One of the largest Catholic dioceses in Ireland, the Diocese of Killaloe, has announced a year-long initiative to encourage men to consider joining the priesthood.
 
A multimedia promotional campaign across counties Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, Offaly and Laois is underway, and visits to parishes across the Diocese of Killaloe commence this coming weekend in Ennis, followed by visits to Nenagh, Birr and Castleconnell next month.
 
With just over half of the 58 parishes in the diocese currently served by a resident priest, Vocations Director Father Iggy McCormack says there is hope the three vocations recorded in the Diocese of Killaloe during the past 12 months can be built upon during this national ‘Year for Vocations to the Diocesan Priesthood’, which runs until Good Shepherd Sunday in April 2024.
 
Father McCormack said, “Geographically, we are the third largest diocese in the country and is it has become increasingly difficult to maintain full cover across the five counties due to retirements and a lower number of vocations.  The idea of young men taking up a vocation has arguably become more countercultural in recent years, but we are very hopeful that we can build on recent progress whereby three men from the Diocese will enter the seminary at Maynooth over the next 12 months.”
 
Father McCormack, who also is Principal of Saint Flannan’s College in Ennis, said the vocations initiative will encourage people to discover more about vocations on the diocesan website, while the parish church visits are aimed at kickstarting conversations within family groups, with local priests and in communities across the diocese on the vocation of priesthood.
 
Father McCormack, continued, “I am encouraging any man who has been considering a vocation and is exploring their calling to make contact today with the Vocations Office or to speak with their local priest. Most newly ordained priests will comment on how the encouragement and counsel they received from their local priest greatly assisted in commencing their journey to priestly ministry.”
 
Ennis native Mark Nestor, a former secondary school teacher and Clare County Councillor, entered the National Seminary at Saint Patrick's College, Maynooth, last week having spent the past year at the Royal English College of Saint Alban in Valladolid, Spain.
 
Mark said, "Answering yes to my vocation to priesthood has resulted in a great sense of contentment in my life.  The support I have received from family, friends and the Diocese of Killaloe over the last two years has been phenomenal.  I would encourage anyone who feels they have a vocation to priesthood to reach out and talk about their vocation."

Homily of Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan preached during the Ordination Mass for Rev Mark O’Farrell


This day two weeks ago I was in Lisbon for the World Youth Day.  There are several others who are in the congregation today who were there, and may I offer huge thanks to our youth ministry officer Nodlaig Lills and Sister Kathry Press for all their work in guiding this wonderful  pilgrimage.
 
World Youth Day is an extraordinary phenomenon.  It is worth asking why so many come.  What is it that draws them draws us all?  In the end it can only be Christ.  After the ceremony I climbed up to the top of the stage where the altar was, the Holy Father had left so there was no issue with security.  I wanted to get a glimpse of the vast crowd estimated at 1.5 million, maybe as much as close to two million.  Young people don’t usually go where they don’t want to go.  So why do 1.5 million young people go to a pilgrimage such as WYD?
 
The Church the Faith is alive!  It was great to see the Irish flag flying among those of every nation in the world.  The great inspiration of Pope Saint John Paul II to officially launch WYD in 1986 has been continued on by the late Pope Benedict XVI, and continues with the Holy Father Pope Francis.  A spirit, the same spirit that inspired Pope John XXIII to go out, to let the air in, to do new things.
 
A friend said to me recently speaking about the Church today: “We are no longer in Christendom. We are in a missionary era.”  I have been thinking of those words a lot.
 
We can see pockets of great love of God and His Church all around us but we can see that, generally speaking, in social, cultural and political worlds, God is excluded.  Sometimes this is explicitly so, and these secular worlds often promote values that are clearly contrary to the plan of God for the human person, for marriage, for family and for society.
 
We have to go out now.  And so our pastoral plan is titled ‘Go make disciples’.
 
This universal Synod, which has been initiated by Pope Francis, is necessary at this time - not to take on board the values of modern culture with its deep-seated individualism and solely earthly viewpoint, which, in the end, always leads, as Pope Francis writes, to disappointment and lack of fulfilment - rather the Synod is driven by the Holy Spirit to see, listen and accept the timeless wisdom and truth of Christ speaking to the hearts of us today in words we can understand: to heal the hearts of modern man and woman, that is all of us.  To be clear, we are all in need!
 
Christ has come to build not walls, but bridges.
 
In Lisbon Pope Francis reflected on the urgency of taking up again “the prayer of adoration” before the tabernacle to recover “the taste and passion for evangelization”.  To do new things, to go out and seek the lost and that can include all of us.
 
In prayer Pope Francis says the temptation to carry out a pastoral ministry of nostalgia and complaining is to be overcome.  So we are not going to try to live in the past or complain about what is going wrong or clericalise the laity.  Pope Francis stressed that clericalism is ‘one of the most serious evils that can happen to the Church’ and, consequently, ruin it.  ‘But we must try with God’s grace to make the Gospel understandable to the people of today, even when doing so we may run the risk of a storm,’ he said.
 
‘Be fishers of men,’ Pope Francis continued, ‘Don’t be afraid.  It’s announcing the Gospel which draws forth a response.  Therefore, fishing for people and pulling them out of the water means helping them to get out of the abyss where they had sunk, saving them from the evil that threatens to drown them, resuscitating them from all forms of death. But this without proselytizing, but with love,’ he added.  Pope Francis said that the ‘Gospel, in fact, is an announcement of life in the sea of death; it is an announcement of freedom in the whirlwinds of slavery, of light in the abyss of darkness.  We, as the Church, have been entrusted with the task of immersing ourselves in the waters of this sea, casting the net of the Gospel, without pointing fingers, without accusing, but bringing to the people of our time a proposal for life, that of Jesus: to bring the welcome of the Gospel, to invite them to the celebration,’ he concluded.
 
In Ireland, during this year for vocations to the diocesan priesthood, we are encouraged to:
Take the Risk for Christ
To build up His Kingdom, a Kingdom of justice and integrity, where humanity finds salvation because we are all sinners.
 
And so I turn to you Mark and say: this is your task to join with your brother priests, deacons and people to build up God’s Kingdom today.  And of course to do so with joy!
 
