E191: Father Conor McGrath on Priesthood, Social Media and Changing How People See the Church

Like I asked you all these questions on the phone.

So I suppose I want to find out, did you always know you wanted to be a priest? Let's start there.

Like how do you know you want to be a priest?

Sure, sure.

Do you know what? We use this language in the church about vocation, like a calling.

And I suppose since I was a young child, from a young age, I have felt that calling attraction towards priesthood.

I mean, I was fortunate to grow up in a family of faith where, you know, I'm not saying we were the most religious people in the world, but like, faith was a big part of who we were, a big part of our lives.

And, you know, about the Mass on a regular basis.

I remember, like, I was an altar server.

So this was from before I was an altar server.

And just kind of watching up at the priest.

So I don't know, five, six, something like that.

And just like, what is going on up there? Like, just feeling, like, drawn to whatever the priest was doing with his chalice, with his bread.

And then when I would go home, Caroline, I would be like...

Playing mass.

So we had like a patio at the back.

And, you know, I like forced my siblings to like take part, my cousins to take part.

Even our Protestant neighbors, they had to go to mass.

And, you know, just as a kid, reenacting what was happening.

But I suppose on a deeper level, I think that was just, there was something in me was drawn to it.

Then I suppose as I grew older and faith became more important in my life and even understanding God as someone who loved me, who I believe had a purpose for my life.

And I was like,

okay,

let's see what this is.

So priesthood became just this... notion of a child, it grew up with me to realize, you know, priesthood means so much to so many people.