AS Peter Doherty prepares to be ordained a deacon for the Diocese of Rockhampton this week, he fondly recounts growing up in rural Queensland, his time as an altar server, and his early call to vocation.
For the 47-year-old seminarian, the journey to ordination has been long, but full of faithful searching.
“I’ve never doubted God, but I’ve often wondered what he’s up to,” he said.
“When I was a young fellow I thought I might want to be a priest.
“A priest mentor said to me at the time – ‘don’t rush in to the seminary’.”
It was within that tight-knit Catholic parish of St Mary’s, South Bundaberg, that Mr Doherty discerned “an early, initial, interior sense of vocational call.”
“My family was your typical, everyday family who worshipped in their local Catholic parish,” he said.
“I was an altar boy from Year 3 to Year 12.”
Mr Doherty attended St Mary’s Primary School and Shalom College before moving to Brisbane to attend to the University of Queensland.
There, during his first period of tertiary studies he lived with the Jesuit community of St Leo’s College where he described his activities as more “socialising” than “evangelising”.
Aspects of his young adulthood mirrored that of the young adulthood of St Augustine of Hippo.
His own “tolle-lege” moment was sparked through reading the theology of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, which in turn led to encounters with the Franciscans and accompaniment by his then local parish, the Kedron Parish in Brisbane.
“The theology of Joseph Ratzinger explained the Catholic faith to me in ways that were very clear, very transparent, very life giving and joyful,” he said.
He particularly remembers the Pope’s books “Introduction to Christianity” and “Call to Communion”, both works of wisdom and insight.
The first title offers a profound treatment of Christianity’s basic truths, spiritual outlook and containing a deep knowledge of Scripture and the history of theology.
Mr Doherty became involved the life of the Kedron parish, with ministry engagement including money collector, church cleaner, hospitality, reader, extraordinary Minster of Holy Communion, RCIA team member and the parish pastoral council.
“I recognised that my early interior sense of a vocation to explore priesthood still remained within me and indeed had never left,” Mr Doherty said.
At age 42, he entered Holy Spirit Seminary for his home Diocese of Rockhampton in the summer of 2019.
He has spent time in pastoral placements in Yeppoon, Bundaberg, Emerald and Rockhampton.
He was a member of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia.
Rockhampton Bishop Michael McCarthy said Mr Doherty would become only the third local man during his nine years as bishop to embrace the priesthood in the central Queensland diocese.
“It’s marvellous,” Bishop McCarthy said.
“There are people who will welcome him and enjoy his priesthood and pastoral care.
“Having one of our own to work alongside the priests who have joined us from overseas, each bringing their own gifts and talents.”
Mr Doherty holds a Bachelor of Economics, a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Business Administration all from The University of Queensland; a Bachelor of Theology from the Australian Catholic University, while his studies in the Master of Theological Studies from ACU continues.
He has worked in ASX-listed, public sector and privately held enterprises within the finance and construction industries.
Mr Doherty will be ordained a deacon at Rockhampton’s St Joseph’s Cathedral at 11am on July 20.
