Vocation Story of Deacon David Johnston

 

I grew up in the small town of Port Lambton, on the

western edge of the diocese where I have spent

most of my life with my parents, and three siblings.

Growing up in the shadow of Sacred Heart Church,

I would often see the priest, Fr. P. J. Costello, in the

midst of the daily life of the community. I remember

Fr. Costello often would visit the parish elementary

school which I attended. Here he taught the Faith in

the classroom and prepared students to receive the

Sacraments. I later attended Wallaceburg and District

Secondary School, and went on to study chemical

engineering at The University of Western Ontario.

It was while I was in university, that I realized a

couple things. First, that there was no one to encourage me to go to Mass; it was something that I would have to do on my own and for myself. Second, that coming from a small town, I had a desire to become actively involved in and contribute to my new community. It was in this second point where I found the most difficulty, partly because of a busy schedule and partly because of the distance and schedules of the local parishes and chaplaincies. However, it was here that I really began to respond to a call which had been present all along; in spite of my attempts to ignore it.

 

In my second year of engineering, I began meeting with an informal group of young Catholic students after a morning Mass here in London. We would weekly have a large breakfast together and talk about matters of the Faith. (Sometimes these breakfasts would last until it was time for supper.) After about a month of these weekly breakfasts, I realized that I could not ignore the call any longer. I began more serious discussions with the vocations director, Fr. M. Kucharski, and at the same time became acquainted with the works of Ven. Fulton J. Sheen. It was after reading Sheen’s The Priest is Not His Own, finding out what God willed for me became my first priority. Through this informal group of Catholic students, the work of Fr. Kucharski, and my own personal reading, I began to build upon the solid foundation which was laid years earlier by Fr. Costello. I then began the application process to enter the Seminary, and have been at St. Peter’s ever since. 

 

The best advice I can give to any man discerning the priesthood is simply to seek out the will of God for you in all things. Ask yourself, “What does God want me to do?” This will not always be easy, but it must be remembered that God always wants the best for us. In doing His will, we find our fulfillment.

 

Deacon David Johnston