Menevia Vocations

16/09/2023

Great to celebrate Canon Benedict Koledoye's 25 years of priestly ministry today in St Joseph's Cathedral - llongyfarchiadau Canon! Please pray for him. May the Lord continue to provide joyful witnesses of the Gospel for his Church!

02/09/2023

Reflecting on the joy of Fr Greg Beckett's ordination in Swansea last month, we at the Vocations Office assure him of our prayers as he begins his priestly ministry at Sacred Heart, Morriston. May you lead many souls to Jesus!

If you're interested in talking about God's plan for your life, why not email [email protected], and see where the conversation might take you.

29/04/2023

Happy Good Shepherd Sunday! This is the annual World Day of Prayer for Vocations, particularly vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. Please pray that our diocese is blessed with many such vocations! Here's a video for the feast day:

16/07/2022

Summer event: all welcome 18-30! (Very helpful if you drop an RSVP email to [email protected] for catering purposes)

29/06/2022

Ever heard of World Youth Day? The next one is in Lisbon in summer 2023. Many people say it was an experience at a World Youth Day that led them closer to Jesus, a moment when they realised Jesus had an amazing plan for their lives. If you or someone you know will be 16-35 next summer, you're invited! Fill out this Google form to let the diocese know there's enough interest to run a trip from Menevia:

https://rcadc.org/wyd-2023/

And check out this video for a flavour of what World Youth Day is all about...

https://youtu.be/Efsm4s8g2mg

WorldYouthDayMedia recaps some of the highlights and impactful moments of World Youth Day in Panama (2019) as we prepare our hearts to encounter each other, ...

25/06/2022

Such joy for our diocese as we celebrate a new bishop and a new deacon in the same week! Congratulations to Rev Greg Beckett who was ordained today at St Mary's College, Oscott. Here he's pictured with Bishop Mark O'Toole, Fr John Patrick Thomas, Fr Liam Bradley and Fr Matt Roche-Saunders. We've so much to give thanks to God for: please keep praying for our young people to be courageous in listening to the call of Jesus in their lives.

17/06/2022

Next Saturday 25th, the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we celebrate the Diaconate Ordination of Greg Beckett! Greg has been in formation for priesthood for a number of years and this will be the moment he makes his promises of celibacy, obedience to the bishop, and to pray each day the Divine Office (the Prayer of the Church). Please pray for Greg! If you begin today you can make a novena and finish on the day of ordination.

16/05/2022

The next event for young adults (18-30) is a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Taper in Cardigan for this month of May, month of Our Lady. More details on the poster. All welcome (but tell me in advance if you'd like fish and chips!) More info from [email protected]

31/03/2022

You might have heard before of Sr Clare Crockett - a young woman from Northern Ireland who encountered Jesus's love, turned her life around, and became a nun with the Sisters of the Home of the Mother. She died a saintly death in 2016 and you can watch the video of her life in this excellent YouTube film - why not watch it with some young people in your parish?

https://youtu.be/dL565Cwmg9o

Here's a photo of Fr Matt visiting some of Sr Clare's sisters in Rome this week. Please pray for these sisters! Pray also that religious life becomes a joyful, beautiful option for young men and women in our diocese.

29/03/2022

This week there's a conference in Rome for Vocations Directors and others involved in formation for priests. It was a great privilege to have a tour of the English (and Welsh!) College, which has been forming men for the mission of proclaiming the Gospel for nearly 700 years. In the second photo you can see a famous painting that hangs in the College Chapel that reminds us that mission and martyrdom are closely related - to be a priest is to be ready to imitate Jesus's love, 'to lay down one's life for one's friends'. You can also see some relics under the altar of men who were formed at that College many years ago and who are now praying for us from heaven.

Please pray for priests! And pray that many more may hear Jesus calling them to serve in this way.

08/01/2022

A lovely testimony of one man's journey to becoming a priest through his encounter with four deaf girls...

(3 minute read) The cheerfulness, resilience and faith of four deaf girls led Kevin Murphy to change the direction of his life.

12/12/2021

This Gaudete Sunday we're REJOICING to see Greg Beckett become a Candidate for Holy Orders!

Candidacy is the final stage in a man's preparation for ordination - the point at which the Church formally recognises his vocation to the priesthood. Please keep praying for Greg! And pray for many more priestly vocations in our diocese of Menevia.

In the photo is Greg, Bishop David Oakley (Bishop of Northampton) and Fr Matt Roche-Saunders (Vocations Director), pictured in the chapel of Oscott College.