On 24 October, Daniel Howarth will be ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop John Sherrington at his adopted home parish of St Oswald, King and Martyr, Warrington.

Ahead of his ordination, we spoke to Dan about his remarkable career in nursing, his lifelong journey of faith, and how he feels about becoming the archdiocese’s newest priest.

For Dan, the call to serve others has always been at the heart of his life.

“I worked as a nurse for 21 years. When I was younger, I wanted to be either a nurse or a priest.

“When I was 10, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and had such a fantastic diabetes nurse. She inspired me to pursue a career in nursing.”

Dan trained in Sheffield and began his career in A&E, an experience he describes as both challenging and rewarding.

“A&E was a fantastic experience. I saw some horrendous things and it could be very stressful, but we also had a lot of laughs as a team.

“One memory that has always stayed with me was working on New Year's Eve. The staff were wearing silly hats to celebrate, and then an emergency call came in involving a teenager who had been injured in a drink-driving accident. The hats came off immediately and we got to work. It really showed the contrast of working in A&E.”

After completing postgraduate studies in diabetes nursing in Manchester, Dan's career took him much further afield.

“I did a bit of travelling and fell in love with New Zealand. I registered as a nurse there and moved in 2008. I set up an insulin pump service in central Auckland and led a young adults' diabetes service. New Zealand is a wonderful place, relaxed and incredibly diverse.”

However, family circumstances eventually brought him back to England.

“My dad became unwell and, sadly, the day I flew home after three years away, he passed away before I reached home.

“One thing I was able to do was help the funeral directors prepare his body for the funeral. Caring for people was part of my work every day, and it felt right to help care for my dad too.”

Dan's expertise later took him to Brussels, where he became Global Educator for the International Diabetes Federation.

“I travelled to low and middle-income countries, teaching healthcare professionals about insulin and diabetes. Every other week I was in a different country.

“I loved Brussels, but after a year I began to miss the sunshine and eventually returned to New Zealand to lead an inpatient diabetes team.”

During his time in Europe, Dan also began volunteering in the Holy Land, an experience that would become deeply significant.

“I went to Palestine and volunteered there. I asked if the hospital needed a diabetes nurse and they asked if I could provide a training course. That became a week-long programme and was the start of my love affair with Jerusalem. I returned every year to deliver the course.”

The seeds of a priestly vocation had been present throughout Dan's life, but 2013 proved to be a turning point.

“I said to God in Lourdes that if I hadn't met a significant other within six months either side of my 40th birthday, I would become a priest.”

After returning to the UK, Dan completed a Master's degree in Diabetes and Endocrinology and became Head of Clinical Care at Diabetes UK.

“I was there for six years and absolutely loved it. During the Covid pandemic, I campaigned for people with diabetes to receive early access to the vaccine and we achieved that. That's one of my proudest accomplishments.”

Despite his professional success, Dan felt drawn towards something more.

“When I was living in London, I felt I needed more in terms of faith. I developed a love for serving homeless people and every Saturday morning I made bacon butties and gave them to the homeless and had a chat with them. I got so much from those conversations.”

Seeking clarity about his vocation, Dan asked God for a sign.

“I went into a church and a priest asked if I was staying for Mass. I sat down and the opening hymn was Here I Am, Lord, which is all about vocation. Then, during the homily, the priest spoke about praying for vocations to the priesthood.

“I thought, that's a pretty clear sign!” Even then, he admits he still had doubts.

“I've always played rugby, including international rugby in New Zealand, I saw a video of priests playing rugby which encouraged me, as I wanted to become a priest, but I still wanted to be me.

“Later, during my annual ski trip, I was in a church praying and thinking, 'I'm not sure I can do this.' When I opened my eyes, there was a statue of Jesus with his hand stretched out towards me. It felt as though he was saying, 'I've got you.'”

Soon afterwards, Dan met with his parish priest in London before contacting Fr Ron Johnson, Vocations Director for the Archdiocese of Liverpool.

“And the rest is history.”

Dan spent four years at seminary at the Beda College in Rome.

“Seminary gave me a real opportunity to discern my vocation as well as study. It deepened my prayer life, but I was also able to continue doing the things I loved, including rugby and volunteering.

“The rector, Fr Philip Gillespie, was incredibly supportive. He helped me remain myself while growing into my vocation.”

Among the highlights of his time in Rome was meeting Pope Francis.

“I became involved with Vatican Athletics while helping to establish a rugby club. We had an audience with the Pope, I shook his hand, introduced myself and he simply replied, 'Good.'

“When he later became ill, I went outside the hospital to pray the rosary each day. He was such an inspiration, and I like to think I was praying alongside him.”

Dan also had the opportunity to meet King Charles during a visit to the Vatican.

“He asked me how long I had been in seminary before shaking my hand. It was a memorable encounter.”

Now, as his ordination approaches, Dan is looking forward to celebrating the occasion with the parish community that has supported him throughout his journey.

“The whole parish has been welcoming, supportive and prayerful throughout my formation.

“This ordination isn't just about me. It's about Jesus, the parish, the Church and the wider community. It's a chance for people to celebrate someone they have supported and loved.

“Everything in the liturgy involves parishioners, from the altar servers and readers to the musicians. I've chosen hymns that are especially meaningful to me, including one that was played at my dad's funeral and another associated with Lourdes.”

Dan is eager to welcome family, friends and supporters from every chapter of his life.

“There will be priests from across the archdiocese, fellow seminarians, parishioners, friends from the Beda College, people I've met through rugby, friends from London and nursing colleagues attending my ordination.

“It will be wonderful to have them all together on such a special day.”