"As he was walking by the
Sea of Galilee he saw two
brothers, Simon, who was
called Peter, and his brother
Andrew; they were making a
cast in the lake with their
net, for they were fishermen.
And he said to them, ‘Follow
me and I will make you
fishers of men and women’.
And they left their nets at
once and followed him."
Matthew 4:18-20

Not me surely?

"Do not be afraid to accept
this call. You will surely
encounter difficulties and
sacrifices, but you will be
happy to serve, you will be
witnesses of that joy that the
world cannot give. You will
be living flames of an infinite
and eternal love. You will
know the spiritual richness
of the priesthood, divine gift
and mystery."
Pope John Paul II – Vocation Message
May 11th, 2003

The Catholic Priesthood in England and Wales
"Given For You" Posters, Leaflets, Prayer Cards promoting the vocation to The Diocesan Priesthood are now available in your diocese. These materials use photographs and testimonies of twelve new students from different parts of the country, who began their training this year. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor suggests that "A good priest is a truly human person who expresses his love of God in prayer and in love of people. These gifts are sanctified and focused through the grace of ordination when he becomes 'a man for others'". If you would like a set of these materials contact us and we will be happy to send them to you.

Letter of the Holy Father John Paul II to Priests For Holy Thursday 2005

Am I called to be a priest?
In England and Wales there are twenty-two dioceses being served by 4,000 priests. It may sound a lot but as we are all aware an ever-increasing strain is being felt as more and more parishes are now without a resident priest, or soon will be. One thing is certain the Church of tomorrow, the Church of the 21st Century needs priests. The Church always has, and it always will.

We are the Church, all of us together who follow Jesus Christ. Each of us is called by Jesus to serve him in a special way. We are rightly very aware today of the tremendous dignity and responsibility of every person in the Church, and indeed of every human being. But the ministry of the ordained priest lies at the heart of what the Lord calls us to be.

The priest in the community
The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) reminded us that priests have a central role to play in the renewal of the Church. The more active lay people become in the Church’s life and work, the more the priest is needed to sustain and empower them for their service of the Gospel. Jesus called the apostles to be close to him and to share his own work in a special way. He is still alive in the heart of this Church, and still calls people to carry forward the work of the apostles. The call to the priesthood is a call to pastoral leadership in the Lords name, working in close collaboration with all God’s people. The risen Jesus continues his own ministry, as the Good Shepherd, Teacher and High Priest of his Church through the ministry of his priests. That is why the ordained priesthood is so vital to the Church’s life and work.

Think about it!
Could you be among those called by Jesus to this vital ministry? This is an important question for any unmarried man to ask himself. At least then you will be open to hear God’s special call to you, whatever that may be – and it could well be a call to be a priest. Perhaps this is the first time you have asked yourself this question. Whatever your age, experience or background, whether you are someone who has thought about the priesthood from a young age or first thought of the priesthood later in life, you will almost certainly feel very hesitant about a call to the priesthood. This is only natural!

An adventure of love
The priestly ministry is a real challenge – an adventure of love. It means being close to Jesus in a special way, with his own joy deep within you, but also sharing the trials and suffering that came his way. Like so many people called by God, including the great prophets and the apostles, you may feel that you are too young or too old; you are unworthy of this ministry; you could not cope; it will require too great a sacrifice; you do not have the right qualities and qualifications. Perhaps you are just overwhelmed by the whole idea. Perhaps you are disillusioned by your experience of some priests or by some of the highly publicised clerical scandals of recent times. Such things only confirm that the Lord calls ordinary people to an extraordinary ministry, and that the priest always remains simply an "earthen vessel" bearing the treasure of the living Lord himself to his people.

What next?
The only way you can know the answer to these questions is to explore them, trusting that the Lord will lead you to a deeper understanding of his will for you. To find out more about the life and ministry of a priest, the selection process, and the formation involved in preparing for the priesthood, see the 'Priesthood Guidelines' page or visit the UK Priest website or contact us

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