Fr. Michael Lund

diosesan priest

Michael was born into a military family, who lived all over the country before coming to settle in Killaloe in 2003. He is the third of seven children. He studied philosophy for three years at St. Philip’s Seminary, Toronto, and did three years of theological studies at the North American College and the Angelicum, Rome. He was ordained a priest on June 24, 2017. Following his ordination he returned to Rome to complete a licentiate at the University of the Holy Cross.

Vocation Story

My vocation story is rather simple. If you came here hoping for a juicy conversion story, I’m afraid you will leave disappointed. I’ve felt the desire to enter the priesthood ever since I started altar serving at the age of eight. I loved being up there on the altar, close to the action of the priest during the Mass. That first summer I served at Mass every day. I remember the older women of the parish suggesting that I ought to become a priest, and that certainly helped to firm up my desire to do just that.

The desire stayed with me throughout my teenage years. I would attend discernment events put on by the diocese, and I tried to go to daily Mass as much as possible. Upon completing high school, I attended St. Therese Institute in Bruno, Saskatchewan, where a one-year program of faith formation was offered. There I had the opportunity to grow closer to Christ, to develop more of a personal relationship with him; a relationship not based upon rules, but upon love. I had some wonderful experiences there, growing, deepening my faith, accompanied by my twelve fellow students. During Christmas break that year, I was home in Killaloe for Christmas Mass, and I saw a seminarian, Scott Murray (now a priest of this diocese), serving in his cassock and surplice. It inspired me to finally get started on the seminary application process, and so I talked to my pastor and he got me in contact with the vocation director of the diocese.

I entered the seminary in 2009, and the experience as a whole has been great, truly affirming that God is calling me to the priesthood. That’s not to say that there weren’t struggles or moments of doubt, but through it all the Lord accompanied me, giving me strength in my moments of weakness. He has been good to me, and blessed me richly.