The challenges of a young priest

Michael Coughlan is halfway through his training for the priesthood

It takes eight years to become a priest and Michael Coughlan is just over half-way through his training.

The 28-year-old is a student at the Venerable English College in Rome and is on placement at Shrewsbury Cathedral.

Michael, who is originally from Manchester studied pharmacology at university.

He said he had thought long and hard before deciding to go to a seminary and start training for the priesthood.

Youth work

Michael said he had started by doing youth work: "I was looking for a break from the strict academic work, so I began in North Yorkshire with Ampleforth Benedictine Monastery."

During the year he was there he worked with youth groups and did some adult retreat work.

Two years later he applied to enter a seminary: "I was sent for a year of discernment and spirituality to English College in Spain and went from there to finish training at English College in Rome."

Michael agrees that the training period is long, but he believes it is necessary: "You're looking at a whole lifestyle. Priesthood isn't a nine to five job in the traditional sense that you live and work where you are and the day can start at funny times and finish at funny times."

No blinding flash of light

Michael said he had not always wanted to be a priest: "It would be easy to look at the St Paul model of being thrown off your horse with blinding flashes of light, but sadly that is not the way it happens."

It was one of those ideas that nettles between the shoulder blades, just in that place where you can't quite get to it scratch it Michael Coughlan

Although he has always considered himself a Catholic, he had never thought about becoming a priest: "I just thought well, we need priests, but they're out there. Nothing to do with me."

His school chaplain had suggested he might like to apply to a seminary, but Michael was not keen.

It took a long time for him to come to a decision: "It was one of those ideas that nettles between the shoulder blades, just in that place where you can't get to it to scratch it."

For the next two or three years it was "just an idea that popped up in the quiet moments" and Michael started thinking maybe the priesthood was for him after all.

He believes his community work may have helped him make his mind up: "Maybe God was showing me through this that maybe this was actually part of preparing the way towards priesthood."

Supreme challenge

Michael's family supported his decision to enter the seminary: "It was made clear to me that it was always my decision. If I wanted to go for this , they would support me all the way.

"But if at any point I said 'enough's enough, I'm coming home', they'd always have a bed for me."

On the issue of celibacy Michael agreed it was not an easy decision for a young man to take. He described it as a 'supreme challenge', but felt it was a choice he had to make to focus properly on his role as a priest.

"If you have a family, your first focus is always wife, husband, children; Your family itself. If you are a priest your first focus has to be the parish community."

Parish is family

Michael said he regarded his parishioners as his family: "It is, it has to be and you have a special role within that of supporting and guiding and being available at all sorts of strange hours to people when they need it."

My friends won't change with this, but I won't have that one person that I can come back to every night Michael Coughlan

He said being a priest was not an easy choice: "It would be very easy to ditch it all in and go clubbing every night and be in bed with someone every night, but that isn't part of the way to approach this."

Michael will still have both male and female friends in his life: "My friends won't change with this, but I won't have that one person I can come back to every night."

Young priests

Father Coonan said the church needs young priests

Canon Stephen Coonan has been Michael's mentor during his stay in Shrewsbury.

He said it was good for the parish to have young students among them: "I've really appreciated having somebody younger here because he's come to us with lots of energy and enthusiasm and been willing to share his ideas with us."

Shrewsbury Cathedral

Father Coonan would like to see younger men coming forward for the priesthood: "A lot of people...are coming in their 30s or even 40s, so by the time they are ordained they're already middle aged.

"What we do need is to have a lot of young priests who will be able to communicate better with young people."