Darcy responds to ‘call from God’ to serve youth in Tasmania

By Catherine Sheehan

New Director of the Archdiocese’s Office of Youth Evangelisation, Darcy Rogers, had an encounter with Jesus when he was 16 years old that transformed his life.

At the time, Darcy said he was wanting a personal relationship with Jesus but admits he was searching for this “in the wrong places”.

While kneeling in Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament one afternoon at his local parish church of St Patrick’s in Gympie, Queensland, he prayed, “Jesus, if you’re real, show me.”

Nothing happened immediately but eventually he heard a response.

“I remember this voice inside saying to me, ‘Just say you’ll do anything for me.’

He prayed once again, this time saying, ‘Jesus, if you’re real, show me and I’ll do anything for you.’

“And in that moment, I remember looking at the monstrance and the entire room went dark. I couldn’t see anything except the monstrance.

“And I remember looking and seeing this image of Jesus.

“I couldn’t see his face, but I could see this cloak and I could see he was wearing this hood and he had his hands stretched out.

“I just waited and I was looking at him, and I remember him responding to me in such a personal way, that only I could understand.

“He said, ‘Darcy, I’m here now. What are you going to do about it?’”

Darcy said this question from Jesus had a “profound impact” on him.

“It was a direct response to what I needed,” he said.

“He was like, okay, so if you want to do this, are you in? Do you really want to do this?”

This mystical experience gave Darcy the confidence to give his life fully to Christ. He walked out of his parish church that day “with encouragement”.

 “I really changed my tune… I had to leave behind a second life that I was trying to live. I was just trying to balance these two different selves, and I was really angry actually with God and the experiences that I was having at school.

Looking back now, he realises the encounter with Jesus was about “growing in confidence” and “knowing that I had gifts”.

“It was during that period of training that I really got to learn how to pray for the first time, discovering who Jesus was in my life,” Darcy said.

After finishing secondary school, Darcy went on mission with the National Evangelisation Team (NET), travelling all around Australia, ministering to young people in schools and parish youth groups. At 17, he was the youngest member of NET at the time.

As a singer and acoustic guitar player, he also led music ministry while on NET.

He spent time on mission in South Africa, which included ministry to the homeless.

“A beautiful ministry,” he said. “Instead of just feeding them, we would come with a plate and sit with them and share a story.”

“The NET experience was discovering exactly who I am and how I could learn to pray and give young people the opportunity to discover Jesus,” Darcy said.

Darcy took up his new role as Director of Youth Evangelisation in February, after relocating from Queensland to Tasmania with his wife Stephanie and their children, Ruah, aged three, and Pius, one.

He feels a close affinity with Tasmania, having visited on holiday many times, and is keen to help foster the further growth of youth ministry across the state.

“It was a call from God to come over here,” he said.

“I’m so grateful for the people that I’ve met and the parishes that I’ve visited, and I’m very excited to explore more of Tasmania.

“I wish to come humbly and to listen to the many stories of youth and young adults… to see what’s been, and just to hear that voice of the Holy Spirit that calls us to action.

“So, if you see me around, please come and say ‘hello’.”