Meet the Priest: Father Peter Devereux

Father Peter Devereux has come a long way to settle at his current assignment at St. Joseph in Raleigh. Hailing from New Zealand, Father Peter is the fourth of seven sons.

In March’s Meet the Priest program on Divine Mercy Radio, Father Peter shares how his ‘perfectly dysfunctional Catholic family’ had mixed feelings on him becoming a priest, but how his parents always supported him.

In fact, in high school, his parents took him, along with his younger brother, on a trip to the United States specifically to visit a Legionary of Christ seminary in Connecticut. From there, the family took an extended tour of Europe, visiting Lourdes in France and Rome, amongst a number of places.

While in Rome, his family received tickets to have an audience with Pope John Paul II. What they didn’t know until they arrived, was that these tickets were for the front row and they would have a chance to personally greet the future saint.

“We were not dressed appropriately, but there we were,” says Father Peter.

Shortly after that trip, Father Peter shares how he was working on the farm, a place he felt perfectly at home, when he was wrestling with the question of his future.

He says he heard God remind him, “I’m not asking you to be a priest, all I’m asking is, do you want to give it a try?”

It was a moment of clarity and peace for Father Peter in that he didn’t feel so much pressure in the decision of going to seminary. It is a moment that formed the rest of his life, and it is a message that he passes on to others.

Now at St. Joseph, Father Peter praises the parish for its strong traditions and rich prayer life. Understanding the importance of tradition at this parish, Father Peter shares how he shadowed Monsignor Jeffrey Ingham, the former pastor at St. Joseph, to learn and understand how he can best honor the traditions that have been built.

Tune in to hear Father Peter talk candidly about his moments of uncertainty while discerning. He says that through his formation, “There were a lot of lights and a lot of shadows, and God uses them all.”

Also, in the rapid-fire segment, try to figure out whose pride Father Peter is trying to protect when he doesn’t reveal who wins the tennis matches with Father Joshua West. All that and more on this month’s program of Meet the Priest on Catholic 540-AM Divine Mercy Radio. The program airs Thursday, March 18, at 8pm and Friday and Saturday, March 19 and 20, at noon.

Past programs can be found at https://www.catholic540am.org.