Laboure Society
“As I accompanied others on their own spiritual journeys, I felt an inner openness to the priesthood.”
Meet the rest of my class
My name is William Coupe. I am called to serve Christ and His Church as a priest with the Melkite Eparchy of Newton. This is my story.
I grew up in Wilton, Connecticut, and spent much of my free time playing sports. Though my family wasn’t particularly devout, we did attend Mass regularly. Upon reaching high school, I began to explore the Scriptures on my own for the first time. There, I read the apostle Paul describe his own struggle with sin, and I found hope in knowing that the answer for Paul, as for all of us, is Jesus.
I attended a Protestant university and spent most of my college years away from the Catholic Church. At one point, though, I encountered the words of Bishop Robert Barron. He captivated my mind and explained the Catholic Faith more clearly than I had ever heard before. This intrigued me and drew me deeper into Catholicism. By my senior year of college, I was back to frequenting the sacraments.
After graduating college, I embraced opportunities to travel the globe while serving others. From teaching English and working with youth in Morocco to serving in Australia as a missionary with a Catholic community and ministering to college students in Tasmania, I experienced a diversity of cultures while encountering the universal beauty of God in neighbor. My faith life grew by leaps and bounds. As I accompanied others on their own spiritual journeys, I felt an inner openness to the priesthood.
When Covid hit, I returned to the States and decided to pursue graduate studies in theology. A friend shared with me about the Melkite Catholic Church, and I began to attend there. I was drawn in by its beauty and the community’s welcome. Over time, I began to love the liturgy and chant, and my heart was lit on fire.
During my graduate program, I taught in Iraq for a year and developed a great love for sharing the Catholic faith with our Muslim brothers and sisters in particular. Upon returning home, a friend suggested that the Melkite church might help me to build a bridge of faith with Muslims, as the Rite is so deeply rooted in the Middle East. The flame in my heart for the Melkite Rite was further fanned, and it is in this setting that I anticipate deep joy in serving as a priest.
Through the years, my love for Christ has grown and I have felt Him inviting me into the mystery of His priesthood. God has truly been so attentive to even the smallest details of my heart, and all I want is to empty myself as Christ did and to be as close to Him as possible. I see the priesthood as a beautiful way for me to draw closer to God and to offer my life in service to Him and His people.
Please pray for me and for my fellow Labouré classmates on our vocation journeys. Feel free to reach out with any questions you might have at: william@rescuevocations.org
Download a PDF of my story
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