The Adventurer, a film about Michael Barrow, a Jesuit for over 70 years

Words by Fr Michael Barrow SJ

I am Fr Michael Barrow; I’ve been a Jesuit for just over 70 years, and I’ve now come to what we call our ‘retirement’. I don’t feel like retiring but I’ll be 92 next week so they feel I ought to! My brother is a Jesuit, my other brother is a Diocesan priest, and so we were a thoroughly Catholic family. If Jesus came into our house, my mum would offer him a cup of tea. He was just part of the family.

Somebody asked me “what attracted you to the Jesuits?”. I think it is really that a Jesuit could be himself… If somebody’s thinking of being Jesuit, I hope it can be as fantastic [an experience] as mine. You’ve got to take the risk. If you’re inclined to, get out of the boat and walk upon the water. The water varies. There are worries. There are things that are going to get in the way. You’ve got to walk on that to get to Christ.

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