A Vocation Story: Fr Theo Sharrock
Wednesday 15th October 2025“For me, there was no St Paul moment. I sometimes have the analogy of discerning a vocation being like having a bowl of water under a tap. You can either turn the tap on fully and fill the bowl of water really quickly, or it can drip, drip, drip, and without you even noticing it, it’s full.”
On 27th September 2025, Fr Theo Sharrock was welcomed into the brotherhood of the sacred priesthood, a journey that began over a decade ago with nothing more than a simple question.
Raised in a family of committed Catholics, faith has always been a central and important part of day-to-day life for Theo, but it wasn’t until a schoolteacher raised the question of the priesthood that the seed of a vocation was truly planted.
Fr Theo recalled: “It was Ash Wednesday 2013. Another lad and I were distributing ashes and serving as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion at all three school Masses at St Bede’s. After the third Mass, a teacher asked us, “Lads, have you ever considered becoming priests?”.
“When we both said something along the lines of, “No, we haven’t really”, she just asked us to consider it, and I suppose you could say that the rest is history.”
Following that conversation, Theo spent more and more time thinking about what the teacher had asked, and he started to notice and evaluate other aspects of his life that were pointing him in that direction.
Woven among these different signs and signals was an experience that had a profound impact on Theo’s formation journey: pilgrimage to Lourdes.
The Call to Love and to Serve
In 2011, 16-year-old Theo travelled with students from St Bede’s to Lourdes as part of the diocesan pilgrimage.
Theo recalls the impact that first pilgrimage had on him and his decision then “always to go to Lourdes whenever he had the opportunity to”.
But it wasn’t just the destination or pilgrimage experience itself that had such an effect on the teenage Theo; it opened the door to a sense of love and service that was to become the driving force of his vocation.
He explained: “In Lourdes, it’s really about helping people in small ways. We’re not there to change their lives, we’re there to enable them to experience a pilgrimage, to enable them to meet God.
“That’s always what I have in mind when I talk about my vocation. I always say that I want to help people to experience something of God’s love in the best and worst times of their life. I want to be able to bring a bit of God’s light and love into each of those situations.”
Seminarian Theo accompanies young pilgrims in Lourdes
Awakened to this call to serve and shepherd the people of God, and ignited by the question he was asked that Ash Wednesday, Theo made contact with the diocesan vocations team shortly before leaving St Bede’s to take up a place to study Natural Sciences at The University of Cambridge.
Ongoing Discernment
During his time at university, Theo continued along the path of discernment, going to Mass as regularly as possible, partaking of the Sacraments, spending time in Adoration, and exploring this possible vocation with the Catholic chaplain at the university, as well as touching base with our own diocesan vocations team.
As Theo’s four years in Cambridge came to a close, he made the decision to apply to seminary, with the support of his university chaplain and our diocesan director for vocation.
Reflecting on his journey to this point, Theo said: “For me, there was no St Paul moment. I sometimes have the analogy of discerning a vocation being like having a bowl of water under a tap. You can either turn the tap on fully and fill the bowl of water really quickly, or it can drip, drip, drip, and without you even noticing it, it’s full.”
After a series of interviews, and health and psychological assessments, Theo was sent to the English College in Rome, where he spent the next five years continuing his journey of discernment and formation, while undertaking the academic programme of study required for the priesthood.
“It was a great privilege, really”, Fr Theo reflected. “I was inspired by so many of the priests and the seminarians that I met. You know, it was the first time that I think I saw, on a regular basis, priests praying, which might sound odd. I don’t mean during Mass. I mean, I’d go into the chapel for Adoration on a weekday afternoon or I’d be in the chapel before Mass and there’d be 10, 12 seminarians and priests just doing their silent prayer, which was inspiring to see.”
The final stage of Theo’s path to priesthood took place back in our diocese, staying with various parishes to learn more about parish life whilst also exploring his ministry through the role of a teaching assistant and chaplain at St Matthew’s High School, in Moston, North Manchester.
Once again, this call of accompaniment came to the fore and Theo relished the opportunity to spend time with students and staff alike, listening to them, and looking for opportunities to bring the love of God into their lives.
Reflecting on this time, Theo said: “I was privileged to be able to be involved in some very tough situations there, helping families through some tough times, helping pupils, and speaking to staff.
“High school ministry is so important. Lots of kids see their priest when they’re in primary school, but not so many do when they’re in high school. And because some children are not at church on a Sunday, the only time they’re going to see us is when we go to them.”
After more than 10 years of careful prayer and discernment, Theo Sharrock was ordained a priest of our diocese, alongside Fr Paul Chisnall, and is taking up his first priestly appointment in the Parish of the Good Samaritan, Burnley.
Discovering God’s Path for You
Fr Theo describes the long time of preparation as being crucial in the priestly formation process, explaining that it takes time to explore all that needs to be explored and for everyone to be sure that it is God’s path for you.
He said: “It’s so hard to know as you’re going through it. You can feel like you’re in the right place, but the world is not a place where we can ever know fully the will of God. And that’s not to say that I’ve ever had serious doubts about my vocation, but it’s a challenge knowing what the will of God is.
“You need time in order to prepare spiritually and practically for everything that’s coming because, like marriage, it’s a for-life commitment. It’s something that’s going to shape your life forever, so you have to be certain – but the diocese has to be certain as well.”
Laying on of hands at the ordination of Fr Theo. Photo credit © Mazur/cbcew.org.uk
As Fr Theo reflected on his journey to the altar, it was the sense of brotherhood and belonging, “oneness” with the whole Catholic Church throughout the world, that stands out as his biggest blessing and he is eager to encourage anyone considering their own vocation to walk with others as they discern God’s will.
He said: “Don’t do it alone. Speak to a trusted priest, and then to the vocations team. Going to see the vocations team; it’s not you saying, “I’m definitely going to be a priest”. It’s the beginning of a long journey. So don’t be afraid of that.”
