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A cycle
ride through France finishing up at Lourdes was a major `milestone' in
Martin Queenan's journey from banking to the priesthood. The week he spent
with many others working among groups of children there helped confirm his
calling.
`What
attracted me was the cycle trip; the challenge of cycling 550 miles
through France. But it was a wonderful introduction to Lourdes. The week
working there was harder than a week cycling. We didn't cycle back home.'
That
his first parish as the pastor and priest in charge should be at Our Lady
of Lourdes here is Weston is therefore quite appropriate. And although he
had no choice in the matter, he is very happy to be here. `I
think I have done very well for my first appointment.'
Father
Martin didn't finally make his decision to enter the priesthood until he
was in his late 30s, having been working in the Bank of Ireland since
leaving school. `I was a late comer. They call it a late vocation. I
think the calling was long-standing. It was there when I was younger, in
my early teens, but not by the time I came to leave secondary school at
18.'
So he
went to work in the bank. Experiences during that time, including his
cycle trip to Lourdes and the death of a friend, got him thinking about
what life was all about. `God had plenty of bankers. He did not have
plenty of pastors and priests.'
As a
result of this late calling he did his training in the `fast-track' at
Beda College in Rome. It took just four years instead of the more usual
six to complete. Since then he has spent a brief period in Salisbury
followed by four years as assistant priest at the large town centre parish
of St Gregory the Great in Cheltenham.
Father
Martin, whose home town is Sligo in the North West corner of Ireland, came
to Weston last September. So he is still settling in and meeting his
parishioners and unpacking his cases are his first priorities. But he has
already met with other leaders of the local churches.
Did he
think Churches Together has any value? `Certainly it has a value. I know
that the Christian presence in this country is diminishing and we need to
support each other as Christians. And part of that is getting to know each
other and to work together. He sees the yearly Easter walk of witness
around Milton as a good example of this.
`It is
Christians coming together and it is a good witness on the streets of
Milton and Worle. Disunity among Christians is a poor witness.' Walking
the streets of Milton may not compare with cycling across France. But we
certainly pray that it proves just as valuable an experience for him in
his journey of faith amongst his fellow Christians in and around Milton
and Weston super Mare.
Brian Kellock. |
