Three men preparing to be ordained priests for the Sydney Archdiocese on August 8 at St Mary’s Cathedral have reflected on the faith, formation and moments of grace that led them to answer God’s call. Source: The Catholic Weekly.
For Deacons Lucas Golab, Peter Van Khuơng Tran and Stephen Howard, the journey to the priesthood has been marked by years of discernment and pastoral formation, with each sharing how God gently guided them through personal challenges and a growing desire to serve the Church.
Growing up in Poland, Deacon Lucas said his love for the Church developed from an early age.
“It’s quite interesting because the desire to go to church came from me,” he said.
“I was very close to the Church, not only on Sunday, but also on weekdays.”
As he grew older, friendships with priests and seminarians in the Diocese of Warsaw-Praga became an important source of encouragement.
Deacon Peter also credits his childhood for nurturing his vocation. Raised in a deeply Catholic family, attending Mass was a daily part of life, often beginning before dawn.
For Deacon Stephen, his vocation began to take shape a year after returning to the sacraments while studying at the University of New South Wales.
“I became involved with an Alpha program on campus, and from there was invited to a FOCUS conference in Chicago,” he said.
“The powerful moments in Eucharistic adoration and Mass with 9000 other young Catholics, and the stirring witness from speakers like the actor Jim Caviezel helped me to take my faith more seriously.”
He went on to read St Augustine’s Confessions and serve the poor with the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata while deepening his discernment.
Upon returning to Australia, he applied to the seminary and began his formation that has taken him from Sydney’s Seminary of the Good Shepherd to the Pontifical North American College in Rome.
Although living overseas has been one of the greatest challenges of formation, he said it has also deepened his appreciation for Australia and strengthened his desire to serve the local church.
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Sydney Archdiocese prepares to ordain three new priests (By Christina Guzman, The Catholic Weekly)
