The Catholic Priest
A Catholic Priest is a man chosen by God and ordained to serve God's people. By the Sacrament of Ordination the Priest shares in a distinctive way in the one Priesthood of Jesus Christ, a way that serves the Christian faithful who share in the Priesthood of Christ in their own way through the Sacrament of Baptism.
The ministry of the ordained priest is essential to the life of the Church.
The ordained priest works in close association with the bishop of the diocese and his brother priests, and indeed with the people in his care, so that Christ can bring his own mercy, healing and strengthening to His faithful. He does this in many ways, principally through the ministry of preaching the Good News, the celebration of the Mass, the Sacraments, and his own personal prayer but also through meeting and visiting people in many different situations; from the sick in hospital and in their own homes, to the bereaved, children in school, and teaching people preparing for the sacraments.
But whatever a Priest does he must first of all be a man of faith and compassion in whom people can see the heart of the Good Shepherd, Jesus himself. The Priest is a channel of God's grace to His people so that they can live their vocation to be apostles to the world today.
More information about the Catholic Priesthood including materials to help you discern if this is God's call to you can be found on the website: www.ukpriest.org
There are currently four men training for the Priesthood in the Brentwood Diocese:
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Mark Reilly is currently in his fifth year at the Venerable English College in Rome. Mark has finished his Philosophy and is now completing his Theology degree. He is due to be ordained as a deacon, the step before being ordained Priest, in 2008. Mark comes from Brentwood in Essex and attended the Campion School, Hornchurch. Before entering the seminary Mark studied Classics and worked in the Insurance Industry. |
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James Mackay is also in his fifth year at the English College and due to be ordained to the diaconate in 2008. He comes from Canning Town in east London and attended St Bonaventure's School, Forest Gate, before entering the seminary was studying at St Mary's University College, Strawberry Hill, where he completed a Theology degree. |
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Neil Brett is finishing his third year at the English College. Before entering the seminary he taught at St Thomas More School, Westcliff and St Bonaventure's, Forest Gate where he actually taught James and Daniel. He finished his school career as a Headteacher of a secondary school in Portsmouth. |  |
Daniel Kelly is currently in his second year at St John's Seminary, near Guildford in Surrey. He is from Westcliff -on-Sea in Essex and attended St Thomas More School in Westcliff. As part of his studies he is taking an MA in Bioethics at Strawberry Hill. Before going to seminary he read for a BA degree in Theology for Ministry at Heythrop College, University of London. Click HERE to read his story |
"Cast yourself into the arms of God and be very sure that if he wants anything of you, he will fit you for the work and give you strength." (St Philip Neri)
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