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November 28, 2022By Mary Lim
Fr. Joseph Esson is the Pastor at St. Ann’s Catholic Parish and its missions at St. Helen’s Church, Assumption Chapel, and St. Ferdinand’s Church in the Tubac, AZ area. Fr. Esson was assigned to St. Ann’s in Tubac five years ago after serving previously as Pastor at St. Bartholomew’s in San Manuel for three years. “Tubac is a small and beautiful town,” says Father Esson, “where history and the arts meet. I love the quiet and peaceful atmosphere of the town.”
On December 3, Father Esson will be celebrating 28 years in the priesthood! His calling to the priestly vocation started years before his discernment and ordination in 1994, though – Fr. Esson was a young high school student when he first "felt the call deeply within” him.
“My call to the priestly vocation arose on the Altar as an altar server. It was a call I heard from the depths within me, which occurred during [Mass at] the time of consecration, while kneeling down, facing the priest. The voice said to me, ‘One day, you will be wearing this regalia.’
“I heard this voice from the depth of my being twice at different times during the time of consecration. How this would come about, I hadn’t the slightest idea. It happened during my early years in Secondary School (High School).
“The thought of going to the seminary was strongly felt after my Confirmation in 1982 at St. Sebastian Catholic Church, Rukuba Military Cantonment Jos., Plateau State, Nigeria. The seminary I had in mind then was the minor seminary, which was similar to the secondary school I was attending in the Military Barracks. It was my pastor in the Military chaplaincy, late Rev. Fr. (Lt. Col) Benedict Anukwu, who advised me to wait and complete my secondary education first. He told me, ‘If you are still interested to going to the Major Seminary, then I will give you a recommendation.’
“I completed my secondary education first, and frankly speaking, I forgot all about the voice I heard from the depths of my heart. The only time I ever remembered the vision was the day I was celebrating my Thanksgiving Mass after my ordination with the Late Rev. Fr. (Lt. Col) Bendict Anukwu, which was fourteen years later.”
Fr. Esson likens his experience with feeling the call to the priesthood deeply within himself and his consequent discernment in the years following to the Biblical story of “little Samuel and Eli.”
“In my journey and discernment, I believe I was just like the boy Samuel and Eli in the Temple in 1 Sam 3:1-10. I had some good people who pointed and guided me along the way to realize my calling to the priesthood. May the Lord bless them infinitely, most of whom are already in heaven.
“As I reflect over the years from my experience, I came to realize that God has been using certain individuals, such as my catechists and parish priests, to guide me toward my vocation. At the initial time, [I did not] really understand, but as [I am] open to God’s grace, He leads [me] to where He wants me to go.”
Fr. Esson attended St. Augustine Major Seminary, Jos. Plateau State in Nigeria, and he was ordained a priest on December 3, 1994, by Archbishop G.G.Ganaka. He says that his journey to entering the priesthood is a result of him responding to the invitation of the Lord all those years ago, and every day since.
“At the initial, I went to the seminary in order to be well educated, informed, and to be a better Christian – that was my driving force or passion. In fact, all the while, I had forgotten about the ‘Regalia’ vision divulged to me [as an altar server]. Even during my seminary formation, I never bothered myself about the outcome at the end of my training.
“The first time I heard the word ‘seminary’ was from the catechist who instructed and prepared me for the sacraments. He told me that, ‘I should take my Baptism card and tell my uncle that I want to go to the seminary.’ I had no idea what seminary connoted, and I never asked questions. I only listened and remained quiet.”
Reflecting on his story, Fr. Esson supposes “there was a little bit of St. Joseph’s attributes” in him, in reference to the way that he listened and was obedient without question to the Lord’s calls through the people in his life who influenced his vocation.
Throughout his journey of discerning his vocation, Fr. Esson notes that he responded to the Lord’s call in different ways during different seasons.
“I found this very fascinating in my journey of discernment” he says, “Listening to what your heart is telling you is relevant as you aspire for whatever vocation in life. I believe there are diverse ways of callings, and different ways of responding to any Divine invitations. Whenever one finds himself with a similar calling, I would advise that one should listen carefully to the people God may send to your path to guide and give you direction.”
During his now twenty-eight years as a Catholic priest, Fr. Esson has served in various parishes in the Lafia Catholic Diocese in Nigeria and in the Diocese of Tucson in the United States. He first came to Tucson when the missionary priest, Rev. Fr. James Baka, died in October 2010. After his death, the Diocese of Tucson requested a new missionary priest from Nigeria, and Bishop Matthew I. Audu sent Fr. Joseph Esson.
“To me, it is a wonderful privilege to work with the lovely and delightful people of God in this diocese as their faith, devotion, and comments are inspiring and edifying. Many of the Catholic folks I have come across in this diocese had amazing spirituality that I admire a lot. It is a candid fact that I shared with my brother priests back at home, Nigeria.”
Fr. Esson brings a wonderful spirituality of energetic joy to the parish of St. Ann’s in Tubac. He says that his favorite part about his vocation is “humble service and shepherding Christ’s flock." What brings him the most joy in his vocation is “exercising his ministry faithfully, and the beautiful and rich prayer life.”
Please take a moment to say a prayer in thanksgiving for the gift of Fr. Joseph Esson’s priesthood to our Church and to the Diocese of Tucson.
Congratulations, Fr. Esson, on celebrating 28 years in your vocation as a priest and thank you for serving as a missionary in the Diocese of Tucson!
National Vocations Awareness Week
Vocations in the Diocese of Tucson
Discerning your vocation
