Fr Steve Tynan
 I
was in my last year of school when I came in contact with a youth group in
Canberra that was associated with a 7:00pm Charismatic Mass at St
Christopher’s Cathedral. I found myself being challenged by other young
people who had a love for God and each other that I began to desire as
well! I experienced a deeper conversion to Jesus through the youth group
and ultimately felt called to join the Disciples of Jesus (at that time
called Hephzibah) Covenant Community. At the same time, I was experiencing
an urge to respond to a call to become a priest. This call had been with
me since I made my First Holy Communion as a seven year old! Talking with
Fr Ken Barker I discovered there was a few other young men who were
responding to a similar call. We began to meet together on a weekly basis
to pray about what God might be doing with us, and the rest, as they say,
is history.
My
studies were an interesting mixture of about five different institutions.
I, and two others, began with a year of philosophy at the Australian
National University and some Scripture and pastoral studies at St Marks,
an Anglican Seminary College in Canberra. Fr Ken provided us with us with
an introduction to theology. After that I spent two years in Sydney at the
Catholic Theological Union followed by two more years in Melbourne, in
this time, at the Catholic Theological College and Yarra Theological
Union. So if I am a bit confused at times when you speak to me, you now
know the reason! However, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the
studies. I almost came to enjoy all the travel to and from Canberra over
the years in order to keep in touch with the wider brotherhood in
Canberra.
At
the end of the five years of studies I spent 5 months as an associate in a
parish in Canberra ( I would later return to this parish as an assistant
priest.) I was then ordained a deacon in May, 1992 and spent seven months
as a deacon in another parish. I was ordained a priest in December 1992.
Since then my life has involved a variety of ministries that I have found
challenging and fulfilling. They involve working as an assistant priest in
a parish in Canberra, being chaplain to the University of Canberra for two
years and numerous roles within the Disciples of Jesus Covenant Community.
I have been serving in the mission in Manila since its inception. This
mission is a never-ending source of joy and surprises, along with its own
fair share of difficulties and struggles. However, the Lord never fails to
show us the way we are supposed to follow. I look forward to many more
years in Manila and wherever else the Lord may lead me with the MGLs.
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