Fr. Peter Do

diocesan priest

Fr. Peter Do was born in Germany and immigrated to Canada with his family at a young age. Eventually he and his family moved to the Ottawa Valley, where his parents still reside. Feeling the call of God early in his life, Fr. Peter entered seminary after high school and studied philosophy for three years at St. Philip's Oratory, Toronto and then four years of theology in Rome. Fr. Peter was ordained on June 18th, 2016 at St. Columbkille Cathedral.

Vocation Story

When the Lord met Elijah at Mount Horeb, he did not appear to Elijah in the form of a mighty sign or a show of force. “A great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire, a still small voice.” (1 Kings 19:11-12) The Lord met Elijah in silence, in this still small voice. When God calls some men to be priests, he does so in a dramatic manner. Such are the vocation stories of Saints Peter and Paul and of the other apostles. My own experience is closer to that of Elijah at Mount Horeb. I did not discover my vocation through some great sign. God did not speak to me and say, “Peter, I want you to be a priest.” No, I found my vocation in silence. In the silence of my heart I discovered a desire to serve God as a priest. This desire has persisted through whatever challenges life has presented to me. It has persisted through joy and happiness and through sadness and grief. It has been confirmed during my eight years of seminary formation and ultimately by the bishop calling me to Holy Orders. For these reasons, I believe that this desire within me is from God. And for this reason I want to be a priest. After all, God knows me better than I know myself and he wants me to be happy. And so if he wants me to be a priest, then this is his plan for my happiness, a happiness not just for the next life, but for here and now. This is why I want to be a priest. This is why I will never marry. This is why I will father no children. This is why I will serve the people of God as another Christ – because God has asked this of me in the silence of my heart.