West Deer native heeds calling to priesthood

Brendan Dawson first thought about becoming a priest as an altar boy in third grade.

The idea would come up from time to time over his life, but he thought his future lay along another path.

“I decided I was going to go to Pitt and study political science and then get into politics some day,” said Dawson, 30.

After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in 2011, he felt a different calling — one he had felt before.

“Priesthood had never really gone away, but it had always kind of been in the back of my mind,” he said.

Now, eight years later, the West Deer native and Deer Lakes High School graduate is preparing to be ordained by Bishop David Zubik with the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh in a ceremony June 29.

“It’s a long journey,” he said.

Dawson will join three other men who will be ordained: Timothy Deely of Pittsburgh, David Egan of Shaler and Mingwei Li of South Park.

The Rev. Nick Vaskov, spokesman for the diocese, said there is a need for priests in Pittsburgh. Ordainments of priests usually are held once a year.

“While an average of three or four men are ordained each year, at times, eight or more are also retiring each year,” he said.

Dawson acknowledges the difficult tasks that may lie ahead in the fallout of the allegations and lawsuits related to priest sexual abuse in the diocese last year, but said his faith never has wavered.

“I think all of our hearts are broken,” he said. “I’m wounded by it, too.”

Dawson said he understands that people are hurting, and many may have taken a step back from the church, but he hopes he can provide what’s needed to parishes as they move forward.

“In some ways I can be, I hope, an instrument of God bringing some healing,” he said.

Dawson started seminary school in 2012 after taking a year off between college and deciding to become a priest.

He spent the first part of seminary studying at St. Paul Seminary in Crafton and taking philosophy classes at Duquesne University. He then spent the second half at Theological College in Washington, D.C., in addition to taking classes at Catholic University of America.

He spent a pastoral year at Saint Anne Parish in Castle Shannon.

Dawson will get his official parish assignment next weekend when he is ordained.

“It’s incredibly exciting because it’s been a long journey and, as the years have gone on, I have become more and more sure that this is what God is asking of me,” he said.

Dawson credits his faith to his mother, Margaret Clements-Dawson, and his maternal grandparents.

“Growing up with them and my mom really instilled a strong identity as being Irish and Catholic,” he said. “That’s like the biggest thing in my family.”