God gives gifts.  And never takes them back.  God gives you today the gift of ordination to the priesthood, through His Church:
To show mercy to all mankind
To link heaven and earth
To fish with Jesus Christ
 
Not to preserve the past but, rather, to allow Christ to enter in, to step into our boat and cast the net again for the people of today.  May you have an eagerness to walk with Christ.
 
To have something of the courage and missionary desire of Saint Paul, as we read today in the second reading, who was sent to the non-believers as their apostle.  Not to give up but to have the faith and perseverance of the great woman in the Gospel today.  She wins through by her persistence.  Persevere in prayer each day, especially in Adoration.  And faithfulness, which will mean suffering in the ups and downs of priestly life as it does in the life of every person.  But knowing always that you are carrying Jesus with you.  May you serve the Lord with an undivided heart.  Not making up your own values but taking on His, more and more each day.  Because Life is all about Him.
 
In the words of Pope Francis in his letter to us for the Year of Vocation to the Diocesan Priesthood, ‘Take the Risk for Christ’, Renew your trust in God.  Who will help you to accompany your people.  The One who has chosen you will be with you, now and for ever more.
 
I finish with some words of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux whose feast day is today: and we pray this most especially for you Mark: ‘O Blessed Mary, whoever loves you honours God; whoever serves you pleases God; whoever invokes your holy name with a pure heart will infallibly receive the object of his petition.’  Amen.

(Source: Irish Bishops' Conference)

Source: https://vocationministry.com/

Homily of Bishop Denis Nulty for Mass at the Youth 2000 Summer Festival in Clongowes Wood College SJ


Matthew’s gospel text offers us a heart wrenching story of the dad and his very disturbed son. It’s a story of love at its very best. The more disturbed a child is, the more a parent will try to help. Sometimes that help can be rejected, but it only makes the parent try even harder. I imagine the man in the gospel was worn out trying to get help for his son. The heart-rending story provides an opportunity to give a lesson on the importance of faith.
 
We are in the middle of a year especially dedicated to the promotion of vocations to the diocesan priesthood. Vocations will only come within a context and environment of faith. Our synod reflections across every diocese pointed to lacunae in the faith formation of many, this is something we must prioritise. Only in an environment of faith will a vocation stir and grow. That’s why Youth Festivals like these days so much encourage the conversation of faith and perhaps an awareness of a deeper vocational call.  
 
Earlier this month on 4 August, the Feast of Saint John Vianney, it coincided with the tenth anniversary of my Episcopal Ordination. Those ten years pass by like a blink of the eye. Being a Bishop is a privilege but a daunting one to be sent to a part of the country I wasn’t familiar with, to a presbyterate I didn’t really know and into a role and a calling I was unsure of. But God’s grace is always there. Being a Bishop doesn’t carry with it a "job spec", or description. I continue to try to be that priest I was in Mullingar, currently host to the Fleadh Cheoil, where I enjoyed my first appointment 35 years ago. The greatest gift of a priest, any priest and that includes a Bishop is to be, present with people, in the great word of Pope Francis “accompanying” people in their joys and struggles.
 
The theme for this special year of vocations promotion is “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you” with the tag line ‘Take the Risk for Christ’. I took that risk in 1981, when I commenced seminary formation in Maynooth. I affirmed it in 1988 when I was ordained a priest in Saint Patrick’s Church, Slane, by Bishop Michael Smith. It was 12 June 1988, the day remembered more for Ireland beating England in Stuggart! Taking a Risk for Christ is putting ourselves up front and out centre as the hands and feet of Christ working alongside wonderful lay people, for whom their faith remains very important to them.
 
I absolutely accept that the culture today is not near as conducive or receptive to religious vocations as in the past. That’s where faith and evangelisation come in. The text from Deuteronomy this morning while offering the Jewish confession of faith gives us the parameters of what we need to teach in faith. Sadly there are less going to Sunday Mass, the pandemic has done a huge disservice to public worship and for some it has simply slipped even innocently off their radar. Golf, hill-walking, football, sea-swimming are consuming our Sunday mornings. At the recent World Youth Day in Lisbon, just a week ago, Pope Francis charged you as young people to invite your friends back to Church. Many of you were in Lisbon and heard those words! So let’s become missionaries to our peers, even to our families!
 
The decline in the interest of things spiritual accompanied by sickening reports and enquires where the abuse of the young and vulnerable was uncovered has rightly so angered many, including our very good priests. Religion is not at the centre of society, we have been relegated to the side-lines but the voice of Church is still important and must be heard today. We need priests. And I need them very much in my diocese of Kildare & Leighlin - and in all dioceses.
 
My message today if you are a parent or grandparent, a youth leader, a friend or a sibling and a young man confides in you, encourage them. If you think someone would make a good priest one day, hold them in your prayers and gently invite them to consider priesthood.
 
My message to the Leaving Certs as you await exam results on 25 August next, I am inviting you to seriously consider is God calling you to serve him in a special way? Don’t be frightened, but speak with your local priest or drop by the Bishops Vocation Office stand during this Youth 2000 Summer Festival. I hope and pray that some of you may be open to hearing God’s call to priesthood. I’m also conscious that this is a journey you may take later in life, so always leave the door open.
 
Together we must work for a hope-filled future. In addition to the vocation to diocesan priesthood, many of you may be called to the vocation of marriage. I encourage you on this journey. Preparation for the sacrament of marriage doesn’t begin just a few months before it is celebrated but now, in the respect you show one another, in the love you show one another and the healthy relationship you enjoy with one another. The Church needs priests but it also needs faith-filled sacramentally married parents to give birth to the next generation of Youth 2000. Blessings on all of you!  Amen.

(Source: Catholic Communications Office, Irish Bishops' Conference)

Archbishop Francis Duffy: "Take a look at your priest: is he happy, is he hopeful, is he helpful, and above all, is he a herald of the Good News of Jesus Christ?"

Since last April the Catholic Church in Ireland is in a year of prayer for and promotion of vocations to the diocesan priesthood.  The theme chosen is ‘Take the risk for Christ’.  It is an appropriate theme, and it is timely to pray about, think about, encourage and to explore the experience of vocation to diocesan priesthood in contemporary Ireland.

