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"I was the last person my friends expected to become a priest," laughed Dermot Roache, an SMA seminarian who made his first oath of commitment to the Society of African Missions on May 16 in a special Mass at Provincial Headquarters in Tenafly, New Jersey.

Attractive, personable, and full of vitality, the former school teacher was every bit the regular guy. "I loved parties and going out and had lots of friends and girlfriends," said Dermot. But then he had a faith experience that changed the direction of his life. "I made a pilgrimage to Medjugorje in 1996, and the conversion experience I had there was so strong I couldn't deny it," he explained. "The pull to the priesthood I had experienced only slightly in childhood returned as an undeniable call from God."

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Dermot grew up as one of four sons and a daughter in a close-knit Irish Catholic family. "We had relatives who were missionaries and we always heard their stories," said Dermot . One of his uncles-by-marriage was an SMA priest, so Dermot grew familiar with SMA since his childhood. "I was attracted to the stories of far away places and to the idea of being a missionary, " he said. "I thought about becoming a priest when I was a boy, but those ideas faded as I grew older," he recalled.

Unlike some who drift away from their faith in adolescence, Dermot remained committed. He was active as a CCD teacher in his local Brooklyn parish, St. Anselm. Conscious of needs in the world, he thought about joining the Peace Corps after high school. But in general, Dermot believed his life would take a more typical turn.

He earned a BA in English from St. Joseph's College in Brooklyn and a Master's degree in adolescent psychology from City University of New York. He landed a good job teaching eighth grade English at Marine Park Junior High School and enjoyed an active social life. "I figured I would teach, eventually get married and have a family like most people," he said.

An avid traveler, Dermothad been to Ireland and was immersed in the culture, visiting shrines like Our Lady of Knock and other important sites there. When asked what prompted a fun-loving guy like him to go to Medjugorje, Dermot replied, "It's hard to explain. I kept receiving travel brochures with Medjogorje on the cover. It was pulling me. I couldn't ignore it." The feeling was so strong, that Dermot signed onto a pilgrimage and went on his own with the group.

Theshrine in Eastern Europe isrevered for apparitions of the Blessed Mother. Manypilgrims report mystical experiencesof their own there. When asked if he had that experience,Dermot told this story. "There is a concrete cross visible at a mountaintopthere," he recalls. "It is not lighted, yet on one occasion, I saw it lit up and the person next to me did not." He continued, "During one of the apparitions, I felt two hands come on my shoulder at moment of apparition. It was the warmest experience I had ever had in my life. I knew without a doubt that God was there and was calling me. From that moment, my life changed. I knew then that my priority in life was for service"

When he returned home, he continued teaching for two more years, yet began to follow his changed heart. He volunteered for the Trinitarians, choosing that group because of Trinitarian sisters who were at his parish church. In that capacity, he ministered to Native Americans in Tucson Arizona where he served with a tribe called the Pasqua Yakui, working with youth groups. Eventually, however, Dermot wanted more. He recalled his lifelong exposure to SMA and attraction to travel and decided to enter the Society in 2001.

Though his family and friends were surprised by his decision, Dermot says they have come to accept and support it. "Whenever I come backto visit, they see how happy I am," he smiled. "My parents are good people who live their faith. They are very proud," he said, adding, "My friends never expected this, but now I think they respect me even more and they are so supportive," he said.

In his time of preparation with SMA, Dermot has studied French in Lyon, France before going to Benin for his assignment in northern Benin in the Diocese of Kandi where he served for one year. In the Fall of 2003, he began his Spiritual Year in Calavi, Benin, one of 14 SMA seminarians from around the world who were also there for the same purpose.

On May 16, 2004, Dermot took his first oath of commitment to SMA during a concelebrated Mass in the chapel at the Tenafly, New Jersey Headquarters of SMA's American Province. Fr. Thomas Wright, the Provincial Superior, was the main celebrant and administered the oath to Dermot. "We are blessed and SMA is blessed to have this fine man take this first step toward becoming an SMA priest," said Fr. Tom to the assembly.

Dermot now returns to Africa to continue his theology studies at Tangaza College in Nairobi, Kenya, looking toward ordination in a few years. "My last two years in Benin really reconfirmed everything for me. SMAs don't just announce poverty…they live it right alongside the people they serve. All of us have a call to live the gospel, but SMA has a true specialty. I am blessed to be among them."