Good Shepherd Sunday Newsletter 2022

Priest Training and Vocations Annual Update
Good Shepherd Sunday
2022

Good Shepherd Sunday 2022
Priest Training and Vocations Annual Update
Message from Fr Paul Kyne - Vocations Director and Parish
Priest of St Lawrence’s Catholic Church Sidcup
The past 12 months has seen an increase in men coming forward to speak with our
Vocations Team regarding a possible calling to priesthood. It appears the lockdown
of our society afforded some time, space and perhaps silence to enable these
young men to hear the gentle voice of God speak directly to their heart. 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.
Last year 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. In total there are currently 59 seminarians receiving formation
at Allen Hall Seminary. You can read more about Allen Hall overleaf.
In the summer we hope to ordain 3 men to the priesthood within our Archdiocese and a further man will be ordained a deacon 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.
Message from Canon John O’Leary - Rector of
Allen Hall
A great joy for Allen Hall Seminary this year was welcoming
five Southwark seminarians: three deacons (Allan, Joseph
and Michael), with us Tuesday to Thursday, but otherwise in
parishes; Stephen, who has just begun the joint pontifical and
civil degree we offer in partnership with Mater Ecclesiae
College and St Mary’s University, Twickenham; finally, Frazer,
currently on his extended pastoral placement at Croydon.
Understandably, there was sadness at the closure of their
former seminary, St John’s, Wonersh. However, that loss has
certainly been our gain. All five contribute splendidly to Allen
Hall.
Allen Hall is in Chelsea, just off the King’s Road, close to Battersea Bridge. St Thomas More’s house once occupied this site. The
famous mulberry tree under which King Henry VIII had many conversations with St Thomas still stands in our grounds. The presence
of this great martyr remains keenly felt. As is the inspiring witness of the 158 martyrs of Douai College. We trace our roots back to
Douai, founded in northern France in 1568 by Cardinal William Allen. It formed priests to serve the dangerous mission in England
and Wales. In 1793, because of the French Revolution, the College moved to Ware in Hertfordshire. Then come 1975, when the
enclosed nuns dedicated to perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament offered their convent to Westminster Diocese, the
seminary moved here and was renamed Allen Hall.
I became Rector just last September, having for the previous two years served as Vice-Rector and Dean of Studies. It is a great and
extremely humbling responsibility. I am very much aware of my own weaknesses. Nevertheless, relying on the Lord’s strength, I pray
that my parish experience (Brook Green, Tottenham, Shepherd’s Bush, Holborn, Kingsland and Finsbury Park), so too appointments
as a university chaplain and Private Secretary to Cardinal Nichols, contribute in some way to our seminarians’ formation.
‘Formation’ is the preferred term, rather than ‘training’ or ‘studying’ for the priesthood. There are four integrated dimensions to this
formation: human (grace does not bypass, still less destroy, the seminarians’ humanity; rather in and through it, grace brings them
ever closer to Jesus’ perfect humanity); spiritual (union with the Lord through a living, loving and transforming relationship with him);
intellectual (growth in human and divine wisdom by entering more deeply into the mystery of the Word made flesh); and pastoral
(becoming one with the Good Shepherd, our servant-king who laid down his life for us). At the heart of being formed into ‘another
Christ’ is Christ’s gift of himself in the Eucharist.
In this newsletter you can discover more about this journey of formation your seminarians are undertaking. Please pray for them.
Pray, too, that there will be many more Southwark seminarians for Allen Hall to welcome joyfully. Thank you and God bless.

