Eganville – When Father Michael Lund was growing up in the various locations his military father was stationed, he had a good idea what his chosen career would be.

The new pastor at St. James the Less Church in Eganville, Father Lund said anyone who knew him, be it family, friends or relatives, weren’t surprised when he announced his decision to pursue a vocation in the priesthood.

“My dad was in the army, so we moved all over the country,” he said. “We moved to Killaloe in 2003. So, it’s like home to us now. We’ve been here for so long.”

His father, Donald, was stationed in Dartmouth, NS, when he retired and because the family had visited the Killaloe area and loved it, they chose to relocate there.

They became acquainted with the area when Father Richard Philipowski, who was their priest back in Nova Scotia, was assigned to St. Mary’s Church in Wilno. After settling here, they learned his maternal grandmother was baptized in Brudenell and  were related to the Princes in Wilno and O’Briens from Renfrew.

The third eldest of seven children, Fr. Lund and his four brothers and two sisters were home-schooled after he finished Grade 4.

His deep passion for religion was fostered by Fr. Philipowski, who enlisted he and his brother as altar servers.

“I think just being close to the priest during Mass sort of stirred something in me and a bunch of the older church ladies told me I should be a priest,” he recalled of his calling to the priesthood. “So the seed was kind of planted there and it just stuck with me all throughout high school.”

He credits Fr. Philipowski for being a “great believer”, adding the way he said Mass, the care he took administering the Sacraments, the encouragement he gave he and his brother, and his example of living a Christian life and being a priest, had a big impact on him.    

Following high school, he did a one-year program in faith admission in Saskatchewan.

“It was like faith formation and during that year I made the decision to apply for seminary,” he said.

He enrolled at St. Phillip’s Seminary in Toronto in 2009 at age 19, and did three years of philosophy before being sent to the North American College in Rome for five years.

“I did three years at the Angelicum University and got my Bachelor in Theology and then started on my licence at the Santa Croce University and got a licence in Dogmatic Theology.”      

He was ordained in 2017 in his first year he returned to Rome to finish the licence, which was basically like a Master’s degree.

“When I returned to Canada, I was assigned to St. John Chrysostom Parish in Arnprior for a year as parochial vicar, and then I was assigned to St. Michael’s in Douglas, St. Pius V in Osceola and Scared Heart in Cobden as the administrator there for almost five years.

“And this is my latest assignment,” he added.

He said the transition has been good, noting as the diocesan Emcee for Liturgies, he was quite involved in the recent installation ceremonies for Bishop Michael Brehl.    

“It’s been a good transition, but it’s been busy,” he admitted. “I’m still not quite settled in yet, but I’m getting there. And the people have been very co-operative.

“It’s been a good few weeks that I’ve had here,” he added. “I’m looking to carry on my predecessors’ work and ministering to the people of God here.”

Father Lund acknowledged church secretary Karen McKibbon has been very helpful in helping him settle in.

“It makes the transition a lot easier,” he noted.

Father Lund received great support from his family and friends when he announced his decision to enter the seminary, re-iterating it really was no secret that was what he wanted to pursue. He said both sides of his family are steeped in the Catholic faith, but no other immediate family has pursued a religious vocation.

“I do have a great, great aunt who was nun back in PEI, where my dad’s family is from. On my mother’s side, there was also a nun, who I never met and who we found out was actually at the convent in Killaloe for a bit.”

Impressed With Bishop’s Ordination

Fr. Lund will always remember being part of the recent ordination of the new Bishop for Pembroke Diocese.

“It was great privilege to be there, and such a moment of joy for the whole diocese,” he remarked. “We had a great bishop in Bishop Guy Desrochers, and we were very sad to see him go.

“For a time, we were like sheep without a shepherd. You need someone in that position,” he added. “You wait patiently for Rome to do their thing, and it takes time, and you wonder how long it will take. Then you finally get the good news.”

Being part of the consecration and having the opportunity to welcome the new bishop to the diocese was a great honour, he said.

“And I was so happy with how the ceremony went; it was beautiful.”

Acknowledging most churches are seeing declines in attendance, he tries to do the liturgy and celebrate the Sacraments well, so that if any new people or past members are there, that God works in their hearts.

“It has borne fruits, but we can’t just rest on that. We have to come up with ways to reach people, especially those who are not coming to church now, or who have fallen out of the habit, especially after COVID, to try and reach out to them and draw them back.”

The 34-year-old priest, who is also responsible for St. Ann’s, Cormac, and Nativity of Our Lady, Pikwakanagan, describes himself as “quite traditional”, enjoying the traditional elements of the church, especially when it comes to the beauty of the liturgy.

“I think it can be a very powerful tool for attracting people, and just by doing things right, like saying the prayers the Church has given us to say.”

He said smaller practices like blessing candles at Candlemass, or doing Rorate Masses during Advent, which is a candlelight Mass held before dawn, is very beautiful.

While he sometimes deals with people experiencing great turmoil in their lives for whatever reason, he feels fortunate to be able to assist people through the grace of God.

“It gives some place where I can be of help to people. It really is quite something how He works.”

Loved Time In Rome

Fr. Lund thoroughly enjoyed studying in Rome.

“There’s so much history there and I like history. Especially as a Catholic, there’s hundreds of churches there, and many of them could be a museum on their own in terms of beautiful artwork.

“So it’s very easy to fill an afternoon just walking around visiting churches,” he added. “And there’s also other historical sites.”

For two years, he was tour guide at St. Peter’s Basilica, which he said he really loved.

“We offered free tours as part of the program, so any English tourists that happened to be there we’d take them in and give them a tour. It’s just such an impressive church. I loved seeing people’s faces when they walked in the door.”

The first year he was there was when Pope Benedict resigned, and Pope Francis was elected.

“I was there in St. Peter’s square the night he was elected, so I saw the white smoke come up and saw him come out on the balcony to greet the world for the first time as Pope Francis.”

He said the square was packed with people that spilled well out into the street leading into it.

“It’s impressive, it’s a core memory,” he said.   

When not involved in his spiritual duties, Fr. Lund enjoys being a member of the Eganville District Sportsmen’s Club.

“I like to go to the shooting range with some buddies,” he said.

He said he also enjoys playing the fiddle and was part of a fundraising dance for St. Michael’s parish in July that was great success.

“I play a little bit of fiddle, so I was happy to do that.”

When he was in Rome, he got interested in photography and enjoys it as a hobby.

“And I really enjoy fellowship with my brother priests. Some of us younger priests have been intentional since COVID to make sure we meet up regularly to just play board games, share a meal together, say some prayers.”