Catholic Voice

Three young men boost our ranks at seminary

Josh Scott with Archbishop Mark Coleridge and seminary rector Fr Tony Percy.

Three young men from the Canberra Goulburn Archdiocese began their journey at Good Shepherd Seminary last month in the hopes of becoming priests.

Alex Millar from St Michael’s parish, Kaleen, Josh Scott from St Mary’s parish, Young and Namora Anderson from St Gregory’s parish, Queanbeyan, have joined the six other seminarians from the Archdiocese now studying for the priesthood.

Mr Anderson was baptised as a baby and grew up in a staunch Catholic family. He attended Mass every Sunday, was an altar server for four years, and at age 21 he has heeded his call to the priesthood.

The other two new recruits however are both recent converts.

Mr Scott chose Catholicism at age 16 while his sister was in Sydney Children’s Hospital with leukaemia.

“I started thinking, ‘these Christians seem to think there’s something about this God bloke’ so I decided to give it a go. This revelation was a real comfort to me while my sister was sick,” he said.

He and his two younger sisters were soon baptised and Mr Scott began to immerse himself in his faith. Consequently, his parents were hardly surprised when he announced his plans for the seminary at age 21.

Mr Millar’s journey from baptism to the seminary was a lot shorter.

Coming from a protestant background, he converted to Catholicism last year, aged 22.

Just 12 months later he began his path to the priesthood.

“My family were shocked when I told them. They respect my decision but they think I’m nuts,” Mr Millar said.

“I was on a clear path to becoming a solicitor. I was studying law at ANU. I started up the ANU Catholic Society which helped build my confidence about my decision to join the seminary.”

Now that their first year at Good Shepherd has begun, the new recruits are slowing adjusting.

The intense communal living was one aspect Mr Millar was initially nervous about but for Mr Scott it was just what he’d been waiting for.

“There aren’t many people in the general public who have the empathy to talk to you about vocation,” he said.

“So to be surrounded by likeminded people who are willing to share their experiences will be great. In doing so, they will help me on my journey and hopefully I’ll be able to help them too.”

* Further along the road to priesthood are Dominic Byrne, who is in his second year at the Beda College in Rome; Paul Nulley has entered fourth year at Corpus Christi College in Melbourne; and Luke Verrell (sixth year), Duc Mac, George Nulley and Trenton van Reesch (all third year) have returned to Good Shepherd.  

Seminarians at Good Shepherd with Alex Millar and Namora Anderson closest to the camera.