On Saturday 19 July we celebrated the ordination to the sacred priesthood of Fr Gerard (Gerry) Bowen.

Fr Gerry first felt the call to the priesthood when he received First Holy Communion, but he said: “I was too scared at first, about what I was saying no to, as it meant not getting married or having my own children”. He went on to become a primary school teacher, but he still felt God’s call. 

He said: “As a teacher what got stronger is the feeling that this is what God wants me to do. At 30, I thought: ‘God has looked after me, so if I genuinely want to go to priesthood, I should do it.’” He asked for a sign, and on the Feast of St Mary the Mother of God, he saw a leaflet he hadn’t noticed before: Do You Have a Vocation? 

Fr Gerry adds: “It was really helpful, and one question was ‘Am I worthy enough?’ Then my thoughts turned to ‘’what am I saying YES to?’. That gave me the strength to get in touch with the Diocese.”

When he got to the seminary, he said: “It just felt right.”

On his career as a teacher, Fr Gerry said: “I don’t feel that my time as a teacher had been wasted, but a part of me wished I’d gone to seminary sooner.”

But, he adds: “My teaching experience will be helpful with interacting with the public - my experience is not just with children but also how to talk to parents and how you encourage them.  

“I’d like to think that having teaching skills under my belt will help me to preach the faith.”

When asked what advice he would give to anyone considering the priesthood, he said:

“One of the things I found really helpful, aside from the leaflet, was discernment weekends by the Vocations Office. Not just because of seeing what seminary life was like but being able to speak to people with the same fears, and different life situations. I got inspiration from that, and inspiration from people who were like me, too. 

“I’d encourage people to go to these weekends to talk to other people. Having a good prayer life really helps as well. I go to Mount St Bernard to get away from the world and on pilgrimage and retreats to be comfortable talking with God.”

Fr Gerry is an avid history fan and likes to visit historical sites wherever he is. He also loves movies and comicons and illustration as a hobby. You can see one of his illustrations on the cover of the ordination booklet!

Saturday’s Ordination was celebrated by Archbishop Bernard Longley in front of Fr Gerry’s family, friends and fellow clergy.

Archbishop Bernard began his Homily with:

The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

The Ordination of a Priest for the service of the local Church is a very blessed day in the life of every diocese. It signifies the abiding love of Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd, for the people he continues to gather and lead on their pilgrimage towards the Kingdom of God. It is another sign that his words I am with you until the end of time are the most reliable foundation for our faith in him and for our active participation in the life and mission of his Church.

The Ordination of Gerry as a Priest to pick up the baton of service in this Archdiocese is a most joyful moment – it evokes our gratitude to God for his providence and it strengthens our hope for the future of the Church’s mission. Today the Cathedral is the crossroads where the personal journey of this ordinand is transformed into the shared pilgrimage which will now unite him irrevocably with all his brother priests.

Read Homily in full

Ahead of the Ordination, Rev Fr Craig Szmidt - Vocation Director, shared a short reflection: 

An ordination, like a marriage or religious profession, is always a moment to rejoice.  But more than that, it is a profound moment when we witness God powerfully at work among us.  

Every July, I am mindful that this month marks the ordination anniversaries of many of our priests, deacons and bishops.  Whatever month an anniversary falls – be it marriage, religious profession, or ordination – it is occasion to celebrate: a moment to look to the past with thanksgiving and to the future with great hope.  

As Vocation Director, it is always a joy to witness the ordination of men to the priesthood and diaconate and their years of formation.  I invite you to join me in praying the Diocesan Prayer for Vocations as we pray for an increase in vocations to the single life, married life, consecrated life and particularly that more men will respond with courage to the Lord’s personal invitation to follow Him as priests and deacons for our Archdiocese.  

Find out more about Becoming a Priest

Find out more about the Vocations Office

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