Fr Paul Kyne is the Vocations Director in the Archdiocese of Southwark and Parish Priest of St Lawrence’s Catholic Church Sidcup. As we enter a new phase in the formation of our priests in Southwark, he encourages us to keep praying for current and future priests.
The past 12 months has continued to see an increase in men coming forward to speak with our Vocations Team regarding a possible calling to priesthood.
Discerning a calling to priesthood can initially be quite daunting, where a number of concerns may arise for a variety of reasons. The Archdiocese of Southwark is blessed to have a very capable and dedicated Vocations Team who work with these young men to
gently encourage them to discern God’s purpose for their lives. As a priest, it is a
great privilege for me to be part of their discernment journey.
In 2021 we regrettably saw the closure of St John’s Seminary in Wonersh.
However, this meant that our seminarians had the joy of moving into Allen Hall
Seminary, located in Chelsea and Kensington, to study with seminarians from all
over England and Wales including the Diocese of Westminster, Brighton & Arundel,
Cardiff and Plymouth. They also study with seminarians from various religious
orders such as the Salesians, Vincentians and the Augustinians. You can read more about Allen Hall in the booklet detailed below, including a message from the Rector, Canon John O’Leary.
Last year we ordained 4 men to the priesthood within our Archdiocese and this year further ordinations to the priesthood and diaconate will take place (in preparation for priesthood next year). We give great thanks to Jesus Christ for the great gift of these men to His Church and for their courage and generosity of heart in responding to His call.
Thank you for your support and please continue to pray for your current and future priests.
Fr Paul Kyne
Vocations Director