Chris finds inspiration in families of faith
Last year, a BBC documentary shone a light on the lives of seminarians in the Pontifical Scots College in Rome. The programme, which was universally well received, followed the young men who will form an important part of the future of the Scottish Church. It allowed them to express themselves on camera, show their dedication to the faith and perhaps even dispel some myths about the priesthood along the way. Missio Scotland decided to delve a little deeper with some of them to find out why they’re embarking upon this very special, personal mission.
Gerard Gough
IN SPEAKING to Chris Furmage (above)—a seminarian for Motherwell Diocese, who is currently finishing his first year of Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome—something that became apparent during the course of our conversation was the importance of family, both in the traditional and wider sense.
A family with a strong faith focus, is crucial to growing that faith, allowing us to use our God-given talents and carry out our mission of spreading the Good News throughout our lives. Indeed, this is something that Pope Francis highlighted during his Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, when he opined: “The work of handing on the faith to children, in the sense of facilitating its expression and growth, helps the whole family in its evangelising mission. It naturally begins to spread the faith to all around them, even outside of the family circle. Children who grew up in missionary families often become missionaries themselves; growing up in warm and friendly families, they learn to relate to the world in this way, without giving up their faith or their convictions.”
Chris described himself as coming from a ‘traditionally Catholic, Coatbridge family.’ He attended St Bernard’s Primary School and St Ambrose High School in the town, but it was his and his family’s involvement in St Bernard’s parish that helped light the fire of faith in him from a young age.
“My grandparents were very much into their faith and the traditions of the church,” Chris said. “For example, whenever I stayed at my gran’s we would pray together before I fell asleep. As a family unit we were very much involved in the church. Myself and my sister were altar servers for numerous years. My dad was in the SVDP and my mum also helped in various ways in the parish. This meant forming a very friendly relationship with the priest.
“So, when I was growing up, my faith was probably the biggest part of my life. It would be quite common that I would more than happily be removed from class to go to the parish to serve a funeral or wedding. I attended Mass weekly and loved being an altar server— probably taking the role too seriously at times. Because of this, whenever priesthood was discussed in primary school all the kids would point to me and say that’s what I would be doing. I feel it was something I really wanted for a long time.
Lourdes and loving inspirations
Another family that no doubt added to Chris’ desire to take up a vocation was the one to be found among the HCPT groups who travel to Lourdes on pilgrimage every year as volunteers (above), looking after those with disabilities or life limiting conditions. Many of those who participate in these trips enjoy the experience so much they go back multiple times, which simply serves to underline that the transformative power of faith is not something solely felt by the sick.
“My sister, dad and I also all went on a pilgrimage with HCPT to Lourdes every year in the summer months from the time I was 16,” Chris explained. “There has been many a happy time in Lourdes but mostly with the group that I attended with as the people involved are just fantastic—some of the things we do work because of the people in our group.
“By far the things that stand out most are: attending the grotto itself, the torchlit procession and the baths. I was very surprised at how spiritual the experience of the baths was.”
While the experience of Lourdes was likely a catalyst for Chris’ decision to enter the priesthood, the opportunity to meet and speak with seminarians while on pilgrimage was something that he admits played its part too, as did some of priestly examples he had growing up in Motherwell Diocese.
“For me, the catalyst was a bit of life experience combined with meeting seminarians whilst in Lourdes,” he said. “There, I was able to speak to these guys who were currently going through the life that I was considering at the time. Moreover, I did not feel uncomfortable talking to them. Here were these men that—even as an outsider—I could ask all the questions my heart desired. At the time I was living in my own house in Bathgate with a reasonably paying job and more or less settled in the lifestyle I would be accustomed to for the next 40 years, but it didn’t provide me with the happiness that society says it should.
“Looking back too, I always remember the work of the Xaverian Missionaries based in the Conforti Institute in Coatbridge. They were always priests that I looked up to as inspiring because they would often provide cover in my parish and a few would even pay a visit to the school to discuss their work abroad. Obviously, a few parish priests such as: Fr Damien Gilhooley, Fr Charles Dornan, Fr Bernard Zulu, Canon William Dunnachie, are some who both inspired and re-established that call of God as well.”
Belonging
When Chris eventually made the decision to follow his vocation, it came as a bit of a shock to his mum and dad, but less so to his sister, who he described as ‘excited and happy as she had been getting several people to pray for my vocation for many years.’ After a propaedeutic period in the Royal Scots College in Salamanca (above)—which gave him an insight into the history of the colleges that have been educating priests for Scotland for hundreds of years—he began his studies in Rome and found that almost everything seemed to just click into place as he became part of another family.
“The first time I came to Rome for Holy Week and the Triduum, to see all the sights and meet all the guys who were in formation was quite something,” Chris said. “The Liturgy was so meticulously planned out too, to make it so much more special and different. It was also my first time experiencing silent retreat, which was both difficult, but also amazing.
“Then, in my first year when I arrived on the Monday, I was told that I had to quickly run out to buy a collar for a cassock as on the Thursday we would be attending a private audience with the Scottish Bishops with Pope Francis. I remember it so vividly. When he walked in the room I just couldn’t stop smiling as I thought to myself ‘what am I doing here and how did I get here?’
“From the application weekends to my time in Salamanca and now to my time here in Rome I just feel extremely happy as I feel this is where I need to be right now. The experiences I get to have living in these places is incomparable."
