“Samuel, Samuel… Speak LORD your servant is listening.” (1 Sam. 3:10)
by Seminarian John-Paul Evans (Great Eccleston)
No, this is defiantly not how my call to priesthood began. There was no great flash, the angel of the Lord did not appear in a dream, but there was - as with all vocations - a personal call, to me from God.
I didn’t grow up with the idea of becoming a priest. I assumed, like “most people”, that I would get a job, get married, have children and live my life. I wished to go into a career as an electronic engineer, however there were a few problems and I left university and took a job dealing with and resolving IT problems. At the time of writing this account of my calling, I was in my second year at St.Cuthbert’s Seminary, Ushaw, where in the previous November (2010) I was instituted as a Lector, (the first ministry on the way to becoming a priest).
Here is a short(ish) account of how I got there.
I grew up in Great Eccleston, in Saint Mary's parish. I went to school at Saint Mary's and became an altar boy at around the age of 8. I have fond memories of Church – May processions and the Crowning of Our Lady’s statue, Stations of the Cross during Lent, Rosary devotions in October and regular Benediction. Unfortunately these traditional practices seem to have all but disappeared from parish life in recent times.
Despite this early beginning centred on the Eucharist, prayer and devotion to Our Blessed Mother, it was not until I was about 21 that I really started to think more about priesthood.
One Sunday during Mass I remember for the first time actually “hearing” the Gospel! It was addressed to me. The Priest’s Homily was addressed to me! Over the next few weeks and months I was really aware that Christ Speaks to us all personally in the Gospel and I began to realise that He was calling me to serve Him, not just as an altar server at Mass – but as a Priest.
Around that same time, with the encouragement and support of my parish priest, I signed up to represent the parish at the World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany in 2005. I remember the call to priesthood constantly filling my life, and during a WYD retreat at Castlerigg I just had to tell someone about it. I spoke to one of the priests on the retreat who reassured me that it was a great thing to be called to priesthood and that I should talk it through with my parish priest. When I returned home I went to speak to my parish priest who was greatly supportive and encouraged me to begin praying more. I began at that point to pray Morning, Evening and Night prayer from the Divine Office.
It was while I was at World Youth Day in Germany that I was prompted to say 'Yes' to Christ’s call and told this to the Vocations director Fr. Manny Gribben. What prompted me? (Other than the Holy Spirit) – At a catechises session, Cardinal McCarrick spoke about our whole life being a pilgrimage, not just the prayers we say or the pilgrimages we make, but everything. And this pilgrimage is towards God. At the end of the session, the Cardinal asked us two questions: "...What does God want from me today?..." and "...How do I live my Faith?..."
My response was that I must say Yes to the call to priesthood. That was over seven years ago and is still an important thing to ask oneself.
When I came home I continued to work and to pray. After I left my job I spent a year in Cleator (Cumbria) at the Diocesan house of formation before starting major seminary at Ushaw in 2009.
to be continued...
