Why this matters

In his pastoral letter for Good Shepherd Sunday 2026, Bishop Mark Davies wrote of the 12 men currently in formation for the priesthood in the Diocese of Shrewsbury. He named the priesthood as the one vocation on which all other vocations in the Church depend. Every parish has a part in calling the next generation. A clear referral path makes that calling possible.

"Today, I want to focus on the one vocation on which all other vocations in the Church depend: namely, the Ordained Priesthood."

Who to refer

Refer any man (and, for non-priestly vocations, any person) who has begun to wonder whether God is calling them to:

• Diocesan priesthood.
• Religious life (a man or woman thinking of a particular order).
• The Permanent Diaconate (married or single men over 35 in most cases).
• Consecrated life as a single layperson.

The vocation enquiry might be a teenager who has served at the altar for years, a man in his thirties returning to the faith after a long gap, or a married man now wondering about the diaconate. All are welcome. The referral path is the same.

Step one: the parish conversation

Begin with the parish priest. He knows the man. He can listen, ask the right questions, and pray with him. Encourage the conversation; do not interrogate. Most vocations begin not with a single moment but a long, half-spoken sense that something is being asked.

If the parish priest is the one being referred to (a parishioner has spoken to a catechist or youth leader, for example) the catechist's first job is to bring the parish priest in.

Step two: refer to the Director of Vocations

The diocesan contact for priestly vocations is Fr Tony McGrath, Director of Vocations to the Sacred Priesthood. For the Permanent Diaconate, the same email reaches Fr Philip Atkinson, who is also Parish Priest of St Peter's, Hazel Grove.

• vocationsdirector@dioceseofshrewsbury.org

Send a short email with the man's name, parish, age (an age range is fine), what he is enquiring about, and the best way for Fr Tony to make first contact. Copy the parish priest in.

Step three: the Vocations Group

The Vocations Group meets every two months across the diocese for Eucharistic adoration, Mass, a meal, and conversation. It is open to any man considering the priesthood. The format is informal but anchored in prayer.

Bishop Davies has highlighted the Vocations Group as the first practical step for many enquirers. Tell the man about it. Offer to drive him the first time. The first meeting is the hardest, and a familiar face at the door makes a difference.

Step four: the Discernment Year

For men ready for a more committed period of discernment, the diocese runs a Discernment Year shared between St Joseph's, Stockport (the Diocesan Eucharistic Shrine of Perpetual Adoration) and Shrewsbury Cathedral. Men live in community, follow a structured rule of prayer, study Scripture and the Catechism, and meet regularly with a spiritual director.

The Discernment Year is not seminary. It is the year before, where a man can test his sense of call without committing to formation. Several of the 12 men now in seminary started here.

Bishop Davies has described the Discernment Year as a small community where discipleship and discernment can be lived and supported by a structured life of prayer centred on the Holy Eucharist.

Step five: religious life and consecrated life

If the enquiry is for a religious order or for consecrated life as a single person, the Director of Vocations can still help. He will signpost to the right vocations director for the order, religious community, or organisation. Women considering religious life are most welcome to contact the same diocesan address; Fr Tony will pass the enquiry on.

The Marriage and Family Life Office accompanies enquiries about marriage as a vocation:

• jane.deegan@dioceseofshrewsbury.org
• monika.golembiewska@dioceseofshrewsbury.org

What happens after the referral

Fr Tony will normally make contact within a fortnight of receiving the referral. The pace from there is set by the man himself. Some take a year of Vocations Group meetings before any further step. Some come to the Discernment Year quickly. Some apply for seminary within a year, others over five.

The parish stays involved. Pray for the man at Sunday Mass without naming him. Ask the parish priest for periodic updates. When the day comes for entry to formation, the parish should be there at the Mass that sends him.

Practical contacts

• Director of Vocations: Fr Tony McGrath, vocationsdirector@dioceseofshrewsbury.org
• Permanent Diaconate: Fr Philip Atkinson, vocationsdirector@dioceseofshrewsbury.org
• Marriage and Family Life: jane.deegan@dioceseofshrewsbury.org; monika.golembiewska@dioceseofshrewsbury.org
• Curial Offices: 0151 652 9855, info@dioceseofshrewsbury.org

Twelve men are in formation today because, somewhere along the line, someone in a parish made the call. Make the call.