CROWN HEIGHTS — For many people, having a sibling who mirrors their every move might seem more frustrating than comforting. However, for two sets of twins in New York City, their shared bond has profoundly strengthened their faith and spiritual lives.

The lives of Father Mark Amatrucola and Father Chris Lawton are intertwined not just by being twins, but by their shared journeys into the priesthood. According to Father Amatrucola, he and his brother, Joe, grew up in a tight-knit Catholic family and shared experiences that connected them to the Church in ways few could under- stand. Serving as altar boys together, attending Mass as a family, and praying side by side were routine parts of their lives.

“When we were growing up, we were by far, the two most requested altar servers in the parish for weddings,” Father Amatrucola recalled. “I would like to believe that it was because we were good altar servers, but that is not exactly the reason. It’s because the bride said, ‘Those two kids … would look nice in the pictures.’ ”

Father Amatrucola said these shared experiences — often small but significant moments — shaped their spiritual lives. In fact, it was Joe who played a pivotal role in helping Father Amatrucola discover his vocation to the priesthood. Father Amatrucola has worked at St. Edmund Preparatory High School in Sheepshead Bay for 25 years, while Joe teaches at Regis High School on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Because they are both Catholic school teachers, they often run in the same professional and social circles. One day in 2014, Joe heard about a colleague who had become a priest, and he shared the story with Father Amatrucola.

“That last push was like, I’m either going to get married, or I’m going to go become a priest,” Father Amatrucola said. He added that he had always considered the priesthood but felt particularly moved by his brother’s story. “That’s what made me look into the oratory,” he said. “If it weren’t for my twin brother, I would not have found my vocation.”

Joe’s impact didn’t stop there. As Father Amatrucola began to discern his vocation, he said Joe’s support was unwavering, adding that they spoke regularly, often sharing reflections on their faith and their individual journeys. “Having a twin to talk things through with was such a gift,” Father Amatrucola said. “There was always someone who understood where I was coming from, who could offer advice, and who could also just listen.”

It’s been six years since Father Amatrucola was ordained, and Joe’s presence, whether in spiritual or practical matters, remains constant. Father Amatrucola credits Joe with helping him stay grounded in his vocation, not just in the serious moments, but in the humorous ones, too. “Because of the twin part, people will look at him sometimes, and they say, ‘Can you hear my confession?’ He says, ‘I could listen, but there’s nothing I could do about it.’ ”

Father Amatrucola also learned in the small circles of the religious world, that twin telepathy is easily found.

That’s how Father Amatrucola came to know Father Chris Lawton, who serves at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in the Upper West Side. Father Lawton, who was ordained a priest of the Paulist Fathers in May, also shares a bond with his twin brother Andy, who has deeply impacted his faith life.

Father Lawton describes Andy as more pragmatic and less inclined to talk about religion but notes both were influenced by the values instilled in them by their family.

“My dad was always involved with a lot of charitable outreach. My mom is a physician, so her work was very service-oriented, and so I think through both of them, there was a way that faith was connected to the realities of their everyday lives,” he explained.

He added that he and his brother were in lockstep through childhood until Andy went to the University of Notre Dame — a Catholic University in Indiana — and Father Lawton went to Harvard — a secular university in Massachusetts.

“For us, this was a good thing because I think it made us appreciate both what was unique to who we were and what we wanted,” Father Lawton said. “But then, also, we saw in these different settings maybe how similar we were. Sharing those experiences as we moved apart was very, very meaningful.”

The duo each pursued careers in medicine, following in their mother’s footsteps. However, as a graduate student at Columbia University, Father Lawton said he began to feel a deep yearning for something more — something that spoke to his spiritual and emotional needs in a way that medicine couldn’t. When he learned of St. Paul the Apostle through a friend, “it was like a light went off.”

“I came [to New York City] in 2008,” he said. “Over the next eight, nine years, I really came to know the Paulist fathers in a particular way, and made some amazing friends and had an experience of parish life that I’d really never had before. I would say it really affirmed my wanting to live my faith in a more active way.”

When he moved back to Milwaukee for his first job as a physician, he worked in hospice and palliative medicine, as did Andy. Still, he said he couldn’t stop thinking about the Paulists. He ultimately decided to dedicate his life to the Church.

Father Lawton said Andy was there every step of the way, helping him discern his path toward the priesthood and offering the reassurance he needed. Today, though his journey may have been different from his twin’s, Father Lawton maintains a strong bond with Andy. The siblings may no longer be in lockstep, but their differences balance them out.

“Sometimes it’s good to be a little more quiet. I have a little more pace,” Father Lawton said. “I think I still look to him for that. His spiritual rhythm can sometimes be so steady, and now in ministry, it’s very busy. He models that kind of balance particularly well. He’s a really important model for me.”

Both Father Amatrucola and Father Lawton — and their twin brothers — have found in each other not only a source of emotional and spiritual support, but a reminder that the journey toward faith and vocation is never walked alone. The twin bonds they share, though lived out in different ways, continue to strengthen their lives and ministries, helping them stay grounded in faith and family as they serve others.