Nowadays are more familiar with ordination jubilees: silver, ruby, golden and diamond, than with the ordination of new priests. Local celebrations of priests who have answered God’s call over all those decades are usually well marked and celebrated, as we had here in this parish of Westport a few weeks ago.  Rightly so, because these events provide a parish community with an opportunity to highlight and appreciate the valued work of their priests.  In highlighting the answering of God’s call all those years ago by jubilarians, we encounter the stark fact that new priests are few and will continue to be even fewer, for the foreseeable future.  Although, I hesitate to say that, because you never know what the Holy Spirit will do, and I am confident the year of prayer for vocations to the diocesan priesthood will not go unheard or unanswered by the Lord.    
Having said all that, it is my experience that young men are searching for meaning, exploring possibilities and thinking deeply about what paths they will take in life.  I like to think of three outlooks, or fertile soils, to continue the metaphor of the gospels of these weeks, I consider important for exploring vocation.

The first is a sense of wonder about the world and about creation.  What better place to let that sense of wonder grow than here in the West of Ireland and in particular at Croagh Patrick and its environs on this Reek Sunday weekend.  The majesty and the mystery of the mountain is alluring.  The Bible recounts powerful encounters with God on holy mountains such as when Moses received Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, and Jesus’ disciples witnessing the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor.  The beauty of the birds-eye view of Clew Bay and its islands, on a clear day, is breath-taking.  We can certainly be moved by that beauty in God’s creation, and we can more easily appreciate the urgent need to care for the environment and the earth – our common home.  The Holy Spirit’s gift of wonder and awe in God’s presence comes to mind.   That sense of wonder about creation of life, of human beings and of all that exists, is mind boggling but can also be the beginnings of an appreciation of what we are, what we have, and what we are called to be – all coming from God.  That sense of wonder and awe about God is an important starting point for any Christian vocation, and most certainly for a priestly vocation.

The second element in a vocation story is belief in God and in His incarnate and resurrected Son, Jesus Christ.  A curiosity about Him, His life, His message, His experiences, His contact with others and His divinity goes hand-in-hand with a vocation to priesthood.  It can divert here into the realms of theology and the link between God and humanity.  But the most important link is the personal one between each one of us and God, through Jesus, the way to the Father.  That is the key that holds it all together: how I relate to God and how He relates to me, loving me, encouraging me and reassuring me.

The element, often arising from that sense of wonder and from that personal relationship, be it near or distant, clear or vague, is the Lord’s personal call so often heard in the Gospels to “come follow me.”   It is, all at once, a call to come to know him personally, to experience the power of his message, and a call to go out as a priest in the modern world to spread the Good News of Jesus.  That call can come in several ways: a niggling feeling that I must do something else with my life, a recurring desire to follow Jesus in ministry, a deep sense of mission and purpose, inspired by Jesus and so many of his followers down through the ages – not least among them Saint Patrick in whose memory we make the Reek Pilgrimage, and whose successor, the Archbishop of Armagh, I am honoured to welcome among us as a pilgrim this year.  

Priesthood today has a purpose.  The village of Mullagh in Cavan was the birthplace of Saint Killian, greatly honoured in Bavaria in southern Germany.  There, in the Church grounds, is a statue of the saint, staff in hand, one foot in front of the other, his cloak beginning to fill out behind him.  The sculptor captures a sense of purpose, he is on his way, a man on a mission.  Like so many before and since, he answered the call.  He has a mission, that mission is to save and teach for Christ.

Answering the call to diocesan priesthood also has risks, as reflected in the theme ‘Take the risk for Christ’.   That risk exists in all those elements of vocation, of answering a call, of having a personal faith in God, of having a mission; there are risks.  The risk of so publicly committing to faith in Jesus at this time in Ireland risks ridicule and some seeing such an option as a waste.  Sacrificing, the possibility of intimacy and marriage and family brings with it a risk of doubt in oneself.  Then, there is the ongoing consciousness that the Church failed to protect children.   Those are some of the risks that young people and priests face in considering a vocation to priesthood and continuing in the priesthood.

There are positive factors too, of course.  There is the live-giving, energising, and truly immeasurable value of serving the Lord and His people.  If you want to see that in action, take a look at your priest: is he happy, is he hopeful, is he helpful, and above all is he a herald of the Good News of Jesus Christ?  The risk is taken because of the value placed on the message, the Good News of Jesus Christ, His love for us and His invitation to be with Him for eternity.

This is the treasure of great worth.  Many people are searching, wondering about and exploring what brings meaning to life.  During this Year of Vocation, you may have the opportunity to explore, encourage and enlighten some young men to consider diocesan priesthood.  Take that risk to encourage vocation.  “Take the risk for Christ.”  Amen.


Archbishop Francis Duffy is Archbishop of Tuam.  The homily was delivered during the Vigil Mass on 29 July in Saint Mary's Church, Westport, Co Mayo ahead of the 2023 Reek Sunday pilgrimage on Croagh Patrick.  The theme for the pilgrimage is supporting vocations to the diocesan priesthood.

Warmest congratulations to Rev Brian McNally from Cookstown on his ordination as (a  Transitional) Deacon - we wish him every blessing on his journey to Priesthood and ask God to send more candidates for the Priesthood in our Archdiocese.

From the Facebook Page of the Beda College, Rome:
Diaconate Ordination - Wednesday 14 June 2023
Basilica of St Paul outside the Walls

The last day of the Beda College year is marked by the Ordination to the Diaconate. This year seven of our members were ordained by Archbishop Leo Cushley of St Andrews and Edinburgh, with two of the ordinands promising obedience directly to the archbishop. The ordinands were:
David Chung – Diocese of Port Louis, Mauritius
Paul Henderson and Peter Shankland - Archdiocese of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh
Thomas Hiney -  Diocese of Portsmouth
Simon Marley - Diocese of Lancaster
Brian McNally - Archdiocese of Armagh
Eamon Salmon -  Diocese of Ferns

The splendid liturgy under the guidance of the College MCs and Music Master was enhanced by the singing of the Schola Cantorum of St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral, Edinburgh,     under the direction of Mr. Michael Ferguson.

