Cambridge Catholic Accepted for Priesthood Formation

The Diocese of East Anglia warmly congratulates Matthew J Clarke on his acceptance for seminary formation as he begins the next stage of his vocational journey. In the reflection that follows, Matthew shares something of his background, his path into the Catholic Church and the gradual discernment of a call to the priesthood. He also looks ahead to his forthcoming propaedeutic year at the Royal English College in Valladolid, where he will continue to grow in prayer, study and self-knowledge as he prepares for formation.

I was received into the Catholic Church five years ago. Ever since my teenage years, growing up in and around Cambridge, there had been a yearning to know and to love God. It was during my university studies that I first seriously encountered Christianity: reading the scriptures, studying the works of St Augustine through one of my courses and, eventually, learning to pray the Rosary.

Returning home to Cambridge following my Master’s, I enrolled in the RCIA programme at Our Lady and the English Martyrs, a church I had long known and admired. That Easter Vigil of 2021, kneeling in my pew after being baptised, confirmed and receiving the Eucharist for the first time, I knew that I had finally come home. It was only two weeks later that I first started serving at the altar, and along with helping to teach catechesis later down the line, has been a great privilege.

My godfather had warned me that the question of a vocation to the priesthood or religious life would arise, and I was certainly quick to shrug it off at the time. This all changed when, quite literally after a dream I had one night during Holy Week, I woke up with this deep sense that there was something to explore.

I wrestled with this sense of a calling for some time, during which I worked for a church in London and dated. However, after a retreat to Pluscarden, sitting on a bench overlooking the Abbey before Vespers, I was once again overwhelmed by God’s invitation to discern this with him.

Over these last few months I have made my application to the diocese; I had fleetingly discerned other communities but, for me, East Anglia will always be my earthly home. The application process, although intense, was incredibly rewarding, and through it I have come to better know myself, where my weaknesses are and see how Christ has continued to graft my heart onto His.

Throughout the whole journey, the overarching question has been how does one love best? In what ways do we best give ourselves to God and to our neighbours? Should anyone reading this be asking themselves where God is calling them, this, for me, has been a great place to start.

I am now preparing to start my propaedeutic year at the Royal English College in Valladolid this September. This year in Spain will be an invaluable opportunity to build a solid foundation of prayer, study and self-knowledge before going on to further formation (picking up a little bit of Spanish along the way!). 

I remain indebted to so many who have supported me on this journey so far: in particular Bishop Collins, Bishop Emeritus Hopes, Mgr Harkness, Fr Wygnanski and Fr Smith for their support during my application; the priests, servers and parishioners of both Our Lady and the English Martyrs and St James’s Spanish Place; and to my friends, both Catholic and secular, who have shown so much love and support on this path that I have begun to walk.

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