Three vocation stories shared with young adults at St Joseph’s Catholic Parish in Moorebank reveal how God can lead people to priesthood and religious life through unexpected paths.
By Mathew De Sousa
Fr Matthew Timonera OFM Cap, Sr Mary Immanuel and seminarian Harrison Brady shared their vocation stories with young adults at St Joseph’s Catholic Parish, Moorebank. Photo: Supplied.
Vocation Stories: Three Journeys to Priesthood and Religious Life
After six years of formation with the Capuchin Friars, the then-Brother Matthew Timonera sat with his provincial minister, holding a letter that would change the course of his vocation.
Written during one of his classes, the letter outlined all the reasons he felt his calling was not with the order. It was a question Brother Matthew had been wrestling with ever since his formator posed one simple question: “How do you feel called to serve?”
This was not about the earthly concept of service as a brother living in community, but the eternal service through which a person lives out their God-given purpose.
Trying to answer the question, Brother Matthew reflected on his past experiences and the abilities he had acquired over many years.
“Is it teaching? I couldn’t find myself getting enthusiastic about that,” the Capuchin recalled before a crowd of 50 young adults.
“Is it psychology or counselling, or even something like accounting, where I can use those skills to help manage things?
“Of all the different avenues I tried, I could not find a reason why I would feel called to be a lay brother, and so I came to the conclusion that maybe I made a mistake and I’m not meant to be a Capuchin.”
With all this in his heart, Brother Matthew read the letter to the provincial minister, who remained silent for a moment.
The provincial minister insisted there was one possibility not mentioned in the letter that the young man had not considered. After a moment of reflection, it became clear that it was the priesthood.
“It was a very tough decision because I had already convinced myself I was called to be a labourer,” said Fr Timonera, now a priest and vocations director for the Capuchin Friars.
“No, that’s what I wanted, not what God wanted.
“God wanted me to be able to speak in public, not for my own benefit, but for the benefit of those who might hear it.
“I had to go back to do studies for the priesthood and finally, when I made my vows and was later ordained as a deacon, I could definitely say that there was a sense of peace.”
This story from Fr Timonera was a poignant moment during a panel discussion on vocations at St Joseph’s Catholic Parish in Moorebank on 25 August.
Joining the Capuchin priest on the panel were Sr Mary Immanuel from the Immaculata Community and seminarian Harrison Brady from the Archdiocese of Sydney’s Seminary of the Good Shepherd.
Run by Somascan Movement Australia in response to the Sydney Synod’s call for deanery collaboration in evangelisation and formation initiatives, The Forum invites each panellist to speak on a topic for seven minutes. The panellists then discuss questions, with further contributions from those present.
Vocation Stories: A sister discovers her vocation through intimacy with God
Sr Mary’s vocation story began with a search for greater freedom and intimacy with God.
Sr Mary spoke about the emptiness and lack of purpose she felt as a young woman, despite having good friends, a promising career as a social worker and a committed parish life.
An influential encounter with priests from the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in Sydney left her questioning her lack of freedom. However, she continued living as she had been, determined to complete her studies.
Sr Mary’s call came after she had volunteered with the Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia for several months and was invited to consider a period of aspirancy.
Eventually she realised she needed to take a step and discover what God was asking of her. She joined her community in 2011.
“The biggest thing was discovering intimacy with God in a completely new way,” Sr Mary said.
“This was what I had been longing for all along: to be known, to be loved. I had always assumed that kind of intimacy could only exist within marriage.
“That’s always been the hardest thing for me in stepping into this life, as I had always wanted to be married, but I had never considered the idea of being married to God.
“After 15 years as a sister, I’ve come to see that this has been the most beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced – being so united with God.
“That’s really what it means to be a sister. We are set apart from the world in order to be united with God.”
Vocation Stories: A seminarian’s vocation survives illness and uncertainty
Harrison’s vocation story took an unexpected turn when illness forced him to put his plans for the seminary on hold.
Speaking from the perspective of a seminarian who had felt sure of his vocation from a young age, Harrison gave a moving testimony.
At 17, Harrison began seriously considering a path connected to the church and enrolled in a Bachelor of Theology at Australian Catholic University’s Strathfield campus to deepen his faith and understanding of church teaching.
He became involved with several young adult groups and spent time discerning with different religious orders. But after attending a discernment retreat, he felt most drawn to the seminary for the Archdiocese of Sydney.
“I went along for the weekend and fell in love with it,” said the second-year seminarian.
“I really enjoyed the community of brothers coming together, sharing life together, but also just having a good time.
“I came away thinking there was something special about that place in particular – something about the archdiocese and that seminary that stood out to me beyond other religious communities or orders.”
Unfortunately, a routine medical check led to a diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndrome, an early-stage form of leukaemia, forcing Harrison to withdraw his seminary application and put his plans on hold.
The Forum was inspired by the ancient Roman Forum, which facilitated discussion, debate and discovery. Photo: Supplied.
This brought months of confusion and uncertainty about his health and vocation as Harrison prepared for a crucial bone marrow transplant.
“I managed to get a job around that time, which gave me some stability, but my future was completely in God’s hands,” Harrison said.
“Then, on one particular day, close to when I was due to be called in for the transplant, I don’t quite know how it happened, but I suddenly had this overwhelming sense of peace about everything.
“It felt as clear as day: I was meant to continue with the seminary, and I shouldn’t worry about what came next, because God would be there for me.
“The recovery was long, but slowly I regained my health. At that point, I decided to reapply to the seminary, this time with Fr Daniel Russo.
“I went through all the checks again, the medical check went well this time, and I entered the seminary in 2024.
“I made it through the first year, and I can honestly say that with every passing day, I feel more and more drawn to the priesthood.”
Vocation Stories: Discernment helps young Catholics discover their vocation
Inspired by the panellists’ testimonies, attendees asked questions for more than 45 minutes. The discussion covered the joys and sorrows of priesthood and religious life, how suffering can strengthen a vocation, the difference between God’s voice and one’s inner voice, and practical ways to discern one’s vocation.
The Forum was inspired by the ancient Roman Forum, which facilitated discussion, debate and discovery. It aims to bring faith, culture and conversation together in a fresh and engaging way.
Together, these vocation stories offered young adults practical examples of how to discern God’s call.
This article was first published by The Catholic Weekly and has been adapted and republished by EWTN Australia.