The festive lunch at the College managed to outflank the constant threat of rain by hosting different groups of guests indoors allowing everyone the opportunity to venture in and out as they pleased. The celebrations went on until late in the afternoon.

Reverend Juan Jesus Gonzalez Borrallo shares his vocation story in preparation to his ordination to the priesthood (Archdiocese of Armagh) on Tuesday 29th June 2021.
Video courtesy of Redemptorist Mater Seminary, Dundalk.

Reverend Callum Young gives a powerful witness to his vocation story in preparation to his ordination to the priesthood (Archdiocese of Armagh) on Tuesday 29th June 2021.
Video courtesy of Redemptorist Mater Seminary, Dundalk.

WEBINAR WITH MGR. STEPHEN ROSSETTI ON THE PRIESTHOOD

Link here: https://www.thehookoffaith.com/single-post/webinar-with-mgr-stephen-rossetti-on-the-priesthood


With thanks to https://www.thehookoffaith.com/

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
FOR THE 2023 WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS

Vocation: Grace and Mission



Dear brothers and sisters, dear young people!

This is now the sixtieth time that we are celebrating the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, established by Saint Paul VI in 1964, during the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council. This providential initiative seeks to assist the members of the People of God, as individuals and as communities, to respond to the call and mission that the Lord entrusts to each of us in today’s world, amid its afflictions and its hopes, its challenges and its achievements.

This year I would ask you, in your reflection and prayer, to take as your guide the theme “Vocation: Grace and Mission”. This Day is a precious opportunity for recalling with wonder that the Lord’s call is grace, complete gift, and at the same time a commitment to bring the Gospel to others. We are called to a faith that bears witness, one that closely connects the life of grace, as experienced in the sacraments and ecclesial communion, to our apostolate in the world. Led by the Spirit, Christians are challenged to respond to existential peripheries and human dramas, ever conscious that the mission is God’s work; it is not carried out by us alone, but always in ecclesial communion, together with our brothers and sisters, and under the guidance of the Church’s pastors. For this has always been God’s dream: that we should live with him in a communion of love.

“Chosen before the creation of the world”

The apostle Paul opens before us a remarkable horizon: in Christ, God the Father “chose us before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will” (Eph 1:4-5). These words allow us to glimpse life at its fullest: God has “conceived” us in his image and likeness and desires us to be his sons and daughters. We were created by love, for love and with love, and we are made for love.

In the course of our lives, this call, which is part of the fibre of our being and the secret of our happiness, comes to us by the work of the Holy Spirit in ever new ways. It enlightens our minds, strengthens our wills, fills us with amazement and sets our hearts afire. At times, the Spirit comes to us in completely unexpected ways. So it was for me when, on 21 September 1953, as I was on my way to an annual school celebration, I was led to stop by a church and go to confession. That day changed my life and left a mark that has endured to the present day. God’s call to the gift of self tends to make itself known gradually: in our encounter with situations of poverty, in moments of prayer, when we see a clear witness to the Gospel, or read something that opens our minds. When we hear God’s word and sense that it is spoken directly to us, in the advice given by a fellow brother or sister, in moments of sickness or sorrow… In all the ways he calls us, God shows infinite creativity.

The Lord’s initiative and his gracious gift call for a response on our part. Vocation is “the interplay between divine choice and human freedom”, [1] a dynamic and exciting relationship between God and the human heart. The gift of vocation is like a divine seed that springs up in the soil of our existence, opens our hearts to God and to others, so that we can share with them the treasure we ourselves have found. This is the fundamental structure of what we mean by vocation: God calls us in love and we, in gratitude, respond to him in love. We realize that we are beloved sons and daughters of the one Father, and we come to see ourselves as brothers and sisters of one another. Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, when at last she “saw” this clearly, exclaimed, “At last I have found my calling: my call is love. Indeed, I have found my proper place in the Church… In the heart of the Church, my Mother, I will be love”. [2]

“I am a mission on this earth”

God’s call, we said, includes a “sending”. There is no vocation without mission. There is no happiness and full self-realization unless we offer others the new life that we have found. God’s call to love is an experience that does not allow us to remain silent. Saint Paul says, “Woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel!” (1 Cor 9:16). And the First Letter of John begins with the words, “What we have heard and seen, looked at and touched – the Word made flesh – we declare also to you, so that our joy may be complete” (cf. 1:1-4).

Five years ago, in the Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate, I spoke to every baptized person, saying, “You need to see the entirety of your life as a mission” (No. 23). Yes, because each and every one of us is able to say: “I am a mission on this earth; that is the reason why I am here in this world” (Evangelii Gaudium, 273).

Our shared mission as Christians is to bear joyful witness wherever we find ourselves, through our actions and words, to the experience of being with Jesus and members of his community, which is the Church.  That mission finds expression in works of material and spiritual mercy, in a welcoming and gentle way of life that reflects closeness, compassion and tenderness, in contrast to the culture of waste and indifference. By being a neighbour, like the Good Samaritan (cf. Lk 10:25-37), we come to understand the heart of our Christian vocation: to imitate Jesus Christ, who came to serve, not to be served (cf. Mk 10:45).

This missionary activity does not arise simply from our own abilities, plans and projects, nor from our sheer willpower or our efforts to practice the virtues; it is the result of a profound experience in the company of Jesus.  Only then can we testify to a Person, a Life, and thus become “apostles”. Only then can we regard ourselves as “sealed, even branded, by this mission of bringing light, blessing, enlivening, raising, healing and freeing” (Evangelii Gaudium, 273).

The Gospel icon of this experience is that of the two disciples journeying to Emmaus. After their encounter with the risen Jesus, they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the Scriptures to us?” ( Lk 24:32). In those disciples, we can see what it means to have “hearts on fire, feet on the move”. [3] This is also my fervent hope for the coming World Youth Day in Lisbon, to which I joyfully look forward, with its motto: “Mary arose and went with haste” ( Lk 1:39). May every man and woman feel called to arise and go in haste, with hearts on fire.

