Mathieu Colin
28 years old, ordained on July 3 for the diocese of Saint-Brieuc and Tréguier
“My vocation was not born in the family soil. I was rather struck by the testimony of the faithful of my home parish, and little by little this is how the desire to become a priest germinated and grew. My years of study were an opportunity for involvement in student chaplaincies. A very strong moment that nourished me a lot. I don’t really feel the vocation crisis. In Saint-Brieuc, we are three to receive ordination this year. It is a thanksgiving not to be alone. The drop in the number of priests can only worry us, but we must try to move forward with confidence. The Ciase report was a test for everyone. It aroused a lot of questioning and internal questions. It is not a question of acting as if nothing had happened, but of thinking about the facts and seeing what the resources are for the future. I believe that this requires, in particular, a theological reflection. The Catholic Institute of Paris was for me a place that allowed this. With regard to the reforms undertaken by Pope Francis, Christians are crossed by quite divergent, even antagonistic expectations. I try not to throw myself into these oppositions and find what can be likened to a middle way, even if it is not necessarily the solution. I have a tendency to be confident. I tell myself that the pope does not decide alone, I have faith in the Church and I move forward with great serenity in what is being done. As for the process of synodality, the objective is to open up to the Holy Spirit and to his calls. If we approach the question with this entry, many blockages will be easier to resolve. »
