Fr. Bill Stephenson: Getting started

I don't believe that vocations come from any dramatic events, insights or extraordinary experiences;  I believe that vocations often come from large, generous and committed families, with very generous parents.  In my case, it was a large family of twelve children with hard working, generous parents and grandparents. No one urged me to become a priest, but many people contributed to facilitating my vocation.

I attended Catholic school with the Sisters of Charity of Halifax teaching and serving as administrators; the pastor and his various assistants were very present to the school.  I was especially influenced by the pastor who was very committed, very prayerful, and very much involved in the community. He served in the parish for more than thirty years. Although it was a fairly large school, about 1,100 students from grades one to eleven, he knew all the students, their families and their history. He was very involved in facilitating sports, social events, and Summer Camps for the children. It was at the parish Summer Camp that I was especially impressed by his prayer life.  He spent hours in the camp chapel in prayer and had daily Mass for the campers.  

I also had the privilege of having two uncles who were parish priests in my home diocese.  Although I wasn't very close with them, they gave me the confidence that a vocation to the priesthood was not beyond the realm of possibility.  One of the most interesting bits of advice I received when getting ready to go the Seminary was from one of those uncles who told me that if I felt like leaving the Seminary, then leave. I think he was telling me that I should not feel obligated to be a priest just because he had two uncles who were priests, and not to go through with it just because other people expected it of me. On the other hand, it was very important to me that people did in fact expect me to enter the Seminary.
       
Another support for my vocation was attending Xavier Junior College and St. Francis Xavier University in my home diocese. There were a number of priests on staff at these institutions and they were very encouraging to any student who might be considering a vocation to the priesthood or religious life. They taught the courses that were required, especially Latin and Philosophy. They were almost like recruiters who would recognize candidates for religious vocations, and they were always available for counselling, spiritual direction and sacraments.

I began theology studies at St. Augustine's Seminary in Scarborough, ON in September of 1957 after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from the university. My home diocese in Nova Scotia at that time had an oversupply of priests. They also provided many priests for the Scarboro Foreign Mission Society and various other religious communities also. The bishop there decided I wasn't needed in his diocese, so I applied to the bishop of Calgary who accepted me. I was ordained on May 27th, 1961 in Antigonish, NS, for the Diocese of Calgary. The seminary life was rather spartan, but I felt at home there because my life growing up was similar. I appreciated the opportunity to get to know clergy and seminarians from various parts of the country.

After ordination, I was appointed the secretary to Bishop Carroll which was a great challenge, but also a privilege. I learned much of the history of the diocese and the priests, and got to travel about the diocese for Confirmations and other occasions. I learned a great deal from Bishop Carroll and the other priests who worked at the Bishop's Office in my time there. However, I was more attracted to work in parishes, and in 1968, I was appointed pastor of the small parish of St. Clement’s (now Mary, Mother of the Redeemer) while still acting as Chancellor of the Diocese during the episcopate of Bishop Paul O'Byrne.    

In 1972, I was appointed Co-Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Calgary, along with Monsignor John O'Brien and Fr. Duncan T. Sullivan.  It was a very busy parish with very active lay people, and many marriages and funerals.  One of the requirements for a priest is to be able to work with the laity, and to be supported by them.  I have been greatly assisted in my ministry by the support, encouragement and involvement of the parishioners I have worked with. We have great need of active lay involvement in the parishes. 

In summary, vocations come with the support and love of family members, the clergy, and the wider community, along with a generous willingness to endeavour to follow where the Spirit is leading us.  

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Written by Fr. William Stephenson for Faithfully, October 2021.

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Fr. William Stephenson
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Ordained: May 27, 1961, Antigonish, NS by Most Rev. William Power

Pastoral Placements

• Episcopal Secretary (1961-65)
• Chancellor (1965-70)
• Pastor: St. Clement’s, Calgary (1968-1971)
• Studies: Lumen Vitae, Brussels, Belgium (1971-1972)
• Co-Pastor: Sacred Heart, Calgary (1972-1977)
• Pastor: Sacred Heart, Calgary (1977-1982)
• Rector: St. Mary’s Cathedral, Calgary (1982-1993)
• Sabbatical: (1993-1994)
• Pastor: St. Bonaventure, Calgary (1994-2006)
• Administrator: St. Anthony’s, Calgary (2008-2009)