Called together and convened

The evangelist Mark relates the moment when Jesus called to himself twelve disciples, each by name. He appointed them to be with him and to be sent out to proclaim the message, to heal infirmities and to cast out demons (cf. Mk 3:13-15). The Lord thus laid the foundations of his new community. The Twelve were people from different social classes and trades; none of them was a person of influence. The Gospels speak too of other callings, like that of the 72 disciples whom Jesus sent out two by two (cf. Lk 10:1).

The Church is an Ecclesia, the Greek word for an assembly of persons called and convened, in order to form the community of missionary disciples of Jesus Christ committed to sharing love among themselves (cf. Jn 13:34; 15:12) and spreading that love to all others, so that God’s kingdom may come.

Within the Church, all of us are servants, in accordance with the variety of our vocations, charisms and ministries. Our common vocation to give ourselves in love develops and finds concrete expression in the life of lay men and women, devoted to raising a family as a small domestic church and working as a leaven of the Gospel to renew the different sectors of society; in the testimony of consecrated women and men who are completely committed to God for the sake of their brothers and sisters as a prophetic sign of the kingdom of God; in ordained ministers – deacons, priests and bishops – placed at the service of preaching, prayer and fostering the communion of the holy People of God. Only in relation with all the others, does any particular vocation in the Church fully disclose its true nature and richness. Viewed in this light, the Church is a vocational “symphony”, with every vocation united yet distinct, in harmony and joined together in “going forth” to radiate throughout the world the new life of the kingdom of God.

Grace and mission: a gift and a task

Dear brothers and sisters, vocation is a gift and a task, a source of new life and true joy. May the initiatives of prayer and of activity associated with this Day strengthen an awareness of vocation within our families, our parish communities, our communities of consecrated life, and our ecclesial associations and movements. The Spirit of the risen Lord dispels our apathy and grants us the gifts of sympathy and empathy. In this way, he enables us to live each day born anew as children of the God who is love (cf. 1 Jn 4:16) and in turn to offer that love to others. To bring life everywhere, especially in places of exclusion and exploitation, poverty and death, in order to enlarge the spaces of love, [4] so that God may reign ever more fully in this world.

May the prayer that Saint Paul VI composed for the first World Day of Vocations, 11 April 1964, accompany us on our journey:

“O Jesus, divine Shepherd of souls, you called the apostles and made them fishers of men. Continue to draw to yourself ardent and generous souls from among the young, in order to make them your followers and your ministers. Give them a share in your thirst for the redemption of all… Open before them the horizons of the entire world… By responding to your call, may they prolong your mission here on earth, build up your Mystical Body which is the Church, and be ‘the salt of the earth’ and ‘the light of the world’ (Mt 5:13)”.

May the Virgin Mary watch over you and protect you. With my blessing.

 

Rome, Saint John Lateran, 30 April 2023, Fourth Sunday of Easter.

 

FRANCIS

(Source: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/vocations/documents/20230430-messaggio-60-gm-vocazioni.html)

Bishop Kevin Doran speaks about the call to the Priesthood and how it comes first of all from God's love. It is not about discovering what we want, but what God wants for us. In that call, we find ourselves immersed the mystery of God's call and love for us.

Homily of Archbishop Eamon at the Mass of Ordination for Fr. Carlos - May 7th 2023

I think it was Mark Twain who once said that the two most important days in your life are the day you were born, and the day you find out ‘why’.  Why am I here?  It’s a question that we all think about from time to time: What is the meaning and purpose of my life?

Sadly, we live in a world where there seems to be almost an epidemic of despondency and despair, where too many people - including some of our dear young people - struggle to answer the Why question and to find meaning and purpose in life.

Recently, a careers teacher in one of our schools told me that she feels really privileged to be helping and guiding young people as they make important decisions for the future.  She likes her students to go much deeper than simply picking a course for University and employment - she likes them to ask themselves, what will make me happy?  What do I feel called to do?  What’s my vocation?

It’s the month of May, and these days our school leavers are preparing to take their final exams and firming up their choices and next steps.  I expect that many of them are still quite uncertain about where life is bringing them or which way they are going.  The answer to that ‘why?’ question in life tends to emerge gradually - it’s a journey of discovery, an adventure in which we slowly uncover the path which God is unfolding and opening up before us.

In today’s Gospel Jesus says to his friends, ‘You know the way to the place where I am going.’

Thomas says, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus replies:

‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’

I hope and pray that some of our young school leavers will be open to hearing God’s call to priesthood and the religious life.  My dear brother Carlos, it is some years now since you first expressed publicly that God may be calling you to priesthood, standing up at a convivenza of the Neocatechumenal Way.  If Mark Twain is correct then I trust that day in the convivenza was one of the most important in your life.  Now today, after much prayer and mature deliberation, you say formally your ‘yes’ to the Priesthood - you solemnly promise to serve Christ the Teacher, Priest, and Shepherd. and, in turn, to give your life to the service of the People of God.

One of the joys of a priestly vocation is the privilege of helping others to discover the ‘why’ of their lives, by encountering Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  You will help them to come to know the Father, to make Christ the cornerstone of their life, and to find fulfilment in the Church as members of the ‘people set apart to sing the praises of God’.

As someone who has been walking the neocatechumenal way for many years, you know that God’s will for you will further unfold as you continue to walk in the path which the Holy Spirit will set before you.  We are in those days between Easter and Pentecost when the early apostles found new life and a new sense of direction in the Holy Spirit.  Be open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit in your life as a priest.

Carlos without the Holy Spirit, your priesthood could easily end up being just like a job or routine; your preaching will become lifeless and the various tasks and appointments you are assigned will become simply a burden or something to moan about.  But with the Holy Spirit, you will retain a sense of your priesthood as an ongoing and unfolding vocation from God, your ‘why’, the meaning and purpose of your life.

Today, Carlos, I invite you then to say ‘no’ to despondency, and yes, in the Holy Spirit, to the evangelising mission of Christ who is the Way, who is the Truth and the Life. Say ‘yes’ to the people and the communities who will be entrusted to your priestly care; say ‘yes’ to your communion with the Church, the Pope, your bishops and your brother priests.  Say ‘yes’ to the Eucharist, to Mary our Blessed Mother who is the Star of the New Evagelisation; say ‘yes’ to prayer and self-discipline.  In short, say ‘yes’ to the ‘why?’ for which you were born - the ongoing unfolding of a vocation to priesthood to which God has called you.

