My path to ordination- a short reflection by John Masshedar
John with Bishop Kevin at his Ordination to the Diaconate
As I look back and reflect on the last three years, so much has happened! I resigned from the Anglican ministry in January 2004, and was received into full communion with the Catholic Church shortly afterwards. In the summer of that year, I went to see our new Bishop to ask about the possibility of offering for priesthood - an ex-Anglican priest in my mid 50s ..... and married! "John," said Bishop Kevin with a smile, "nothing is impossible in the Catholic Church!". And so began a process of discernment culminating in two years at Ushaw (for "re-tooling," as one member of staff put it!), leading to ordination to the diaconate on June 15th.
I look forward now to ordination to the priesthood with a mixture of emotions - joy, excitement, trepidation, a sense of unworthiness..... but chiefly, I think, with an almost overwhelming sense of gratitude. To the Church, for her amazing generosity in allowing married former Anglican clerics to be considered for ordination; to Bishop Kevin and our whole diocesan family for their unfailing kindness; to all my Anglican friends and former parishioners for their understanding; to Liz and my family for their love and support over the past few years as always; to Ushaw College, for the many blessings I received there, both from staff and fellow-students; to Fr Chris Jackson and the family of St Mary's, Sunderland, for allowing me the privilege of sharing in their life over the past couple of years.
And so the journey continues. May God bless and guide each one of us as, together, we travel in faith toward the source of all life.
John Masshedar. July 2007