Fifteen young men attended the inquiry day for potential future priests at St Charles Seminary on Sunday September 16.
It was a notable event for St Charles Seminary; it was the largest turnout that the seminary has experienced in many years.
“It is important to let God open and close the doors,” Tom Coffey, aged 21, told The Record. “I am open to God’s will.”
Every year St Charles Seminary holds an enquiry day for young men who are thinking about becoming priests; the day gives them the opportunity to mingle with those who have already made the decision to study for the Catholic priesthood.
Those who feel called to serve God and the Church are encouraged to take the step.
Callum Martin, aged 19, has never been more certain about what he wants to do with his life.
“I couldn’t see myself as anything else.” He said.
“It is a beautiful way to serve Christ and to serve others.”
However there was no pressure on those who are simply curious or interested to learn more about the ancient vocation of the priesthood.
Men arrived at St Charles Seminary in Guildford promptly at 9.30am and the day began with the Lord’s Prayer, followed by a talk on someinary life and the priesthood from the rector of St Charles, Monsignor Kevin Long.
During his talk the definition of ‘seminary’ became clear. The word comes from the Latin ‘seminar’ which means to sow a seed – in this case to nurture the seed of a vocation.
“Many find that the lay life is not fulfilling,” seminary priest Father John O’Reilly told The Record.
“We have had engineers, lawyers, accountants – all who have turned their backs on their career to spread the faith.”
Seminarians treated their visitors to a walk around the lush green acres of land and down to the river where questions were asked and answered about life at the seminary.
“I wanted to get a feel about how to live life as a seminarian and what that would involve,” Warwick Davis, aged 24, said.
Life at the seminary closely follows the formation program, which is overseen by the Archbishop and follows the requirements contained in Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis.
The program covers four formations; human, spiritual, pastoral and intellectual. It was a beautiful day where the call to follow Christ more closely was put into motion.
For further information, any single men 17 and over are welcome to email admin@seminary-perth.org.au or call (08) 9279 1310.