Dear brothers and sisters, I have just returned from the World Meeting of Families in Rome where families from across the world gathered with Pope Francis to reflect eon the fundamental importance of family in the life of Church and society.  You will recall that the last World Meeting took place in Dublin in 2018.  The emphasis this year was on the “vocation” of the family. We tend to use the word “vocation” when referring to the call to priesthood or to the consecrated life, and of course we recognise also the vocation to marriage, but the focus of this World Meeting was on the “vocation” of family love as a path to holiness.

I mention this today, Colm and Stephen, because it is important for us to see the vocation to priesthood as one of service, and especially of service to the family.  The Decree, Lumen Gentium, of the Second Vatican Council, spoke about priesthood.  It drew attention to the distinctiveness of the ministerial priesthood, but it also richly reminded us of the common priesthood of all the baptised, and emphasised that the ministerial priesthood serves the common priesthood of the faithful.

I invite you then, on this day of your ordination, to commit to a life of priestly service to the family.  I was ordained to the priesthood in Derry on this same Sunday, 35 years ago.  Even in that relatively short time there has been a sea change in the culture and context in which we exercise our ministry as priests.  Two weeks ago in Athlone, the Pre-Synodal gathering of the Church in Ireland identified the challenges and the opportunities for the Church at this time and in the coming years.  It has been clear during the Synodal journey to date, that despite the negativity that often accompanies discussion about the Catholic Church in Ireland, there remains a significant body of lay women and men who are deeply committed to their faith and passionate about the future of their Church.  And, I also have a strong sense that any lasting renewal of faith in Ireland can only come about via a renewal of our commitment to the “domestic church” that is the family.

It is important for us priests to realise that we do not have a monopoly on the “charisms” for building up the Church, including in leadership and decision making.  Far from it.  The Holy Spirit is already inspiring many lay women and men in Ireland, who are being called and gifted for the service of the Gospel in this time and in this place.  The catechism is clear in that in the Church there is “diversity of ministry but unity of mission” and that the lay faithful “share in the priestly, prophetical, and kingly office of Christ (Cathechism of the Catholic Church, 873).”

Part of our role as priests is to call forth these charisms and enable our lay brothers and sisters to fully exercise their baptismal calling and role.  We should be careful not to block the Holy Spirit's work by stifling the Spirit's call to our lay faithful, or by selfishly holding on to some outmoded sense of priestly power or control.

Colm and Stephen, the centrality of family and life is consistently upheld in the teaching of the Church, and alongside this, real families need our priestly respect, support and pastoral accompaniment - that was mentioned many times in the testimonies of families in Rome during this past few days. But equally importantly it was emphasised that the vocation to priesthood and the vocation of marriage and family are complementary - we need each other. I urge you therefore to make time for ministry to the family, and for the distinctive ministry of the family and within the family. This is not about passively waiting for families to come to you, but it is an essential ingredient of priestly mission and service to reach out to families, to meet, to visit homes, to encourage, pray with, support and guide families as they play their rightful and vital part in the mission of the Church.

Of course you will not find “perfect” families without their struggles and upsets, but you will find many examples of families who are living the reality of the domestic Church, the “little church” - as cradles of prayer, of faith hope, and charity; schools of love, forgiveness and compassion; and, seedbeds of vocation where each member is finding her or his own personal encounter with Jesus and path to discipleship and holiness.  Yesterday evening at the concluding Mass in Rome, Pope Francis said to parents, “if you help your children to discover and to accept their vocation, you will see that they too will be 'gripped' by this mission; and they will find the strength they need to confront and overcome the difficulties of life."

Colm and Stephen, I encourage you to nourish families by sharing joyfully with them the Word of God.  To do this successfully we priests need to meditate on the Word of God every day of our priestly life - to believe what we read there, to faithfully teach what we believe, and, of course, to practice what we teach.  People will look to you for the encouragement, challenge and consolation that the Gospel brings, but they will also want you to be priests who are authentic, faithful to your priestly promises, sincere and grounded.

Bring also to families the nourishment of the Eucharist, the Bread of Life.  When you celebrate the Eucharist and the other sacraments, understand what you are doing and imitate what you celebrate.  As celebrants of the mystery of the Lord’s Death and Resurrection, this means always striving to put to death whatever in you is sinful, and to walk in newness of life.

Colm and Stephen, please do not forget to offer support to grandparents - for they hold and share the wisdom of years spent living the faith in the grounded reality of family with all its joys and struggles.  Be humble in your priesthood, recognising that we priests can learn far more from families about lived Christianity than we can ever hope to bring!

Remember, when you gather others into the People of God through Baptism, and when you forgive sins in the name of Christ and the Church in the Sacrament of
Penance; when you comfort the sick with holy oil and celebrate the sacred rites, when you offer prayers of praise and thanks to God throughout the hours of the day, not only for the People of God but for the whole world – remember then that you grew up as part of a family yourself, with all its ups and downs, its joys and its struggles.  You were called and appointed from among the family of families that is the People of God to give your life to God. Your vocation to holiness and your pathway to ordination was inspired, nurtured, and shaped by your personal experience of home and family.

Pope Francis often says that “no family drops down from heaven perfectly formed”, so in your priestly ministry be merciful, be understanding and always be aware that families often struggle, as we do, to live up to their vocation and stay on the right path to holiness.

That is why we must always strive as priests to bring the people of God together into one family and to carry out the ministry of Christ the Priest with constant joy and genuine love and mercy.  We ought not to be selfish in attending to our own concerns, instead keep in mind that we are ministers of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd who came not to be served but to serve, and to seek out and save those who are lost or going astray.
 

I am Mrs Roseline Adeola Fasakin by God's grace the mother of Reverend Father Emmanuel Oluwadamilare Fasakin (MSP).

