By Dan Horn
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The Rev. James Shappelle, of St. Bernard Church, is Cincinnati Archdiocese' oldest priest. "I'm hurt in the sense that there are all these people who want the church in their lives and not enough priests to fill the need," he says.

The Rev. Earl Fernandes, a religion teacher at Lehman High School in Sidney, Ohio, is the archdiocese's youngest priest. "The workload is significant now, but nobody said it would be light," he says. "The expectations have changed."

Interviews with two priests - one of the oldest, one of the youngest in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati - illustrate just how much the hopes, fears and expectations of Catholic priests have changed in a few generations. James Shappelle, 79, and Earl Fernandes, 31, spoke to the Enquirer on a range of topics.

On deciding to become a priest

SHAPPELLE: "I'd just turned 14 when I entered the seminary. I didn't have a whole lot of expectations or goals. The priesthood was a very respectable life for a boy to have. We admired the priests. We looked up to them."

FERNANDES: "I was 24 and in medical school, and I already had a biology degree. I had thought about the priesthood before, but not seriously. The church had helped my family so much after we emigrated from India. I felt the Lord was calling me and I thought, 'What can I do to give back?' "

On reaction of friends and family

SHAPPELLE: "Being a priest was a good thing for a young Catholic boy. It was very respected. In the neighborhood where I grew up, Father could do no wrong. There was a mystique connected to the priesthood. That's changed considerably."

FERNANDES: "My friends in medical school didn't really understand my decision. My father was supportive, but my mom was pretty concerned. She asked, 'Are you sure this is what you want? The church is changing.' It was her worry that I wouldn't be happy. Once she saw I was happy, all of a sudden she was like, 'My son the priest!' "

On the shortage of priests

SHAPPELLE: "Not many Catholics went to college when I was a kid. There are many job choices now that pay good money. Other options are more appealing. I'm very surprised and very hurt (the number of priests has fallen so much). I'm hurt in the sense that there are all these people who want the church in their lives and not enough priests to fill the need."

FERNANDES: "The workload is significant now, but nobody said it would be light. The expectations have changed. The notion of the priest as the leader of the community has changed. I'm not sure you have that same feeling now."

On the abuse scandal and the image of priests today

SHAPPELLE: "The church's mystique has been hurt. I still get a lot of respect from people, but I don't circulate in country club circles or business circles or society circles. People I know respect the priesthood. It's important."

FERNANDES: "The sex-abuse scandal has damaged credibility. One wonders sometimes what people think of us, but there's nothing I can do about that. Part of being a priest is carrying that cross, being viewed with suspicion the way Jesus was viewed with suspicion."

On celibacy

SHAPPELLE: "Optional celibacy wouldn't be the magic answer. There would be things priests wouldn't be able to do because of family commitments. But I wouldn't have any problem with it. My main point is to do what we have to do to get more priests to celebrate the Eucharist. If we don't have the Eucharist, we don't have the church."

FERNANDES: "Would you really increase the number of priests that much? A whole slew of relationship issues would come up that I'm not sure our church is ready to deal with. I would not be able to serve the way I do if I had a family. ... I have an intimate, personal relationship with the Lord. I fully embrace the gift of celibacy."

On satisfaction with work

SHAPPELLE: "People appreciate what I do. It was a good choice, and I have no regrets. I've never thought of being anything other than a priest."

FERNANDES: "Maybe priests aren't viewed in as high esteem as they were 50 years ago, but there is a need. It required a leap of faith, but I have no regrets. I'm happy to be a priest. It's a great life."