Good Shepherd Sunday 2022
Stories from Our Seminarians
Stephen Trafford, Third Year Seminarian
We all have our own stories of how we have come to discover our vocation and we should be grateful
for the different ways in which the Lord Jesus reveals Himself to us. I grew up in Sittingbourne, Kent,
within a non-practicing Christian family. One night, aged fourteen, I read the story of C.S Lewis’
conversion to Christianity and it had a profound impact upon me. It was then that I started to pray,
accepting the gift of my baptism. I was received into the Roman Catholic Church (from Anglicanism) at
the age of 21, before starting what would be a six-year career teaching Religion and Philosophy in
Catholic schools. I can certainly say that my life was changed by the recognition that I am a child of God
and we are all called to holiness, despite our own failings and brokenness.
My journey to seminary had much to do with my home parish in Sittingbourne. It was through my
involvement in this community, to whom I owe so much, and through experiences of prayer before the
Blessed Sacrament, that I came to realise that Christ may be calling me to serve His
people as a priest. I now find myself in my third year of formation at Allen Hall Seminary
in London.
Formation has not always been easy; you are consistently challenged and come to know
yourself in a way which you haven’t before. You also become very much aware of the
sacrifices that need to be made in the life of a priest. I have found particular joy and
strength this year in my pastoral placement at St Joseph’s Pastoral Centre, Hendon,
(Right), which supports people with intellectual disabilities. It is a purposeful and joyful
community, and the people I help have also helped me to appreciate my gifts and
talents. A place such as St Joseph’s helps you to see concretely the worth and dignity of
every human being.
Stephen Trafford teaching pottery at
St Joseph’s Pastoral Centre
Deacon Joseph Gulliford, Sixth Year Seminarian
It took until my late teens and early twenties before I started to think about having a priestly
vocation. It was then that it grew and burnt like a flame in my heart, catching me unaware at
times. I considered doing many other things, taking different paths but it was as if I could never
find rest. I met a beautiful woman and for all intents and purposes planned on marrying her, but
I had this itching hole in my heart that would not leave me a moment’s peace. In surrendering
to God’s plans and entering seminary, there has been a deep and abiding peace that has not
left me, despite many ups and downs. Seminary life is not easy and the discipline of it has not
always suited someone like me, feeling like a threat to my spontaneity and creativity, but there
is no doubt that God has used it to fashion me into the priest He has called me to be. Since
becoming a deacon, I have felt great joy assisting at Mass, preaching and being so close to
Jesus at the altar. I cannot wait to be able to help people encounter Jesus and experience His
healing and deliverance as a priest.
Frazer Bellfield, Fourth Year Seminarian
I can’t quite believe that I’ve now spent four years in formation for the priesthood,
ordination is getting nearer, but there is still much prayer, work and study to achieve
first. I’m currently on my extended pastoral placement, this is when we leave the
academic study of the priesthood to experience the practical study of being
immersed into the daily life of a parish for the period of one year. I’ve been very
fortunate to be sent to a very busy and vibrant city parish with seven Sunday
masses, and 2,000 active parishioners!
It is a great joy and a reminder of my vocation to work alongside a team of
dedicated and hardworking priests assisting at baptisms, marriages, and funerals.
One of the greatest challenges has been to learn so many names and try my best
to get them right! The parish placement has not only reminded me that God is
calling me to the priesthood, but enforced that deep sense of vocation. It has
given me a taste of what is sweet, and also bitter about the life and work of the
priest, one moment I will be preparing children for first Holy Communion, the next
praying with a dying person in the hospital chaplaincy, and then helping the
sacristan lift something high above the sanctuary.
Left: Frazer interpreting for His Holiness Pope Francis

If God is calling you?
“Each one of us is called – whether to the lay
life in marriage, to the priestly life in the
ordained ministry, or to a life of special
consecration; in order to become a witness
of the Lord, here and now”
Pope Francis
If you have a calling to the
Catholic Priesthood or the Diaconate
please contact Fr Paul Kyne,
Southwark Vocations Director
on vocations@rcaos.org.uk.
You can also find information on
the Archdiocese of Southwark website
www.rcaos.org.uk/vocations
Left: Seminarians in the Allen Hall Chapel
Upcoming Events and News
You are welcome to join us for the following events,
it would be great to share these experiences with
you.
Archdiocese of Southwark Ordinations 2022
Three seminarians will be ordained by Archbishop
Wilson on Saturday 16 th July at 12.30pm, and one
seminarian on the 1 st October at 11:30am, all will
take place at St George’s Cathedral. These
ordinations are open to all to join. We suggest
arriving early for a seat.
Donation to Priest Training Fund
Southwark seminarians in Allen Hall Library
‘Here I Am, Send Me’ - Webinar via Zoom - Tuesday 24 th May from 7pm – 8pm. God has a definite plan and purpose
for all of our lives. Some men receive a unique call to be a Catholic priest or deacon, and some women are also called
to religious life. Join Fr Paul Kyne, seminarian Stephen Trafford, Sister Aelred and Fr Stephen Morrison to hear about
vocations and following a religious life. Please RSVP to Laura Dudhee if you would like to attend
lauradudhee@rcaos.org.uk
www.rcaos.org.uk/donate/PTF
@ArchdioceseOfSouthwark
@RC_Southwark
020 7960 2504
fundraising@rcaos.org.uk
Priest Training Fund, Bowen House, 59 Westminster Bridge Road, London. SE1 7JE
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark CIO: Registered Charity Number 1173050