Before Fr. Emmanuel and his younger brother made their decisions to become a priest, I will not stop them from attending the Churches activities, especially with the members of the Catholic Youth Organisation of Nigeria in the parish. I also would encourage them to participate in the Youth’s activities in the Parish, and at the Diocesan level. Also, I never stopped them from attending the Altar server’s practices and meetings. However, they must first attend to all house chores allocated to them before they leave for those church’s activities. And I never bothered about them giving their time, talents and energies to the service of God even though they spent most of their time in the church either after school on weekdays or morning on weekends, rendering services to the priests or attending the youth or altar server’s activities which at some point, they both held an office, both in the parish and at the diocesan level.

When Fr. Emmanuel declared his intention of becoming a priest, all I could do as a mother was to always support him with prayer for his success, that he may not to fall into temptation and prayed that God would uphold him till the end. Upon hearing of the date of his ordination, I was overwhelmed at the same time, I continued to pray for that day to come to fulfilment, that nothing should hinder his ordination since it was his dream to answer God’s call.

On the day of his ordination, at the moment he was proclaimed as ‘Rev Fr. Emmanuel Fasakin MSP’, I knelt down with joy, with tears rolling down my eyes. I thanked our Lord Jesus Christ and our Mother Mary who through her intercessions gave her son Emmanuel the opportunity to share in the work of salvation of Christ to the humanity.

After this came the reality that Fr. Emmanuel now belongs more to the Church, ordained for the work of God and to the missions, to be sent anywhere for God wants him to be. As his posting was immediately announced that day to resume the diocese of Bomadi in Nigeria which is about 10 hours’ drive from us. There he was for 9 months, after which he called and told us he has been sent on mission out of the country to the Northern Ireland in the Archdiocese of Armagh where he is presently, still working to win souls for God. Although this feels sometimes awkward, but it is a great thing to behold. And I get to appreciate any time I have to see him no matter how long it may be.

CONCLUSION:
I regard being a mother of a Priest, and two priests in a year’s time (since his kid brother is preparing to be ordained a deacon this year and to be ordained a priest next year by the grace of God), as a great privilege and honour from God. And I’m always happy about it because I know that I have a son who through the celebration of the Mass prays for me every day not just as a member of the church but as his own mother.

Thus, I think we mothers should try to instil some level of discipline into our children with the fear of God so that they can stand with their heads up high wherever they find themselves and defend their faith among their friends.

Also, some mothers who frown on their sons/daughters who chose to work for God either in the priesthood or religious life, should realise that while they debar their children from working for God, they also debar them from saving souls, which in my opinion God will not be so pleased with.

Finally, mothers should encourage their children to render services to God in their parishes by joining the different groups and societies like the altar servers, choir, lector stewards etc. In doing this I realised that our children, judging from my perspective learn to know more about God. They also remain focused and determined in their moment of discernments.

I pray that God will spare my life to witness the second Ordination of my sons. So please remember them in your prayers, thank you.

For me every Catholic priest is  a real and tangible link between the people and God, a bridge between Earth and Heaven.


The priest  has a vocation -has been chosen by God - with a special calling from Jesus Himself   to follow in His footsteps in the world today.


Priests  are the  human embodiment of Christ on earth - ever available to us throughout our lives  .They help strengthen our  relationship with God and guide us how to do His will.

They are the only people on earth ordained with God’s divine authority and power:  
•to celebrate  the Mass  for us
•to consecrate the bread and wine into The Body and Blood of Christ    
•to grant us the assurance of God’s forgiveness in Confession and
•to administer the Sacrament of the Sick which aids  recovery or  gives us strength for our final journey to eternal life.

When I visited St Peter’s  Basilica in Rome I experienced a truly deep  awareness and appreciation of  the authenticity of our Catholic faith . Our faith has been handed down to us from Jesus -the Son of God and our Blessed mother Mary - through Peter and the apostles and priests parents and teachers . It is still alive  and being nurtured and practised daily  in all corners of the world  over 2000 years later as a result of  the dedicated service of  our priests. These men who down through the ages – in good times and bad - have given their lives so selflessly - to do the  work of Jesus – leading us to the Father.

We   all enjoy  the  presence of the priest at  many happy events in life:   Celebrating the Sacraments of Baptism, First  Penance, First  Communion , Confirmation , Weddings, and also on Anniversaries, Special birthdays , Community events  and other celebratory occasions  .We are so privileged to have the priest present during these  happy times and his presence  adds a very special dimension signifying that  Jesus himself is among us.

Then there are sad times  when  sickness, trouble ,worry ,loss ,anxiety, addiction, poverty, misfortune, abandonment, tragedy etc. etc. come to us or our families.   In such times we all become very aware  that we are totally  powerless over so many things.
We realize how  important it is to have a real knowledge, relationship, faith and trust  in God  to whom we turn for support , comfort and assistance.

At such times the priest through his ministry has a very special role .He  brings support, advice, guidance , counselling  ,encouragement, comfort, hope and consolation to all in these situations.  He brings the presence of Jesus in a way that  no other person can.

Whether life be short or long - death awaits us all and this can be a scary thought but through our faith we know and trust that God has reserved a place for each one of us-  and we look forward to His invitation to take our place in the Kingdom He has prepared for us.
I hope and  pray  that when my time comes that I - like my parents, brothers and grandparents will have the privilege of having a priest to administer the sacrament of the sick to me to help me on my way.

The rite of a Christian funeral celebrated by the priest brings  value, dignity and closure to our earthly lives. We are reminded and assured   that death is not the end but indeed the beginning of eternal  life. The priest – by  his words and presence -  provides love ,support, comfort and consolation to the bereaved family and friends.

Throughout my life I have had the privilege of meeting so many priests at so many levels and in so many situations. They have all been unique individuals with different personalities, interests, personal qualities , strengths and indeed even some human weaknesses -  as we all have .

However they all have one very special thing in common . They have accepted God’s call -  a call to leave all, to follow Him and to devote their lives to carrying on his mission here on earth . They are there to  instruct , encourage , guide and   support all of God’s people through their work , word and example.

