I was born into a loving Catholic family of five and an extended family of many! At the age of 19, my academic strengths enabled me to study my chosen vocation of Medicine. Science had always been fascinating to me and I was looking forward to applying it for a practical and altruistic purpose; my calling to “serve” others had always been there, as were ideas about the priesthood; (yet, how best to serve was not yet realised). I felt that I had been given “gifts” to use as I thought best, but it was with me in the driver’s seat, even though I thought I was doing God’s will. My Gap Year experiences with The Leonard Cheshire Homes, disabled children in Delhi, India and with disadvantaged youths from Chicago served to convince me of my altruistic motives in studying Medicine. Yet, had I ever stopped to fully listen to Him?

However, in my second year a brain tumour was discovered; ironically, I was studying Neurophysiology! During the subsequent time out from Medical School, I had plenty of time to think and pray. I felt a gradual deepening in my faith and a profound sense of peace as I learned to put my life completely in God’s hands. Throughout my 3 years of treatment and recovery, I reckon God’s head was also hurting – not from suffering with me but from the countless stream of prayer requests from family and friends all over the country and abroad! I am indebted to them all. There have also been several very special experiences along the way.

The human weakness of worrying seemed to disappear as I became aware that God was with me throughout it all – and I began to listen. I realised that it was only through acting upon God’s call that I could truly find happiness and fulfilment.

My time at St. Mary’s Priory in Cleator has been testimony to that. I am so grateful for the opportunity to “sample” the daily life of a priest in all his various ministries (so different to my expectations), to develop my insights into the demands of priesthood, to study aspects of the liturgy, sacraments, etc and to pray. I would like to thank Fr. Manny, Fr. Jim, Rev. Philip and this wonderful parish for their direction and support. It is only through living in such a community that I have been able to begin to understand the wider meaning of the calling to “serve” which, for me, now means a shift from my desire to serve people’s physical needs to humbly trying to serve their spiritual needs.