More vocations needed, says Rosemount seminarian Joe Campbell

A couple of months ago, a report surfaced in the national media which claimed that the Irish Catholic hierarchy were preparing a root and branch restructuring of the Church nationwide, in a bid to deal with the pressures applied by an increasing population and an ever decreasing number of priests. Talk of empty seminaries and pews became standard fare during the Celtic Tiger era, as prosperity kicked into top gear, and affluence and cosmopolitanism replaced thrift and conservatism at the top of the Irish national agenda. But now that the 'boom time' appears to have been reduced to background noise, and reality begins to bite, is this situation about to change? Likewise, how will it affect religion in Ireland, and those who practice it? Westmeath man Joe Campbell is one of six young men from the Diocese of Meath who have answered the call to join the priesthood and his entry to the seminary at Maynooth came at a time when the decline in seminarians was gradually turning on its head. His decision to study for the priesthood came just months before the death of Pope John Paul II, and the subsequent election of Pope Benedict XVI. 'I said I"d go to the seminary for a month and just try it out for a while,' Joe told Plus. 'If I didn"t like it, I told myself that I could aways turn around and go home. 'But when I was a month there, I"d settled down and said that I"d give it until the end of the year. But after four years, I still don"t regret going to Maynooth.' Joe is one of seventy men studying for the priesthood at St. Patrick"s College, Maynooth. Another twelve are based in Belfast, while a few more are undergoing training in Rome. That makes close to a hundred men devoting their lives to their faith and that number is growing with each passing year. The 29-year-old is son of John and Betty Campbell, a farmer and nurse who are at the head of a popular family in Rosemount. He is one of a family of four sons; a keen Gaelic football player with Rosemount and Maynooth College, and as far as he knows, the first in his family to take up the religious life. 'I"ve been asked this question so many times and I"m not sure if there was any priests in the family,' said Joe. 'I have an aunt who"s a nun in the Mercy Sisters in America, but I think I"m the first to join the priesthood. 'Growing up in Rosemount, I was an altar server for a number of years, so I suppose the attraction to the religious life was with me from then. I was very much influenced by the late Fr. Malachy Lynam and the late Fr. Gerry Hipwell at the Carmelite College in Moate.' A former pupil of Kilcumeragh National School, Rosemount, Joe spent a number of years studying at the Carmelite College before it merged with the other Moate schools in his final year. He finished in Moate in 1997 and went to University College, Dublin to study for a degree in Agricultural Science and Environmental Science for four years, completing his studies in 2001. For a time he worked in Mullingar with Westmeath County Council"s Environment Section and later in the agricultural consultancy in Banagher, Offal,y in 2003. It was around that time that Joe says he finally gave in to a 'niggle' which had been with him for many years. 'The calling is not something that happened suddenly; it was with me over a long period of time,' Joe said. 'It wasn"t really taken seriously when I was in Moate, but it stayed with me and I sort of knew where I was going when I was in UCD.' Making such a monumental and life-changing choice at the age of 25 would be tremendously difficult for any young man, and it was something which Joe gave lengthy and serious contemplation to. As he answered the call to the religious life, he 'created more space' for prayer and devotion in his life, such as attending regular evening Masses and spending time working in Lourdes during the Diocesan pilgrimage. At present, Joe has completed four years in St. Patrick"s College, Maynooth, including a pastoral year where he worked in Mullingar parish, staying in the Cathedral House. He has also completed a course in hospital chaplaincy at Kerry General Hospital in Tralee. 'The chaplaincy course opened my eyes to one of the great blessings of being a priest,' Joe remarked. 'You get to be with people during their most difficult times, and their happiest ones, and you can learn a lot from people as a chaplain. 'I have found the pastoral work particularly fulfilling and over the past four years, as well as hospital chaplaincy, I have worked in teaching, parish ministry, with the elderly, people with HIV, with the scouts, and please God next year I will work in prison chaplaincy. 'The seminary itself has a rhythm of its own,' he said, explaining life at Maynooth. 'Morning prayer at 7.15am, followed by Mass, breakfast, lectures for the day, evening prayer at 6.10pm and night prayer at 10.15pm. Recreational and pastoral work are fitted in, and of course the emphasis is on prayer and discernment of vocation. Challenging Joe admits that we are living in a world which has, in the last few decades, moved away from its faith and become consumed by a rat race mentality. This makes the work of a priest a lot more difficult, but presents a challenging mission to be taken up enthusiastically by all those who are called. 'There"s a tendency in the times we live in to put everything in front of God, and this, combined with the abuse crises over the past few years, means that a lot of people have had their faith tested, as well as their trust in the Church,' he said. 'But you can"t judge the Church on the indiscretions of a few, and people don"t generally let this dictate their view of God. The Church is so much bigger than the wrongs of certain people. 'Despite everything, it would be true to say that the majority of people out there still believe in God, and they are still searching,' he said. He cited the recent Knock Youth Festival as an example of the 'positive message of joy and hope' being embraced by young people in Ireland and further afield. Joe also reckons that recent moves by His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI to restore some of the Church"s ancient traditions are creating a new-found enthusiasm for the Faith. 'You can"t go forward without recognising your past,' he added. Likewise, Joe feels that the barriers which society has built up against God in the modern world are breakable, and will be weakened when people feel compelled to question the way in which they live. 'It"ll come to a point where we"ll ask ourselves, "What"s it all about?"' Joe remarked. 'People need to become more aware of their surroundings and place their trust in God; because at the end of the day, He is in charge. 'More than ever people need to recognise that room must be made for faith in their daily lives,' he said. Serve The Rosemount man says that God calls 'ordinary people' to serve in the priesthood, through ordinary circumstances. 'This has always been the way; you don"t automatically have to be exceptionally holy. I would urge people thinking about a life in the priesthood to pray, and ask God to help them come to the right decision,' he said. 'If the priesthood is for you, it will not pass you by. I went to Maynooth basically walking on water, going straight into the unknown. But after plenty of reflection I knew where I was going. We all have a baptismal call to live out our vocation in life. 'As St. Catherine of Siena said, "If you are all that you should be you can set the whole world ablaze", and everyone - not alone people who are thinking of joining the priesthood - should remember these words.' Joe also quoted Pope Benedict, who in a recent sermon referring to 2008 as the Year of Vocations, said: 'If Jesus calls you, do not be afraid to respond to him with generosity. Trust in Him, and you will not be disappointed.' The Year of Vocations began in April, and will end at the start of May 2009, and the three keywords for the year-long celebration are 'service, love and witness'. The south Westmeath native returns to his studies shortly, which he hopes to conclude in two years time before being ordained a priest. He has asked for people to remember both he and his fellow seminarians from the Diocese of Meath in their prayers, as well as the priests of the diocese. Also, he encourages those considering a life in the priesthood to regularly recite the Prayer for Guidance: 'Loving God, in baptism you call me to act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with you. Strengthen me with the courage and generosity to respond to your invitation and guide me as I choose my path in life. May it always be one of witness, love and service to you and all whose life I touch. I ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.' WEBLINK: www.vocationsireland.com