We trust and pray that God will continue to call many more to follow in their footsteps so that  we will continue to experience – through His priests - the love and care of God  till the end of time. We ask this through Christ , Our Lord . Amen

Mary Hampsey

I am a member of a family of 13, I was brought up in the Catholic religion by my devout Catholic parents and as a result developed a strong faith. We were taught the morals of right and wrong. I lived at home in the small town of Coalisland and there I attended St Joseph secondary school for my education, then afterwards onto Dungannon Technical College where I learned my trade in carpentry and joinery. I worked as a joiner all my life and my brother and I set up our own kitchen and bedroom manufacturing business, which is still going after 30 years.

Throughout this time, I became a firefighter for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue service and provided 21 years of service to my community of Cookstown where I Live Today. I did a lot of voluntary work in Romania, helping others less off and in need of assistance in different villages and communities. Back in my home parish I worked as a sacristan in the church.

In my 20s I felt this sensation of God calling me and, on searching into it I was sent to the Columban Fathers in Navan, Dublin. After a few short stays with them I left and returned home. My life carried on and I was kept busy with other things. The world was big, and I wanted to see it. But this pulling sensation towards God had always been with me. So, in 2019 I visited a vocations director Father Peter mc Anenly in Armagh. I met with him over several months. He then sent me to Salamanca in Spain on a propaedeutic course. On returning home from Spain after six months, I had a meeting with Archbishop Eamon Martin to discuss the next step of my journey. It was decided that I should go to the Beda College in Rome, to study for the priesthood. If God is calling, we need to listen to him. We need to be open and generous in responding to the call in order to become messengers of God. I am simply following my heart and doing God's will.

I feel very lucky to have been given this gift of a vocation from God and will live it as best I can for as long as God allows. It has been a long road with many twists and turns that has brought me to this new and exciting place in my life, and it is surely a beacon of hope to those of any age that when the Lord calls if you say yes, he will do the rest and make it happen.

When I said yes to God, I started this journey when I was 59 years of age. With having left a desk and education behind me now for a number of years, I felt afraid of what lay ahead of the unknown and wondered why me. But when I started, I became more and more content and happier within myself and drawn closer to God, it has given me a purpose to my life. You must be open to yourself to be able to listen to God.

The Beda college in Rome where I am at present is mainly for late vocation to the priesthood it is a great place and helps to nurture and bring out your good points and values. The staff and students are very supportive.

I thank God for my family, friends and all the students and staff at the Beda College who are praying for me and especially for Archbishop Martin for his support, encouragement and belief in me on this stage of my journey.

When I was a child, growing up in a Catholic household, there was a young priest who we all loved to be around. His name was Fr John. And boy did he live up to his name which means: “Graced by God.” I must have been about seven or eight when I first encountered him and though I didn’t understand what Fr John was saying most of the time, I thought the light shone out of his head like a halo when he was on the altar speaking.

Everyone seemed to admire him. He had come from a comfortable background, was very charismatic and very handsome. I would hear my parents marvel that he had become a priest (lay people rarely understand the power of the call unless you tell them it’s like falling in love with God. The falling in love part they understand!)

Fr John had the heart of a shepherd. The self-sacrificing love he shared was powerful, his faith was palpable and his joy was infectious. What a witness for Christ. After mass, we all lined up to greet him and shake his hand. When I think of him, I remember two words, the words he used most often, words of encouragement, praise and delight.  “Just beautiful,” he would say, smiling broadly. “Oh boy, just beautiful.” Sometimes it was directed at the choir,  the children’s nativity play  or a small child shyly looking up while holding a parent’s hand. I remember it made me feel great to hear those words as a child, as a teenager, as an adult and eventually I saw the faces of my nieces and nephews light up when Fr John told them. “Beautiful. Just beautiful.”

Every parish Fr John went to was reinvigorated and I remember a priest once saying to me: if you want to know what a parish is like, look at the priest.

Fr John had a gentleness about him but he was always obedient, not afraid to speak the truth, refusing to water down the wine of the Gospel.   “I’m not going to hell for any of you,” he would say with a smile.

At the end of every Christmas mass, he and his brother priests would sing to the parishioners from the altar: “We wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year!” Everyone in the church would all respond, singing  with joy, repeating the refrain. “We wish you a merry Christmas…”

Fr John knew how to lift people up. It was his special gift from God, and over the years I have found that each priest I have encountered carries in a marked way some quality of Christ, the eternal priest, perhaps Christ’s sensitivity, his vulnerability, his gentleness, his zeal, his mercy, his humility, his kindness, his generosity, his joy, his peace.

Fr John was there at some of the most poignant moments of my family’s life: baptism, marriage, funerals. Indeed he was at the graveside when we  buried my father. I will always remember Fr John handing my mother the cross from my father’s coffin. There were no words needed: love is stronger than death.

And while priests might get a poor press these days, I have always been blessed with good priests in my life, priests with a servant’s heart, a shepherd’s heart, a father’s heart: inspiring men, who make holiness look attractive, whose call is so powerful it inspires others. I thank God for these priests, one of whom helped me discern my call to religious life and another who pointed me to the hope my call still held for me when my vocation changed dramatically.

If you want to know what a priest is, look at the cross. A priest is a great lover of souls, one who sacrifices himself for others, who gives all, who lays down his life.

So being a priest  is not for the faint hearted.

Ven Fulton Sheen used to address seminarians with the words: if you are not prepared to be a Divine Victim, to be falsely accused, rejected and even put to death, then go do something else. What a privilege it is  to be called by the Divine son of God into the most intimate relationship possible, a relationship of love with our creator God.

It saddens me when I hear priests and others saying the celibate life is not a natural state. Of course it is not natural. It is supernatural. And in God, all things are possible.

Yes Jesus is demanding but he is very loving. And believe me following Jesus is never boring. It is the greatest adventure you will ever have. Jesus is the greatest adventure you will ever have and that journey in the heart of God just gets better, despite all the challenges.  

I thank God for the priests I have known. They have been a blessing in my life, always there when I needed to be heard, to be helped, to be guided to be forgiven. I shudder to think we have so few men now answering the call. I shudder when I hear Catholic parents say they don’t want their sons to be priests.

Being a priest is a great privilege. It means bringing Jesus to people. What could be better than that?

Sr. Martina Purdy