The Catholic Weekly 29 March 2020

24 NEWS 29, March, 2020 A call I can’t ignore IT’S A question faced by every- one starting a career … what’s my calling? Some refer to it as a profession while others a vo- cation. For those who want to de- vote their lives to the Church and be ordained to the priest- hood, what drives them to commit to a life of celibacy, obedience and service in 2020? In the wake of years of sex- ual abuse scandals, along with long hours, modest wages, loneliness and a retirement age of 75, it’s not what you think the average millennial would opt for. Yet despite the challenges, there are now more seminar- ians in formation than in the history of the Good Shepherd Seminary at Homebush and, if the current trend continues, extra accommodation will need to be built. It’s a good problem to have. People often see the priest- hood as a very restrictive way of life, but according to those answering God’s call it offers a true sense of freedom. After years of discerning and wrestling with the idea of entering the Seminary, final- ly making the decision offers an enormous sense of inner peace. This year, seven men en- tered the Seminary and while all have very different back- grounds, the common thread through their vocation is seek- ing their purpose and truth. Particularly challenging in our loud, distractedmedia-sat- urated world, all agree silence is necessary in order to listen and understand one’s own heart. So much so, during the first year of Seminary life, all tech- nology including television, mobile phones, computers and radios are banned all but one day a week. Seminary Rector Fr Danny Meagher believes “if you are appreciating the silence, you are allowing God to work in your life”. He said adapting to the Seminary lifestyle is no easy thing, especially for those who have been out of school for quite some timeworking, how- ever, it is all about growth. “At the core, the Seminary needs to be a place of love where all are respected and welcomed,” he said. “There is plenty of time for prayer and plenty of input to assist semi- narians to come to know them- selves better. “It is a demanding and dis- ciplined style of life and one in which they need to learn to get on with others, but under the guidance of Fr Arthur Givney, the director of first year, they have begun very well.” So why did the class of 2020 enter the seminary? Here are some of their stories. Pablo Parajo, 28 Auburn Engineer / travel agent “I have wanted to become a priest for as long as I can re- member. The fact it has taken until I was 28 had more to do with me wanting to wait until my younger brother finished school rather than me being sure of my vocation. “I gained my engineer- ing degree after Year 12 and worked for about 9 months as a junior engineer before my mum opened a travel agency and asked if I would come and work for her. Even at that stage I was sure I would be entering the Seminary when my broth- er finished his education so agreed to join her until then. “Mymum is fromthe Philip- pines and leads a very holy and spiritual life so while she was sad I would be leaving home she was incredibly proud I had decided to become a priest. “My whole life has been devoted to God, as a teenag- er I knew the priesthood was my calling so thought it was a very good idea to never have a girlfriend. For me, my teenage yearswere all part ofmy forma- tion and preparation for my life when I entered the Seminary. “The night before I arrived, I was a little surprised at the range of emotions I experi- enced. I was a little uneasy about leaving my family but also very much looking for- ward to taking a step back fromnormal life to developmy spirituality. Being here is nev- er lonely, I actually welcome the times of solitude to be si- lent with the Lord. It is quite relieving to clear your mind of the busyness of life that takes you away from God and the freedom of the fraternity to be yourself. “We all know the Church is going through a crisis but I still see it as something that brings us hope and is our future. I feel it is up to me to make the Church better for the world. “Science in based on log- ic and faith is based on belief backed up with reason and if it is God’s will that I amhere then I amvery happy.” Menard Gaspi, 32 Bossley Park Brother with the Oblate Apostles of the TwoHearts “I entered a religious order pretty much when I finished high school. I attended a youth conference during my final year of education and was in- troduced to the Brother with the Oblate Apostles of the Two Hearts order and was instantly attracted to their missionary work and the thrill of moving around to different countries. “I thought this could be a way of making an incredibly difficult job fun. “My order predominantly operates out ofMelbourne, the Philippines and the USA so for the past 14 years I have spent my time travelling between It’sa tough time for theChurchat every level, yetmenstill sense thepersonal, special call of thedivine The seven virtues of the Good Shepherd Seminary at Homebush…Kieu Le, Julian Masiello, JacobYako,Menard Gaspi, Lukasz Golab,Andrew Haddad and Pablo Parajo PHOTO:ALPHONSUS FOK the three with the majority of time in my native Philippines. “The people in the Philip- pines are economically poor but their faith is very strong while the opposite could be said for many Australians. Their search for God is lack- ing and I started to think how I could address this. “We need to look at how we convey our message and con- sider the way we teach faith. We need to address the fact that we tell people what to do and not why we do it. “As I have gotten older I have also started to think about being closer to my fam- ily who are all in Sydney so it made sense that I combine the two and become a priest with the Sydney Archdiocese. “Being at the Seminary is all about discerning my vo- cation, at this stage I am 85 per cent sure I am in the right place and that it what I want to develop. “As a priest, for me I feel it is a more balanced lifestyle and that you journey with your people more rather than spend short amounts of time with a community and then move on as a missionary. “For me personally I feel there is the opportunity to be more fatherly with the Arch- diocese which is where I feel I am now being called. “I don’t think God would call you if he didn’t think you were up to it. A priest isn’t Being here is never lonely, I actually welcome the times of solitude to be silent with the Lord. It is quite relieving to clear your mind of the busyness of life that takes you away fromGod and the freedom of the fraternity to be yourself.” Pablo Parajo ¾ ¾ Debbie Cramsie TRADITIONAL FUNERAL DIRECTORS gregoryandcarr.com.au LOCATIONS BROOKVALE | GORDON | MONA VALE | NORTH RYDE | NORTH STRATHFIELD Gregory and Carr’s dedicated staff is available 24-hours a day, every day of the year to help you through one of the most difficult times of your life. PROUDLY AUSTRALIAN FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED 1800 266 588 supernatural, he is not the saviour. He needs to be saved himself and to grow and I feel this is where I can do that.” Jacob Yako, 22 Melbourne Civil engineer “I was completing my third year of a four year degree and while I was happy, I foundmy- self constantly seeking some- thing greater. I had always at- tended Catholic schools and youth groups and many of my friends were involved in the Church but I just couldn’t shake this feeling of needing to find a deeper purpose,” he told The Catholic Weekly . “The more I thought about it the more I began serious- ly thinking about joining the priesthood. It wasn’t one par- ticular moment that I thought I was being called but a lot of feelings where I just felt it was where I should be. “Getting married and hav- ing children was always part of my life’s plan, but over time that became less important and my focus became the Church. And as a priest I feel like I will still receive all the blessings as a husband and fa- ther but in a different way. “I am a Chaldean and grew up inMelbourne, however my Bishop lives in Sydney and once I told him I had decid- ed to enter the Seminary he wanted me to come up here with him. “I have only been here for a month but already it just feels so right. I already feel such strong gratitude for the op- portunity of formation I have been given and wish everyone had the same opportunity to discover a greater version of themselves and see who they are meant to be. “The Church has so much goodness to offer and while I am very aware of all of the cracks in it, I feel like it’s up to me to not only face it but fix it and bring the Church back to where it should be. “For me personally I know when I allow myself to let go of my limitations I see Christ everywhere which encourag- es me that I am exactly where I should be.” Interested in the priesthood? Call you diocese’s vocations office. In Sydney, call Fr Epeli Qimaqima on (02) 9307 8433 NEW