Report Paul Murphy
A Navan man has left a career as a secondary teacher behind to become a priest in the Catholic Church and today family and friends gathered in Mullingar to see him ordained. A son of Patrick and Esther and brother of Niall, Louise and Alyson from Proudstown, Navan Anthony felt drawn to the priesthood from his early 20s. He worked in Monkstown Christian Brothers College Dublin before taking up a post at Dunshaughlin Community College. He was ordained deacon last year and had been working in Navan parish on placement since June last.
Bishop Tom Deenihan ordained Anthony in a ceremony at Mullingar Cathedral today (Saturday). Bishop Deenihan said that an ordination was a reminder to pray for, encourage, support and motivate those who might be considering a vocation to priesthood. “We need more – perhaps there are some here today who have heard that whisper? If you have, have courage!”
Fr Kerr received his early education at St Oliver Plunkett National School before continuing to St Patrick’s Classical School Navan. He later pursued a degree at St Patrick’s College Maynooth, later becoming a teacher specialising in religion and Irish. During his years in education, Fr Kerr became increasingly aware of a call to priesthood and, encouraged by Fr David Jones, he discerned this vocation and went on to begin his formation at the Beda Pontifical College in Rome. The Diocese of Meath has a further three students in seminary formation and two others undertaking a Propaedeutic experience.
Bishop Deenihan, in thanking Anthony and in thanking the Vocation Team for their work and encouragement, said “It is my hope that Anthony’s ordination would give confidence to other men in the diocese who may have a calling to priesthood”. An ordination was a sign of hope. Bishop Deenihan said. “It means that Christ is still calling men to the ministerial priesthood, it means that some of those who hear that call have the faith to respond to it and, for us priests, it means fellow workers, new colleague and , to some extent, validation of our work and proof despite all the prophets of doom and our own efforts at times, that Priesthood is still a a valid and valued calling.”
