Sir, – I always read and enjoy the Sports section of The Irish Times, but I never expected to find a theological and spiritual treasure there.
Matt Williams is my favourite columnist no matter what he writes, but his tribute to priestly dedication in Monday’s paper (Sport, April 2nd) was the best vocations promotion piece I have read in a long time. It is Williams’s humility and capacity for deep reflection that never fails to impress. His admission of wonder and his statement of incomprehension at his uncle’s vocation choice disarms the reader and leads one deeper into the story.
Standing in the shoes of Fr Brian’s parents when their gifted son turned his back on material gain for the sake of service of the poor of Sydney served to convince even the most cynical that priestly vocation is a life-choice that defies logic yet does not seek or require the world’s plaudits. “This man died in his sleep and the world did not notice” writes a marvelling nephew . . . But someone did! – Yours, etc,