The joy of spiritual fatherhood

By Fr Kenwyn Sylvester

Director, Vocations Office,

Archdiocese of Port of Spain

Every year on Father’s Day, we rightly honour the men who have given life, love, guidance, protection, and sacrifice to their children. Fathers matter. Their presence shapes families, communities, and ultimately society itself.

As a Catholic priest, Father’s Day also causes me to reflect on another kind of fatherhood: spiritual fatherhood.

One of the questions I am occasionally asked is whether I ever regret not having children of my own. It is a fair question. The assumption behind it is that because priests do not marry or have biological children, they somehow miss out on the experience of fatherhood. My experience has been quite the opposite.

Over the years, I have come to realise that priesthood has allowed me to experience fatherhood in ways I never fully anticipated.

When I first arrived in Manzanilla, I came as a priest assigned to a parish. Over time, however, the people became much more than parishioners. They became family.

I have baptised children and watched them grow. I have prepared couples for marriage and stood beside them as they exchanged their vows. I have celebrated First Communions and Confirmations. I have sat at hospital bedsides and prayed with the sick. I have buried loved ones and comforted grieving families. I have listened to stories, shared meals, visited homes, and walked with people through some of the most significant moments of their lives.

Through all of this, I discovered that ministry is not simply about performing religious functions. It is about building relationships, accompanying people through life’s journey, and loving them with a father’s heart.

St Paul understood this reality well when he wrote to the Corinthians, “I became your father in Christ Jesus through the Gospel” (1 Cor 4:15). Long before the Church formally spoke of spiritual fatherhood, the apostles experienced their ministry as a form of fatherhood, accompanying believers in faith and helping Christ take shape in their lives.

Over the years, many moments have deepened my understanding of spiritual fatherhood, but one parish picnic brought this truth home to me in a particularly powerful way.

The parishioners showed up and showed out. Some arrived with dishes already prepared, while others bubbled their pots on site. There was an abundance of food, drinks, fruit chow, laughter, and conversation. The cricket match brought out everyone’s competitive spirit. Children ran happily between activities and the bouncy castle. Families gathered under tents, while friends caught up with one another.

I spent much of the day moving from group to group, sharing jokes, sampling food, accepting invitations to taste someone’s special recipe, and enjoying the company of people I had come to love deeply. The extrovert in me was fully alive. But something deeper was happening.

As I looked around, I found myself thinking, This is what the Church is supposed to be. At the end of the day, I felt a profound sense of joy and gratitude. I realised that what I was experiencing was one of the great gifts of priesthood: the joy of seeing God’s people flourish, the joy of watching relationships grow, and the joy of helping build a family of faith.

The truth is that fatherhood has always been about more than biology. Every teacher who mentors, every coach who encourages, every grandfather who guides, every foster parent who loves, and every priest who accompanies souls participates in the beautiful vocation of fatherhood.

This is not to diminish the indispensable role of fathers in our homes and families. In fact, it is often through watching devoted fathers love, sacrifice, provide, protect, and guide their children that I have come to appreciate even more deeply the beauty of fatherhood itself. Their witness reminds us that fatherhood, whether natural or spiritual, is ultimately about self-giving love.

For a priest, spiritual fatherhood means helping people encounter God. It means encouraging them when they are discouraged, challenging them when they need to grow, forgiving them when they fall, and rejoicing when they flourish.

Like every father, a priest worries about his people. He prays for them. He celebrates their successes. He carries their burdens. He wants what is best for them. It is a demanding vocation, but it is also an immensely joyful one.

As I reflect on the joy of spiritual fatherhood, I am conscious that there may be young men reading this article who have never considered that God might be calling them to the priesthood. In a world that often speaks about what priests give up, I wish more people could see what priests receive: the privilege of walking with people through the most important moments of their lives, the joy of helping others encounter Christ, and the experience of belonging to a spiritual family.

This Father’s Day, I give thanks for the fathers who have shaped our lives and our communities. I also give thanks for the privilege of sharing, in my own way, in the fatherhood of God through the gift of the priesthood.

If you or someone you know is discerning a call to the priesthood or religious life, the Vocations Office of the Archdiocese of Port of Spain is available to accompany you in that journey. Reach out at vocations@catholictt.org or call 499 0302.