It hasn't been a journey without a bump or bruise along the way, but Catholic priest Father David Cooper said he was "humbled" to have been able to celebrate his 20th anniversary of priestly ordination.

Cooper, 48, who was ordained June 22, 1995 at Our Lady's Church, Young and Deveaux Streets, celebrated his priestly anniversary ordination on Monday, June 22 at Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Grand Bahama, where he is now priest.

"It certainly makes you realize how fast time goes by, and moreover, it causes you to reflect on the many instances you would have had to engage in the lives of people. And certainly on a personal level, it makes you more humbled as you continue to strive to be a good minister of the word and minister of the sacrament of God's church for God's people," said Cooper.

He celebrated with four deacons, who were also celebrating their 15th anniversary on June 21 -- Andrew Burrows, Nixon Lindor, Raymond Forbes and Max Johnson.
Making it a joint celebration he said was something he came up with, and his anniversary committee went with it.

They celebrated with Mass at which Archbishop Patrick Pinder was the chief celebrant and homilist, followed by a reception in the church's backyard.

Cooper said having his parents, mother Veronica Mortimer and father Livingstone Cooper, who are both 90 years old and who journeyed to Grand Bahama for the anniversary, made the celebration worthwhile

"Having both my parents there -- that alone made the occasion worthwhile. It made the last 20 years worth the while actually," he said.

As he looks forward to his 40th anniversary, Cooper said he hopes to still be engaged in the work of the Lord and the ministry of the Catholic Church.

"Now, however that takes shape or form, that's not for me to decide," he said.

Cooper can vividly recall the day of his ordination in the hot, overcrowded Our Lady's Church, and celebrating his first Mass of thanksgiving the following Friday night in another overcrowded night in the church as family, friends and church members filled the edifice to celebrate with the young man who had grown up in the parish. The following Sunday, he was assigned to cover Resurrection Catholic Church in South Beach, where he had his first baptism -- and that was his godchild, Kwame Glinton, the son of his classmate, Bernadette Cooper. They coordinated it so that son would be Cooper's first baptism.

During that week Cooper was sent off to North Eleuthera, where there was a temporary vacancy that summer. He remained there for 10 weeks covering Hatchet Bay, Gregory Town and Governor's Harbour before he switched to Gregory Town, Hatchet Bay and The Bogue in Harbour Island.

On September 7, he returned to New Providence for his first official assignment, which took effect September 8, 1995 at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral at West and West Hill Streets with the now bishop, then Fr. Patrick Pinder.

"The timeline is as fresh as it could be," said Cooper.

The priest spent five years at St. Francis, almost six years at Holy Family Church on Robinson Road, then was out of ministry for approximately five-and-a-half months before being reassigned in Grand Bahama. Originally he was assigned to West End/St. Michael's Parish, and is now pastor at Mary Star of the Sea with responsibility for West End/St. Michael's as well as Holy Name Church in Bimini. He took up the post on January 8, 2007.

Cooper travels between the two islands and said he tries to celebrate Mass on Bimini every two weeks. With associate Oswald Ferguson, they split assignment and travel duties.

"Even with the ups and downs, the responsibilities have increased over the 20 years," he said.

The draw to religious life
Growing up, Cooper said he was fortunate to see newly ordained priests and deacons regularly at Our Lady's.

"My home parish is Our Lady's Parish, and it was the breaking-in ground for young Bahamian priests, so I was fortunate to see newly-ordained priests and deacons regularly at Our Lady's. Even the new archbishop entered as a new priest at Our Lady's so I saw people like me, doing what I hoped or thought was possible, and then the mentorship kicked in after that. Each of them offered their own strengths to ministry that allowed me to say I want to be like them and can still be me with my own gifts and uniqueness and strive to be a good priest as well. You have to look at yourself and look at whatever goal you would like to pursue as it being a possibility, and that's the first thing, and that possibility only bears fruit when you see people like yourself in the ministry," he said.

Upon graduating high school in 1983 at age 16, Cooper worked for four years as a messenger before formally applying to college/seminary -- which he did in September 1987.

"The first four years was pretty much discernment, decision-making, spiritual direction as you pursue your first degree, and then junior year of the college years you have to decide whether you're going on to theology grad school or not. I finished my grad studies in May 1995 after being ordained a deacon December 29, 1994 at Our Lady's Church. I finished school in May and was ordained in May 1995."

Advice to undecided young men
Father Cooper's advice to young men who are undecided about entering the priesthood, he said would be for them to pray about it.

"You can't be a priest for your mother or your daddy, or your uncle or whatever. You have to want to do it -- and not because you want to do it, it's going to happen. Not because you feel called to do it it's going to happen, so you have to pray about it."

Cooper said praying to God and active participation in the sacramental life of the church is a must.

"You have to find meaning at the bottom level as it were first, and as you mature in the faith then your discernment kind of takes another level, and then you can start to say if you wonder if God is calling you. No one is worthy to embrace the ministry of the church, we only can do the best we could."

The priest said discernment takes different levels, with an academic standard, as there is no "freelance calling" into ministry and a person is assigned to be a pastor in the Catholic Church.

"You have to be educated, you have to be formed, you have to do practicums, and then you have to commit to the official teachings of the church," he said.

The complete formation cycle for a Catholic priest is eight years.

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