Westminster: record numbers training for priesthood

Archbishop Nichols with four new priests

This year, 51 men are training for the priesthood at Allen Hall seminary in Chelsea - the highest number of students in ten years. Allen Hall features in the first progranme in a series of three films about Catholics being shown on BBC 4 Television in February and March 2012.

In 'Priests', which aired last night Thursday 23 February, documentary maker Richard Alwyn meets men who are called to the priesthood. Rob Hunt is in his first year at Allen Hall. A cradle Catholic, he ignored his faith for years, had several relationships and worked in various jobs, spending time as a roadie for a Heavy Metal band, before deciding his life was veering off course. With little education, he thought he had as much chance of becoming a priest as an astronaut.

At the other end of the seminary, Andrew Gallagher is in his final year. Now 30 years old, he worked in a City law firm before joining the seminary. He sees this not as a career change but as a response to a life-long calling - at school, his nickname was "Priest". Andrew Connick, is also in the last year of his formation. It was only at the end of his university years that he felt he too could no longer resist a calling that had been with him all his life.

 The programme can be seen on IPlayer, for the next three weeks here: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01cl83g/Catholics_Priests/