I can’t quite believe it, but somehow the number of seminarians in formation at Allen Hall has reached fifty at the beginning of this new academic year. This includes those living at Allen Hall, together with members of religious orders and other houses of formation who are travelling in each day, and seminarians and deacons who are outside the college on full-time pastoral placements.
It’s certainly a significant step, to reach our half-century; and another sign that even if priestly and religious vocations are not quite booming, things are at least looking more positive than a few years ago and moving in a good direction.
The numbers don't match, because this photo includes some seminarians in formation elsewhere, and is missing some of the Allen Hall seminarians!
You can read my enthusiastic post from this time last year, which includes a few more global stats.
And here is the recent press-release from Westminster Diocese:
16 men have started studying for the Catholic priesthood at the start of the 2011-2012 academic year at Allen Hall, the Diocese of Westminster’s seminary in London.
The new intake brings the number of men preparing for the priesthood at Allen Hall to 50, up from 46 in 2010 and the sixth consecutive annual increase.
This number includes men who are preparing to become priests in the Diocese of Westminster, other English and overseas diocese including Lancaster, Nottingham, Johannesburg and Toulon and religious orders including the Salvatorians, Passionists and the Congregation of the Holy Cross.
For the Diocese of Westminster, 32 men are now preparing for the priesthood. 12 men started this September with six studying at Allen Hall, three at the Beda College in Rome and three at the Venerable English College in Rome. A further two men are spending a year ‘discovering priesthood’ at The Royal College of St. Alban, Valladolid, Spain before actually entering seminary.
Damian Ryan is one of the Diocese of Westminster’s new seminarians. He shares some thoughts as he begins this new chapter in his life.
Can you say a little about your journey so far?
After leaving school at 17, I worked as a salesman, a market research supervisor, a chef, and a swimming and football coach. It was then that I realised that I was ready for further studies so at the tender age of 26 I went to study Psychology and Sports studies at the University of Hertfordshire, with the idea of going into sports coaching. God, however, had other ideas!
Looking back, how has God guided you to the seminary?
I felt restless at university about my chosen career path as a sports coach. At the same time I began to want to go to Mass every day, and to learn more about my faith. It was around this time that many people started asking me if I was thinking about priesthood. I thought it was a conspiracy! After talking with my parish priest and chaplain at the university, Fr Mark Vickers, he encouraged me to ‘come and see’ whether or not God was calling me to the priesthood. He kindly offered me a position as parish assistant at St Peter’s Church, Hatfield, to test this. My spiritual director was also fantastic in guiding me with deep wisdom during this period of discernment. As well as receiving encouragement from parishioners at St Peter’s, this journey towards the priesthood has given me an ever-deeper sense of peace which, to me, has been the biggest sign that this is indeed the right step.
How are you feeling as you begin your seminary journey?
Very excited! When I first made the decision to apply to seminary 18 months ago, I wanted to move in straight away! I had to be patient though as God obviously wanted me to wait, and so since then I have continued working in St. Peter’s Church, visiting the sick and housebound, serving at Mass every day, helping with the Chaplaincy, helping and leading catechesis classes, helping to run a youth group, as well as other general parish duties. During this time I’ve come to know the parishioners there, who have been overwhelmingly kind and encouraging, and so, as D-Day approaches, the sense of excitement is tinged with a sadness that I’ll be leaving such a generous, warm, and kind community. But most deeply, as I begin this journey, God willing, towards the priesthood, I feel as if I finally know who I am and who I was made to be. I feel as if the priesthood will complete me in a way that nothing else will.
What advice would you have for anyone else discerning a possible call to the priesthood?
Do not be afraid! Pray, live the Christian life, and frequent the sacraments. If you are a student, going to Mass sometimes during the week is both doable and very good to do. Praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament has helped me enormously, as well as having a good spiritual director. Getting to know good priests, other good Catholics at events such as the ‘Evangelium’ and ‘Faith’ conferences, where you can meet many others who are discerning a possible call to priesthood as well as learning more about our faith, are very good things to do too. The main thing is to be courageous, relax, and to let Jesus do the work. He knows what he’s doing.
Bridges and Tangents 
Good news ..
For people who don’t know a lot about the Catholic faith (like me), but learning, just like to share this knowledge recently picked up:
Christ is The Priest (i’m embarrassed to admit i didn’t really know this or at least take it in properly – i know He makes a profound sacrifice on The Cross, at different levels, but didn’t know he was a priest as well).
That an ordained “priest”, is really a minister for Christ. Our Lord, being the true priest (i say this to take the pressure off what some consider to be a “priest” to be i.e. me until fairly recently).
I didn’t realize, either, that all people who follow Christ are, also, priests (again, i say this to take the pressure off what some consider to be a “priest”).
I say none of this to take away from the challenging vocation of the ordained priesthood (and, yet, at same time, all vocations are challenging).
I think people are afraid of the word “priest”, when, of course, they (we) shouldn’t be. Like so much in Christianity, our fears are based on ignorance (at least mine).
Lastly, did you know that Lord of the Ring’s Frodo represents something of “priest” (the “Priest” in Christ – and, also, that Aragorn represents the “King” in Christ, and Gandalf the “Prophet” in Christ).
So for people who don’t know a lot about the Catholic faith (but learning ..) next time you see a priest, think of him as a kind of Frodo figure (with an awesome task, at times he might feel overwhelmed and lonely and incapable of carrying out the journey, but he, also, inhabits an extraordinary spiritual world, too – we all live spiritual lives, but for those of us in the world, it’s more of a natural kind of spiritualism than a supernatural one, although never black-and-white like this).
And at end of day, would you rather be part of the world of Lord of the Rings (and it can be challenging even scary at times, but, at the same time, often with so much Christian spiritual magic and love and friendship, and so on) or a more superficial world, part of a fleeting trashy novel kind …
Lastly, it is a priest (with Sam, also, playing a “priest” role, actually, he is the real priest in the book, the only one able to resist, finally, the power of the ring) who is the real hero of Lord of the Rings.
I know this is art, but art can be useful and Lord of the Rings is, i think of value.
(you?)