By Peter Rao ’24
On March 6th, 2024, Thomas More College received a visit from Fr. Matthew Mason ’05, Vocations Director for the Diocese of Manchester. Before delivering his talk on vocational discernment, Fr. Mason sat down to talk about his background, time at TMC, and advice for the College’s graduating Seniors.
Could you speak a little about your background and how you came to Thomas More College?
I grew up near Boscawen, NH and attended Magdalen College for two years before transferring to Thomas More College. I appreciated the academic excellence here, especially the emphasis on the Great Books and the liberal arts. The Rome program in particular attracted me. Our campus in Rome was at a convent in Trastevere. I loved the experience of being able to walk around the city for three months and visit all the churches, museums, and the Vatican. I was exposed to the history of the Church and its beautiful art. It was a life-changing experience.
I spent a wonderful three years at TMC—they were really one of the happiest times in my life. I fell in love with learning, with philosophy and literature. That all very much helps me today in what I do, especially in my preaching.
I think of my job as helping the young people of the Diocese of Manchester find their vocation, whatever that is. I guide a lot of young men who are considering the priesthood, but I want to help people live out the vocation that God is calling them to, whatever that may be.
– Fr. Matthew Mason ’05, Vocations Director for the Diocese of Manchester
At what point did the priesthood present itself as an option, and what role did your time at TMC play in the process?
I was thinking of the priesthood well before I came to TMC. When I was a child, I loved the idea of being a priest. I remember as an altar server wanting it as well. So from a young age, the desire never really left me completely. During college, I thought about continuing my philosophy studies and becoming a teacher. But in my senior year, I became surer about the seminary and met up with the Vocations Director at the time. Ultimately, I went to the seminary in Boston in the fall, right after graduation. Because of all the philosophy courses I took at TMC and the strong Catholic background of the College, I only ended up doing four years of seminary.
What does your role as Vocations Director entail?
I think of my job as helping the young people of the Diocese of Manchester find their vocation, whatever that is. I guide a lot of young men who are considering the priesthood, but I want to help people live out the vocation that God is calling them to, whatever that may be. To that end, I run a lot of camps for young men and women in high school. I organize St. Andrew Dinners, which are events where young men can come and learn more about the priesthood—parish priesthood specifically—, hear the vocation story of a priest, and share a good meal with others.
If a young man believes that God is calling him to be a priest, and I discern that I think it would be good for him to apply, then I help him through the application process for entering the seminary. This is a lengthy process and involves getting letters of reference, sacramental records, and psychological reviews. I help those men all the way through their time in seminary, up until they become priests.
Nowadays, most Catholic men who want to become priests are pretty serious about it. They know they’re choosing something that’s countercultural and different from what the world teaches us. They’re not looking for a successful career, they’re looking to serve God.
Trust that God cares for you. He created you with certain gifts and talents that you can use for the betterment of the world and the Church, so you’ll find a place if you’re open, loving, and trusting in God.
– Fr. Matthew Mason ’05, Vocations Director for the Diocese of Manchester
What fond memories do you have of TMC?
I have many fond memories of TMC. The Rome Program comes first to mind—just what a wonderful experience that was. It gave me a really good sense of the worldwide Church and its history. I very much enjoyed the community life here too. With a small college of ninety students, you get to know everybody and you make a lot of good friends.
My focus at the school was very academic. When I was here, students chose a thinker for their Junior Project and studied his works in preparation for a defense. I did my Junior Project on Aristotle. It was a good experience to spend time learning about the whole of a thinker’s works and getting to talk about them with faculty members. I also often think of the literature I studied here—how that opened up my imagination and taught me how to tell a good story and incorporate images into my preaching. It helps me to run a parish, care for other people, and teach. I tend to preach in a way that’s very imaginative, in that I weave together stories and images to communicate the lesson. I learned a lot here about how to do that, and I learned how to love to read.
What advice would you give Seniors about their own vocational discernment?
Even by the time I had graduated from TMC, I already had the experience of plans for the future changing. Plans changing is how I wound up at TMC in the first place. You learn through those experiences that God knows where He wants to lead you and knows more of what your future is going to be than you do. You may have something in mind, but God has something better in mind—so trust in that. Trust that God cares for you. He created you with certain gifts and talents that you can use for the betterment of the world and the Church, so you’ll find a place if you’re open, loving, and trusting in God. He’ll lead you to a place where you can use those gifts, and He’ll do so in a way that matches with who you are and that brings you joy, fulfillment, and that makes a difference in other people’s lives. Don’t worry, don’t be anxious, don’t be afraid. Be patient and trust that God will lead you where He wants you to be.
For further reading:
Archbishop Donates Replica of the Last Testament of Isabel “the Catholic” to TMC
How TMC Prepared Me for Grad School: An Interview with Esther Jermann ’20
