Dedicate your life to God, bishop urges

A senior churchman has appealed to young people to consider taking up a religious vocation and “take the best step you’ll ever make”.

In a specially- made video posted on the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paisley website, the Rt Rev John Keenan, Bishop of Paisley, calls on youngsters to “ask God what he wants you to do with the rest of your life”.

The bishop said God knows what is best for men and women, and the churchman alludes to science in his appeal to them.

“He thought of you and you vocation before the world began, before even the first light exploded from the Big Bang over 13 billion years ago,” he said.

“At that point, he was already thinking of you and dreaming a dream of how you would become a son or daughter in his Church and making the world a better place.

“For most of you His dream was to fall in love, get married and have a family.

“But for some of you His dream is to be priests and religious brothers and sisters.

“As priests, he is calling you to be leaders or shepherds of his people, guiding them in love, teaching them how to be good disciples.”

In the video message, the bishop recalls his time as a student: “When I was a law student at Glasgow University and involved in youth and music ministry in my home parish of St Gregory’s, Maryhill, I began to hear God saying: ‘I dreamed of you as a priest, not as a lawyer’.

“I was afraid because I had my own plans mapped out. But eventually I spoke about it to my parish priest, who put me in touch with our vocations director, and soon I was in the seminary applicants’ programme. In no time, I was in Rome as seminarian.

“I could never have believed he would make me the happiest man in the whole world.”

Roman Catholics in Paisley who are interested in taking up the religious life can talk to their parish priest, email office@ pfs. org. uk or call 01236 764061.