Fr. Matthew Emmelkamp: Discerning God’s Call

Recently, Fr. Matthew Emmelkamp sat down with Sr. Dianne, one of the Assistant Directors in the Office of Vocations, to talk about his vocation to the priesthood of the Catholic Church.

Tell us about your call to the priesthood
I believe that we have a vocation from the beginning, so I carried a vocation to the priesthood all along.

My sense of vocation began early, at the end of elementary school, and lingered around the edges, re-emerging in force after college and almost three years of working in what I thought was going to be my career. While I didn’t feel as sure about the priesthood in my teenage years, I never completely rejected the idea. As I got older, I continued to learn about myself, my strengths, and my interests, considering different paths for my future. During my years of working, God placed a strong sense on my heart that there was something more important for me to be doing, and this brought the possibility of the priesthood back into view.
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Around this time, I became part of a community of young Catholic adults who were intentionally living their faith, which was a huge help in moving forward in my own discernment. Knowing other young adults pursuing their own vocations helped me see the priesthood as a real and valuable possibility.

Since I was born and raised in Calgary, a strong part of my discernment was a deep desire to give back to the people of my parish because they helped my sense of vocation develop. Through the years, I was taught that God can and does speak to us through others, planting seeds through their encouraging words. There have been a great number of holy encouragers close to me who have helped guide me along the way. Their words helped me to accept the plan that God had for me.

Over time, my desire to serve as a priest expanded to include serving the local Church of this Diocese. My priesthood today is a result of prayer, perseverance, Providence, and the fulfillment of God’s plan for me.

Name one blessing in your life as a priest.
One of my favourite parts of being a priest is being able to share life alongside my parishioners, to be included in moments: sacred moments, happy moments, tragic moments, all the moments life brings as a spiritual father with his people.

The blessing of being invited into the lives of the families in my parish brings me joy. People call priests “Father” on purpose, and over time, I have developed a sense of being a spiritual father to my parishioners. This is a true gift that has helped me in my vocation.

What encouragement could you offer to young men who may consider the vocation to the priesthood?
To offer your life to Christ is a beautiful thing. Keep an open heart and mind to the possibility that God may be calling you to the priesthood. Let God lead you in unexpected ways and to unexpected places.

See in the priesthood a life offered to God through sharing Christ with the world. Even if the world does not understand the vocation of a priest, the People of God understand.

No matter where you end up in your life, you are called to be of loving service to others and to have a holy purpose in life.
You have a place in the church. Continue to pray to discover the place God has in store for you.

Thank you, Fr. Matthew, for answering the call of our Lord to be His priest and for all the years of faithful service you have already offered in this Diocese. God bless you. 

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Photos courtesy of Fr. Matthew Emmelkamp.