False starts and saying “yes” with courage: Melbourne's ordinands

Melbourne’s soon-to-be priests say they’ve experienced their fair share of trials and tribulations while discerning God’s calling, but ultimately feel emboldened in their “yes” to God and trust in his calling as they commit themselves to the service of God’s people.

Maturing in faith and courage

‘Even though I was young, I sensed that God was asking for more of me,’ shares Deacon Tuong Nguyen. When he began contemplating life as a priest, the deacon says that he ‘leaned on’ his family, spiritual directors and close friends for advice. ‘Their words and example reminded me to trust God’s timing and listen carefully to His call.’

Upon finishing high school, Deacon Tuong entered the seminary. ‘I entered a religious order in the Philippines while also studying Agriculture. It was a mix of study, prayer, and formation.’ His sense of vocation only deepened over time through prayer and discernment.

‘My “yes” matured through my novitiate,’ the deacon reflects. He later attended Westminster Abbey, home to the Seminary of Christ the King in British Columbia in Canada, prior to joining Corpus Christi College in Melbourne.

‘Along the way, I met priests and religious who encouraged me to keep the seed of vocation alive,’ shares Deacon Tuong. And while his formation stretched him ‘intellectually and spiritually’, it was the tragic loss of both his parents that ultimately tested the deacon’s faith.

It was in that pain that I realised my life was meant to be poured out in service.

‘Facing the loss of my parents during formation was very difficult, but that trial taught me perseverance and made me more reliant on God’s strength. Through it all, I was never alone—the encouragement of my family, brother seminarians and the wider Catholic community gave me courage,’ he says.

Deacon Tuong believes this sense of loss helped him to hear God’s voice more clearly. ‘[It] made His call clearer. It was in that pain that I realised my life was meant to be poured out in service.’

He credits his vocation to the influence of his parents and his grandfather, who were instrumental in forming his faith. ‘They taught me prayer, sacrifice and perseverance even in hardship. I was also blessed with an uncle who is a bishop and priest, as well as my sister and several aunts who are nuns. Their joyful witness to religious life inspired me from a young age.

‘They showed me that giving one’s whole life to God is both possible and life-giving.’

The ministry of the priesthood is about being present to people in the good times and the bad, reflects Deacon Tuong. ‘I look forward to serving God’s people in the sacraments, preaching the Gospel, and being present in both their joys and sorrows.’

Deacon Tuong’s advice for those discerning their vocation: ‘Trust God’s plan for your life.’

‘[God’s] path may surprise you, and his timing may test you, but he is always faithful. Whatever your vocation may be—marriage, single life, consecrated life, or priesthood—say “yes” with courage. God never fails those who entrust their lives to Him.’

False starts are part of the journey

Although he had attended Catholic schools and received the sacraments as a child, Deacon Joshua McDermid’s moment of conversion didn’t happen until World Youth Day Sydney in 2008. ‘Pope Benedict XVI was the biggest early influence as he was Pope [then],’ he shares. It was after this experience that he decided to take his Catholic faith more seriously.

Deacon Joshua says the idea of entering the priesthood first came to mind when he was 20 years old, but he was reluctant to pursue the calling. Instead, he entered the field of education and became a secondary school teacher.

‘I was the English and Literacy Coordinator at the school where I worked,’ he says. ‘I mainly taught senior (Years 10-12) English, but I also taught some Religious Education and Humanities over the seven years I was a teacher.

It wasn’t until he was 26 that he began to ‘seriously investigate the possibility of priesthood’, shares Deacon Joshua.

‘Even then I had several “false starts” as I was reluctant to leave my teaching career,’ says Deacon Joshua. He sought advice from the late Archbishop of Adelaide, Archbishop Philip Wilson, Adelaide priest Fr Peter Zwaans and the now Bishop of Darwin Charles Gauci (who was a priest in Adelaide at the time).

It was hearing Jesus’ words in a quiet moment of prayer that led Deacon Joshua to ultimately say “yes” to God.

‘I was at Eucharistic Adoration and I heard a priest tell the story of Jesus telling the disciples that they were not to go back and bury the dead,’ reflects Deacon Joshua. ‘And then I thought that even though I loved what I was doing before seminary, that I had to prioritise what was primary, which was the priesthood.’

Even though I loved what I was doing before seminary ... I had to prioritise what was primary, which was the priesthood.

The deacon says that he’s enjoyed many aspects of his time at the seminary, especially learning about Catholic Social Teaching, spending time in parishes and being with the people he will soon serve.

‘I am looking forward to being a priest so that I can offer the Sacrifice of the Mass and nourish the people of God with the Eucharist, to hearing confessions and absolving people of their sins, and to continuing to preach the word of God, which I have begun to do formally as a deacon.’

Looking ahead to the ordination Mass, Deacon Joshua says he is looking forward to the laying on of hands, an ancient practice that ‘connects back to the laying on of hands in the Acts of the Apostles,’ he says.

‘I am also looking forward to the next day when I will offer a Mass of Thanksgiving, in which I will be the principal celebrant of the Mass for the first time.’

Responding to God’s generosity

It was on a silent retreat that Deacon Ian Vergel, one of the three men to be ordained by Archbishop Peter A Comensoli later this month, felt a surge of gratitude towards God.

‘I remember reflecting on the goodness of God throughout my life,’ shares Deacon Ian. ‘And I realised God was extremely generous to me and I was deeply moved by this. I wanted to give back to him and I thought the best way to do this was through the priesthood.’

Deacon Ian says he grew up a ‘cultural Catholic’, with his mum bringing the family to Mass every weekend. It wasn’t until after high school that he began to take his faith more seriously.

‘My calling was not an immediate yes but a gradual development over a few years,’ says Deacon Ian. Although he felt the stirrings of a calling to priesthood, he wanted to gain more life experience before entering the seminary. After working a few years in accounting, ‘mainly in taxation’, he decided to take the plunge.

Going on retreat and discerning with the help of others, especially his local parish, was integral to Deacon Ian’s eventual “yes” to God.

‘I would attribute my faith to the community of St Francis of Assisi, Mill Park,’ he says. ‘It was the first time I was able to see catechesis, faith and the sacraments integrated with everyday life.’

Entering the seminary is but one step in the journey towards priesthood. The seven or more years of seminary life—which includes study, formation, prayer and pastoral placements—provide an environment for deeper discernment. It’s also about forming friendships and a sense of fraternity with others on the same journey.

It was the first time I was able to see catechesis, faith and the sacraments integrated with everyday life.

‘Going through the seminary, there [were] both highs and lows,’ reflects Ian. ‘Having the fraternity and friendship with other seminarians makes the process of discernment and formation much more enjoyable.

‘Throughout my discernment and formation, I have received great help from a number of good priests including Fr Dishan Candappa, (the late) Fr Austin Cooper OMI and Fr Terrence Kennedy CSsR.’

Having formed his own faith in the company of others, Deacon Ian says he’s looking forward to creating opportunities for people to experience God’s love and mercy through the sacraments. ‘I look forward to the missionary component of diocesan priesthood ... reaching out to people, helping them to encounter God and assisting them in their response to Christ’s love.’

The deacon says he is grateful to the entire community for their prayers, support and encouragement. ‘The entire Archdiocese of Melbourne has provided me with a lot of grace and I would like to share this back with the community.’