Never too late to enter priesthood says new curate (and he’s just 70)

Never too late to enter priesthood says new curate (and he’s just 70)

23 August 2023

A NEWLY-APPOINTED curate has encouraged others not to let age deter them from entering the priesthood. 

Last month, Fr Robert McMahon was ordained during a ceremony at St Peter’s Cathedral in west Belfast – the church where his parents were married.

At the age of 70, Fr McMahon spoke about his excitement in becoming the curate for Downpatrick and Saul, but also addressed his previous concerns about his age.

“I’m very much looking forward to it,” he said. “It will be a bit of a challenge, with everything being so rural, but I’m looking forward to getting to know a new ministry and becoming involved in the community.

“It’s a community that is very vibrant, with the local primary school, GAA and soccer clubs all linked to one another, so it’s nice to be a part of a close community.”

Speaking about his age, he continued: “My age was never a concern. It was only myself who was concerned that it might be an issue. Nobody else said anything about it”.

“The priesthood isn’t fixated on age – it’s something that doesn’t matter and it really is down to how a person feels mentally.

Fr McMahon previously served in St Paul’s, Holy Trinity and Our Lady Queen of Peace in Ballymena.

A retired teacher, he said he always wanted to become a priest, but found teaching to be an important calling.

“As the oldest of six children, I was always very busy and found the teaching to be just as an important vocation,” he said.

He began his career at the Christian Brothers School in west Belfast in 1975, where he taught mathematics, religion, engineering drawing and surveying and computer studies.

He was also heavily involved in Gort na Móna GAA club in Turf Lodge, where he was a well-known handball coach, mentoring many players to national and international success and won an All Ireland medal himself in singles and team events.

Having retired in 2004, Fr McMahon remained devoted to his faith and his mother.

After his father had passed away, Fr McMahon brought his mother into his home, where she lived with him for 12 years, until she sadly passed away three years ago.

“My mother started this journey with me into the priesthood,” Fr McMahon explained.

“It would have been fitting to finish the journey with her as she was very religious herself.”

He thought it would be poignant to have his ordination in St Peter’s Cathedral.

“It’s the church that my mother made all her sacraments and it’s the church where my parents were married in June 1952, so I thought it was fitting that my ordination was held in the church which has so many family links.

“It would have been lovely for my mother to have seen it.”

Fr McMahon and his mother often visited New York, where he recently celebrated several masses at the Church of the Epiphany on Second Avenue.

“It’s a church my mother and I use to attend when we visited friends in New York,” he said.

“The church allows you to meet many people, and I am thankful to the bishops on Second Avenue who allowed me to deliver mass and help contribute to their parish.”

He stressed that age should not prohibit those who are considering entering the priesthood.

“You never know when God gives you a calling, and you should not shy away from that calling – it should be embraced.

“God doesn’t look at age. He looks at what a person can contribute to the parish. It doesn’t matter what age you are, if you are physically able – personally I feel very energetic.

“Priesthood is a vocation that shouldn’t be missed out on because of age, and I would encourage anyone who may be apprehensive to really consider it.”

Fr McMahon offers a compelling argument as to why an older priest may have just as much to offer as someone younger.

“It use to be the norm that men aged 19 to 20 would be encouraged to come into the priesthood,” he said.

“However, an older man with more life experience can offer a lot to the priesthood and to the community.”

While studying at a seminary college in Rome, Fr McMahon noted that there were many mature priests.

“There were ten Irish men studying to become priests at the college,” he said.

“Some of them had come from previous professions and several of them had been married and had unfortunately been widowed – but then decided to go into the priesthood.”

He added: “That type of life and family experience can offer so much to the priesthood and to the communities they serve.”

He added: “If God gives you a call, do not put it off because of age, there is so much you can offer to the role and I would encourage anyone of any age to pursue it.”