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Vocations to the Priesthood in the Diocese of Clonfert, and in the Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora

One Life to Live

During my final years in secondary school, when I was wondering what to do with my life, Sr Bernard Lynch, RSM (now deceased), gave me a prayer called One Solitary Life. It stayed with me.

One Solitary Life

He was born in an obscure village
The child of a peasant woman
He grew up in another obscure village
Where he worked in a carpenter’s shop
Until he was thirty
He never wrote a book
He never held an office
He never went to college
He never visited a big city
He never travelled more than two hundred miles
From the place where he was born
He did none of the things
Usually associated with greatness
He had no credentials but himself
He was only thirty-three
His friends ran away
One of them denied him
He was turned over to his enemies
And went through the mockery of a trial
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves
While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing
The only property he had on earth
When he was dead
He was laid in a borrowed grave
Through the pity of a friend

Nineteen centuries have come and gone
And today Jesus is the central figure of the human race
And the leader of humanity’s progress.

All the armies that have ever marched,
All the navies that have ever sailed,
All the parliaments that have ever sat,
All the kings that ever reigned, put together,
Have not affected the life of humanity on earth
As powerfully as that one solitary life.

(James Allen Francis)

That reflection made me think seriously about the life I had been given — and what I might do with it. I didn’t want to reach the end and realise I had passed through without doing something worthwhile, something that helped others and perhaps left the world a little better.

In time, that desire led me to priesthood.

If you find yourself thinking along similar lines, you might consider the priesthood in the Diocese of Clonfert and the Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora as a possible way of life.

Please do make contact with our Vocations Director, Fr Ian O’Neill, or with myself via the Diocesan Office (jgacton@clonfertgalway.ie).

With All God’s Blessings

Bishop Michael

 

Vocations FAQ

A vocation is a call from God to live your life in a particular way — through marriage, single life, religious life, or priesthood. It is not a career choice but a response to a call of love and service.

Often it begins as a quiet sense that God may be asking more of you. You may find yourself drawn to prayer, to service, or to the life of the Church. It’s rarely clear at first — discernment takes time, prayer, and conversation.

No. Everyone who begins this journey feels uncertain. The question is not whether you are sure, but whether you are willing to explore.

Set aside time each day for prayer, attend Mass regularly, and speak to someone you trust — perhaps your parish priest, a friend of faith, or the vocations director. Keeping a journal can help you notice patterns and promptings.

A priest serves the people of his diocese. He celebrates Mass, baptises, hears confessions, marries couples, anoints the sick, and buries the dead. He preaches, prays, listens, and walks with people through every stage of life.

Faith, compassion, humility, steadiness, and a willingness to serve. No one begins with all these fully formed; they grow through prayer and experience.

It is a demanding life but also deeply fulfilling. Its joy comes from giving oneself to others and to God. It is not always easy, but it is never empty.