Seminarian Joshua Scott has called on the faithful in the Archdiocese to keep him in their prayers, in the lead-up to his ordination to the diaconate this month.
Scott will have the privilege of being ordained at his home parish of St Mary’s Church, Young, by Archbishop Christopher Prowse.
Scott’s ordination will take place at 11am on October 22 and “everyone is welcome,” he said.
As a deacon making the penultimate step on his journey to the becoming a priest, he will serve the Church through the proclamation of the Gospel and assisting at the altar during Mass.
A convert to Catholicism, Scott’s path to his vocation is not as conventional as some.
He says, “it was the Christian witness and conviction of Catholics,” which compelled him to join.
Of special significance is the fact that he will be ordained to the diaconate on the feast of St John Paul II.
He was baptised a Catholic in 2005, the year of Pope John Paul II’s death.
Following his conversion, Scott felt a strong call to be a priest, to take the path of “ordinary men pursuing the extraordinary”.
He began studies for the Archdiocese in 2010 at the Seminary of the Good Shepherd in Sydney.
His journey to priesthood has not been without its challenges.
Community life and studies for the priesthood can be difficult at times, he said, but he also described some of the many highlights of his time in the seminary.
Scott cited “the opportunity to be able to serve in indigenous communities in the Kimberley region (Western Australia) and to work with refugees in Whyalla (South Australia),” as invaluable experiences in his own formation.
His discernment years have also largely been spent delivering catechesis and in the service of others - something he will do a lot more of when ordained.
“To go into schools and teach the Church of now and of the future, to journey with pilgrims to World Youth day in Madrid, to engage with youth ministry and to serve alongside migrant communities has been a real blessing,” he said.
“It is an absolute privilege to be a part of people’s journeys through these opportunities.”
As his ordination to the diaconate approaches, Scott has a request for the faithful of the Archdiocese:
“Please pray for an increase in priestly vocations for our diocese, pray in thanksgiving for the great priests that we have, and pray for our seminarians.”
The Archdiocese is hosting a vocations retreat on the weekend of November 18 to 20 and the next Man Overboard evening will he held on October 7.
- The Catholic Voice
