The Lord came into my life at just the right time because a period of extreme trial and suffering was about to begin when my Dad passed away in 2007. The sadness that comes with someone so close passing away is very hard. He was not just my Dad but also my close friend. If the Lord and Our Lady had not been in my life I don’t know how I would have coped.  When I look back now I see how the Lord carried me and my Mother through it. It reminds me of the poem ‘footprints’ that it is in the toughest and saddest times of our life. The Lord carries us through. The Lord allows suffering to bring a greater good out of it and this time of trial brought me closer to my Mother and deepened my prayer life and as a result I began to feel the call to Priesthood. 

At this point in my life I had joined Youth 2000, a Catholic youth organization. This really deepened my love for Jesus and Our Lady. I also came in contact with other young people of the same age who had the same faith that I did. This really opened my eyes; it was such a relief to see other young people on the same walk with God. What really touched my heart about Youth 2000 was the witness of the Priests. They were so alive and joyful and so in love with Jesus. I wanted to be like them, to live a life for God. 

I finally decided to do something about the call I was feeling in my heart in late 2008. I didn’t feel called to Diocesan Priesthood so I knew that a Community life was the way to go.  I spoke to many different people looking for guidance on what to do. In early 2009 I was invited to a Pallottine vocations weekend by Fr. Emmet O’ Hara. This weekend left a deep impression on me. I had been to the Pallottines in Thurles many times before but this time I felt great peace and it felt like home. 

 After this weekend was over I knew the Lord wanted me to apply to the Pallottines. But there was an ongoing struggle going on inside of me. I felt called to the Priesthood but I was also a young man who felt the attractiveness of the world and this caused a great struggle inside of me. I was like the rich young man in the Gospel. I was given a gift of a trip to Rome for my 21st Birthday present from my mum that year. It was a pilgrimage experience of the footsteps of Saint Vincent Pallotti. On this trip I saw how special it is to be a Pallottine walking the footsteps of our founder Saint Vincent Pallotti and secondly I saw so clearly in Rome the beauty of the Priesthood and the life of the Priest. This trip took away any fears I had about answering the Lords call. Within a week of coming home from the Pilgrimage to Rome I handed in my notice in work and applied to join the Pallottines. 

I can honestly say I am the happiest I have ever been in my life since joining the Pallottines. I love being a Pallottine student and I thank God for it. The thought of being a Priest one day, if it’s God’s will, amazes me and I honestly don’t feel worthy of so great a calling. But I try keep in mind that the Lord does not call the equipped, He equips the called. It is God’s loved that turned my life around and began this adventure. It is that same love that urges me on everyday on this journey towards Priesthood.

Jamie Twohig

Pallottine Seminarian