Last Saturday, we drove to York for the Silver Jubilee of Fr Daniel Seward’s ordination. The church was full, and many of his former parishioners had journeyed more than 200 miles from the Oxford Oratory to be there.

During the Jubilee Mass, I found myself reflecting on his 25 years of devotion to God and the silent burden he has borne, those hidden sacrifices of the priesthood that often go unseen. My tears fell silently. I still remember his 10th anniversary in Oxford. We had just moved to Oxford for John’s work at the university. We were searching for a spiritual home in various Anglican churches, but none felt right. Finally, our neighbour Walter, the trustee of the CS Lewis Estate, suggested the Oratory.

I remember kneeling before the tabernacle for the first time, my tears streaming down my cheeks. I knew this was the right place. We were shortly introduced to Fr Daniel, the newly elected provost at the remarkably young age of 37. Thus began our fortnightly Catechism lessons in a small reception room at the priests’ house. At our first lesson, Fr Daniel kindly reminded me: “There is a Chinese version available.” “No, Father,” I replied, gentle yet firm. “I wish to learn in English. I am living in the UK, and I want to study the new faith in the language of my surroundings.” I treasured those hours. While John read the texts, I would share my reflections and ask lots of questions, and Fr Daniel would provide the answers.

As an Oxford graduate, Fr Daniel is exceptionally intelligent. As a non-native speaker, I initially struggled with his refined accent. Yet he let me speak freely, listening intently, correcting me when I was wrong and encouraging me when I was right. This did more than teach me doctrine; it built my confidence, so vital for my soul navigating a new life of faith.

I had heard whispers that Fr Daniel came from a wealthy background. This was later echoed by Fr Jerome, mentioning a great saint who abandoned worldly riches to follow God, “just as Fr Daniel did”. What a profound sacrifice for a young man to relinquish everything to become a servant of God. I was, and remain, amazed by such self-denial.

After a long period of study, Fr Daniel heard my first Confession. He said to me: “God wants you to be a saint!” I heard this, and my tears burst forth. I felt my soul truly cleansed by His abundant mercy at that moment. Fr Daniel then kindly offered us a cup of tea.

At the Easter Vigil, Fr Daniel received John and me into the One True Faith. The following day, he married us. These remain the two dearest memories in my heart. Our hunger to deepen our faith led us to continue our lessons with him for six years, until his eventual transfer to the York Oratory. Those six years laid the cornerstone for my understanding of Catholicism.

Later, when the former research director of the Ian Ramsey Centre at the University of Oxford, Fr Andrew Pinsent, asked me to translate his Credo into Chinese, I realised that without the six years of diligent study, I would never have dared to accept the task, which required absolute precision with no room for error. When the director of Faith Press in China informed us that the Credo was being used extensively to spread the Gospel and had been republished, John and I had a profound realisation: those six years were not merely the result of our will or of Fr Daniel’s time, but were God’s will, an act of Divine Providence. John often jokes: “Fr Daniel was the sower, and Fr Andrew was the harvester.” “This is so true,” I replied, “with God as the maker of all.” Yes, He led us to the Oratory and to a priest willing to sacrifice his time to let us bathe in the Light.

The Light opened my eyes to the point that God had been preparing me for all along, keeping His plan hidden until the time was right. Clearly, it was the Holy Spirit who prompted me to say “no” to the Chinese Catechism at the very beginning.

I think none of us three knew this secret at the time. God prepared Fr Daniel for His plan. I believe that He even prepared John to be my husband, willing to support me entirely in this work.

For John and me, He laid the firm foundation of our faith and sharpened my mind to discern the truth. For Fr Daniel, perhaps He bestowed a season of renewal, allowing him to see the ancient faith through the “fresh eyes” of someone from the Far East with a very different cultural background. “We felt so blessed to have Fr Daniel here. He is a wonderful Father!” a young woman told me at the party, mentioning that Fr Daniel would be marrying her and her fiancé this year.

The most poignant moment of the celebration was seeing Fr Daniel, holding a signed papal blessing, surrounded by the Fathers singing a beautiful hymn of blessing. I saw tears in his eyes. This was unusual for Fr Daniel.

As an act of charity, would you please pray for Fr Daniel, perhaps three Hail Marys and one Our Father, that God may continue to hold him in His arms?