ALTHOUGH the seeds were being planted from a young age, Fr Will Aupito Iuliano was not always sure he would become a priest.
“I was kind of leaning towards married life, raising a family and all the things attached to it,” he said.
“But as I was deepening my prayer life and my relationship with the Lord was growing, I felt my heart being open to the next step.”
Fr Will joked that this was by no means a full commitment to the priesthood yet, but he was surprised that this changed in him.
“The Lord was telling me this was the right way,” he said.
“It all seemed so admirable, the priest was standing there as a kind of sacrifice for so many.
“Even though I didn’t fully understand it, I could just see by the way they were living that the priest was giving their life wholly to God, and it really spoke to me.”
Fr Will said for men discerning their vocation, there could be many voices you could listen to.
He said the importance of good, solid mentors could not be overstated, which was the type of guidance he says you could find through the Canali Program.
“The support from the Canali Program was so important,” he said.
“Because you are still growing up and maturing, you still need guidance, someone to offer wisdom and support.
“When I was there I had the guidance of Fr Morgan Batt, who was a fantastic spiritual support and mentor.
“Without his guidance, I would not be a priest.”
And since being ordained and becoming parish priest of St Mary’s South Brisbane, Fr Will says he is still learning everyday.
“You can write till the cows come home about different ways to be a priest,” he said.
“But there is no manual for this… it is something you learn on the job.
“And it’s just the greatest adventure ever.”
Fr Will said young men just needed to “step out onto the water.”
“You may not be sure of whether you will walk or drown,” he said.
“But the adventures are just so awesome, living with the Lord is really awe inspiring.”
Fr Will encouraged people to get in contact with the Vocation Brisbane team, who are available to walk with people as they discern.
Go to vocationbrisbane.com to get in touch.
