These days it’s become common for families to travel far and wide for kid’s sporting events; but travel two hours each way to Church on Sunday? The Martin family does just that so 15-year-old Liam Martin can serve Mass at the Dominican parish of St. Patrick’s in Columbus, Ohio.
“St. Patrick’s in general has a very liturgically sound, very devout, very traditional Mass and the priests are just great. They talk to the servers. It’s a great program for altar servers there, and that fostered a love of serving for me,” says Liam.
Kathleen Martin, Liam’s mother, has also been impressed by the friars at St. Patrick’s, saying, they “really started to increase my appreciation for the Mass. They’re always preaching the Truth from the pulpit and saying the Mass reverently.”
Liam’s love of learning and study has been bolstered by his friendship with the friars. According to Liam, “the intellectual side of the Dominicans has always appealed to me. I love to learn and study, and most Dominicans are right there too. They’ve written all sorts of books on history, on philosophy, theology. They also defend Catholic tradition and orthodoxy.”
Liam had an opportunity to display his enthusiasm for the faith on the Catholic Teen Challenge, a local Ohio radio show. After being named runner-up in the competition alongside his friend, Joseph, they graciously decided to donate their earnings to the Dominican novices at St. Gertrude’s.
When asked whether he was open to considering Dominican life himself someday, Liam responded by saying, “It’s a possibility, if it’s God’s will. . .it’s always a good idea to keep your heart open to whatever God wants including a vocation into the priesthood.”
