located downtown, I found myself working with many civic organizations that help the poor.

What advice might you offer to a newly ordained priest?

Be prepared. Being a priest is not easy. We work in a secular culture that influences the people that we serve, and I think this challenge is only going to get worse over time.

Keep up your prayer life. It will be difficult, as there are many demands on your time, but if you don’t make prayer a priority, your enthusiasm for the priesthood is going to wane. I try to maintain a daily schedule for the Divine Office. The daily liturgy and Eucharist are also sustaining things for me.
Seek out the fraternal support you need. There are fewer priests today, hence priestly fraternity is not as prevalent now as it was when I was ordained. But these connections are important.

Be patient with difficult people. They may not be at their best when you deal with them. Listen, hear what they are saying, and respond as best you can.