Vincent a/l Suseh

Kuala Lumpur

My Vocation Journey: Let Go and Let God

My desire to become a priest was something I had longed for from the time that I was very young. This desire and attraction to the priesthood was, I believe, inspired by priests and religious nuns who served and visited families frequently and guided prayers in the Catholic community in Slim River. Those memories that challenged me to respond to the call to the priesthood are still very clear in my memory.

Once my brothers started work in Kuala Lumpur, my whole family moved to Rawang, Selangor. The new environment changed my lifestyle, and I became more actively involved in church activities and regularly followed the parish priest for Mass to the remote and interior places around Bestari Jaya and Batu Arang. I often shared my experiences and thoughts about the priesthood with the parish priest and the vocation director. They both encouraged me to work on my English as I hardly spoke any English.

With the recommendation of both parish priest and vocation director, I applied to the seminary, and was accepted for the pre-initiation, two -years English programme, beginning 2005. I was very happy with the English classes in the seminary for it was there that I truly and really learned English. The only thing was that I was unable to achieve the requirement of the seminary, and at the end of the two-years study, I had to discontinue my studies and leave.

2007 began with disappointment and anxiety as I had no proper job. While waiting to get a good and stable job, I helped out my brother who had a welding business. My brothers then suggested that I take over the canopy rental business which they were doing part-time, and I grabbed this opportunity as God’s plan for me. In the beginning I encountered lots of challenges in running the business because of lack of experience. My faith gradually dropped and I paid more attention to my business. My mind was always occupied about how to develop my business further.

Through a female contact, I got the opportunity to supply and assemble tents for University Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM). At the end of the following year, I was given a bigger order from them, but I had insufficient tents and other materials so had to reject the order. However, I was supported by been given cash of RM10,000 for the materials I needed in order to carry out this job and other jobs which I was able to take on.

After a couple of years, my USIM contact proposed marriage, but I turned her down for a number of reasons, but continued to have business dealings with her. In any event, I was not ready to commit to marriage and I felt that God had other and greater plans for me. We have managed to maintain a friendship.

My parish priest had asked me several times what was my intentions were, and I told him that there was no change in my desire but I was not ready yet. In the beginning of 2018, I informed him of my desire to join the priesthood. He happily welcomed my decision and helped me to resume discerning my call to the priesthood.

Since I did not manage to get the score in English which College General requires, I decided to attend English classes before sitting for the IELST exam. Finally, I took the exam and with all procedures and processes in place, my application to further discern my call to the Diocesan Priesthood for seminary formation was accepted by my Bishop.

I am here now because I am truly ready to LET GO and LET GOD in my life.

Vincent Suseh.