Diocesan priest studying moral theology in Rome

By Andrew Junker, The Catholic Sun
December 21, 2006

ROME — When Fr. John Ehrich walks out his front door after morning prayer and daily Mass, the sights and sounds that occupy any large city greet him.

Men and women hustle to work in cars and buses. Students chat as they slowly move toward their schools. And people gulp down strong coffee in the many small cafes dotting the street.

Only few steps away, thousands of tourists throw pennies into the Trevi Fountain.

Fr. Ehrich is a long way from his Phoenix home.

The priest is studying in Rome for a doctorate in moral theology with an emphasis in bioethics from the Accademia Alfonsiana, which is part of the Pontifical Lateran University.

Once he graduates in June, he will return to the Phoenix Diocese ready to assist the Church in whichever way Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted sees fit.

“The whole reason that I am receiving this degree is to be a resource to the diocese,” Fr. Ehrich said, “in whatever way I can offer my assistance to help people understand end-of-life issues, beginning-of-life issues … anything I can do.”

The bishop said that having a priest well versed in bioethics will be a great help to the local Church, since few issues are “more difficult and important than ones related to medicine and health care.”

Studying in Rome

Though Fr. Ehrich’s time in Rome might fill anyone with a sense of wanderlust, he was quick to point out that it’s not a total walk in the park.

“I know that a lot of times people think that it’s just a lot of travel or it’s an easier life, and in some ways it is easier than pastoral ministry in that the demands are not as constant,” he said.

“At the same time, it is difficult to be away from home. As a priest, it is difficult to be away from parish ministries,” he added. “It’s a challenge.”

Another challenge for a stranger in a strange land is the language barrier. All of Fr. Ehrich’s classes are conducted in Italian. He also had to learn Latin and Greek so he could read source material in its original language.

Learning Italian, which has replaced Latin as the Church’s lingua franca, has allowed Fr. Ehrich to gain a better understanding of the Universal Church.

“It’s an incredible opportunity to be able to go to school with people from all over the world, from every continent, and be able to communicate with them,” he said.

His classes meet only once a week, which leaves Fr. Ehrich plenty of free time — free time to work.

“I’m writing a thesis and I’m preparing for comprehensive exams, so there’s a lot of reading, preparation and writing, and that’s not even counting the classes I’m taking,” he said.

Even so, Fr. Ehrich said that he has found a little time to travel in the two years he’s been abroad, mainly to Austria and Germany.

Bringing Rome home

“Studying in Rome is more than just about the quality of education,” Fr. Ehrich said. “It’s also about the experience.”

Bishop Olmsted, who lived and worked in Rome for 12 years, agreed that living so close to the heart of the Church has a profound impact on a priest.

“To be in the same city where the Successor Peter lives and carries out his ministry of service to the Church deepens one’s appreciation of the mission of the pope in the Church today,” the bishop said.

Fr. Ehrich is certain that his experience in Rome will deepen his pastoral ministry when he returns to the Valley.

“We’re in a state that has a need for people who are not afraid to see the Church in a larger scope,” he said, noting the multi-cultural makeup of the Diocese of Phoenix.

“We need to not be afraid of other expressions of Catholicism that are legitimate and of people from other countries, to not be afraid of language barriers,” he added.

His greatest memory thus far was being able to pray the rosary in St. Peter’s Square with Pope Benedict XVI on the eve of the anniversary John Paul II’s death.

Fr. Ehrich stood in front of the Pantheon, a temple to all the gods of ancient Rome, built in 125 A.D.

The Church consecrated and renamed the temple St. Mary and all the Martyr Saints in the early seventh century. Mass is still celebrated there every day as it stands as a testament to the history and future of the Church.

“This has affected my priesthood,” the young priest said. “Having time to grow in knowledge and experience is something that you just can’t teach.”