Just over two years ago, Harrison Brady, filled with hope and anticipation as he prepared for seminary, was suddenly faced one of life’s cruellest challenges.
During a routine medical examination required for seminary admission, doctors delivered devastating news: a diagnosis of leukaemia, stemming from a group of rare blood cancers.
“The last thing you want to hear as a young 21-year-old about to enter the seminary is that you are in an early stage of cancer,” Harrison reflects. But in that moment of despair, something remarkable happened—he heard God’s voice.
“God was calling me and saying, ‘I want you to continue with the seminary. Don’t worry about what’s happening next, because I will be there with you.’ Suddenly, all the worries I had just vanished,” Harrison recalls, a sense of peace washing over him.
Harrison’s inspiring journey to the seminary is the latest entry in the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney’s Disciple Diaries series.
“I have always wanted to be a priest,” he says. “But there have been a lot of twists and turns along the way. It’s been quite a journey.”
Growing up in southwest Sydney, Harrison was raised in a devout Catholic household, surrounded by his four siblings. At the tender age of ten, he boldly declared to his parents, “I want to be a priest.”
“In school, I was known as ‘Fr Harry’ because I was the only practicing Catholic in my class,” he fondly remembers.
At 17, Harrison began to seriously discern his religious vocation, which led him to study Theology after graduating high school in 2021, setting the course for his calling.
However, life presented its first challenge during this journey—one of Harrison’s unexpected ‘sliding door’ moments.
“I started to develop feelings for a girl,” he recalls. “The more I talked to her, the more I realised how special she was. I thought, ‘I wouldn’t mind starting a relationship with her.’”
This blossoming affection was a new experience for Harrison, opening emotions beyond his family and faith, and, to his surprise, the feelings were mutual.
“This girl was open to dating. For the first time, I realised, I have a chance. I had to decide—should I pursue priesthood or explore this relationship?” he explains.
It also revealed a deep yearning to be a father.
“It led to feelings and a yearning to maybe one day be a father. My father Stuart is a great dad and like a lot of young men, the idea of raising your own family is a beautiful desire. I thought, maybe that’s what I want,” Harrison recalls.
But after deep reflection and weeks of contemplation, Harrison chose to follow his vocation, deciding to apply for the seminary.
“It was painful, to be honest. I was closing one door, but I also knew another was opening,” he reflects.
As he began the application process for the Seminary of the Good Shepherd, Harrison underwent routine medical checks.
“Everything seemed fine until I got a call from the hospital. They informed me that my white blood cell count was lower than normal,” he recalls, the gravity of the moment still fresh in his memory.
The diagnosis was severe: Myelodysplastic syndrome, which meant he was in the early stages of cancer. The doctors discovered rare blood cancers affecting his bone marrow, requiring a bone marrow transplant and months in the hospital.
“This led to a dark period in my life. I struggled with depression, feeling as though I had lost control,” he admits. “I faced fears I had never experienced before and began questioning my path to the priesthood. Had I made the right choice? This wasn’t the path I was meant to be on.”
Despite the doubts, a profound moment of clarity arrived. “That was when I heard the Lord’s voice,” he shares. “A wave of peace washed over me, reminding me that I was not alone and that He had always been with me.”
With newfound strength, Harrison faced his health battle. “I underwent the bone marrow transplant, and thanks be to God, while the normal hospital stay is typically six weeks, I was out in just four!” he says with a smile.
Harrison is now in his second year as a seminarian.
“With what I went through and all the experiences that I had, it helped me form the person that I am today. While I might not have a family of my own, the beauty of the priesthood is you have a family of your own as well, which is your parish,” he reflected.
On the 29 January, The Catholic Weekly joined Harrison as he welcomed first year seminarians at the opening Mass of the seminary year, celebrated by Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP.
“The House of the Good Shepherd”, the inaugural newsletter from the Seminary of the Good Shepherd will feature additional stories from staff and seminarians in The Catholic Weekly 23 February edition.
“We’re welcoming 15 new seminarians, which is a big number and fills me with great hope,” Harrison says.
Harrison is also hopeful that his own challenges will continue to shape the type of priest he hopes to be.
“I’ve always been called to serve, so I hope to be a priest that is for the people.
“When I hear someone struggling, I will relate deeply because I’ve been there. And I know that regardless of what you’re going through, nothing is insurmountable for God. He will always guide you, always support you. He will always be there for you.”