Advice--thinking about becoming a Priest

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Domnall

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I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the priesthood but I’m unsure of what exactly to do. Who should I talk to about it? Also, I’m not sure if I should tell my family–I don’t know how they would react. Should I go for my regular undergrad degree? (I’ll be starting college in September.) Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you 🙂
 
Go to your diocese’s website and look for the Vocations Director. Send him an email or call him and see what he says. He may want you to experience the college life but if you are sure about your vocation then you can go to pre-seminary college and get a degree in philosophy. God bless, thanks for discerrning the call and I’ll be praying for you.

Jeff
 
  1. Talk to your Priest (who will discuss a "vocations director)
  2. Talk to your family
  3. Continue with your education; but ask your Priest what may be helpful, many seminaries like people to have studied philosophy.
  4. Pray
 
What do you like to do ? Where is your talent ?
There are Diocese Priests with parishes; Military Chaplain priests; Teaching Priests; Preaching Priests like Father Coropi; Missionary Priests (we need them in USA now); working with the poor; there are even Priests and Brothers in the media who now help run EWTN TV.
The need is great all over for Priests who are Faithful to the Church.

Pray every night to do God’s will. Eventually you will know.

By the way, read the "Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition, from cover to cover to start your education. 🙂
 
Get a spiritual director.

You must also discern if you feel called to the secular priesthood or religious order/community priesthood.
JohnDamian said:
    1. Continue with your education; but ask your Priest what may be helpful, many seminaries like people to have studied philosophy.
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In the United States philosophy is required for entry into the Masters of Divinity program (which is the required degree for ordination) at all major seminaries.

The requirements are 30 credits of philosophy and 12 credits of theology. Both should be gotten from a good Catholic University to have them accepted by the major seminary.
 
Sorry I rushed earlier in my explanation. I just wanted to echo the advice everyone has given you. I would talk to your parish priest or a priest whom you get along with. Then go to the Vocations Director, ask if they know his number, and talk to him about it. You don’t want to rush into things but you should ask him who he would advise you to see about spiritual direction, ask for more than one name, so you can start your journey on solid ground.

You will need to have at least two years of philosophy to enter seminary as ByzCath wrote. There are schools that offer philosophy degrees but ask your Vocations Director what he would like you do first. If you are interested in teaching they may wish you to get a teaching degree first or if you have a passion besides the priesthood they will want you to look into that first to make sure you are not rushing and to see if you are truly called.

God bless you in your journey, I think asking on this forum is a great first step. Eventually you will need to ask your parents but I didn’t ask them about it before I talked to my parish priest. I wanted to get more info and I wanted to pray more before I told them. Then I told my dad and eventually I told my mom. They are so supportive.

Jeff
 
JeffersonD said:
Sorry I rushed earlier in my explanation. I just wanted to echo the advice everyone has given you. I would talk to your parish priest or a priest whom you get along with. Then go to the Vocations Director, ask if they know his number, and talk to him about it. You don’t want to rush into things but you should ask him who he would advise you to see about spiritual direction, ask for more than one name, so you can start your journey on solid ground.

You will need to have at least two years of philosophy to enter seminary as ByzCath wrote. There are schools that offer philosophy degrees but ask your Vocations Director what he would like you do first. If you are interested in teaching they may wish you to get a teaching degree first or if you have a passion besides the priesthood they will want you to look into that first to make sure you are not rushing and to see if you are truly called.

God bless you in your journey, I think asking on this forum is a great first step. Eventually you will need to ask your parents but I didn’t ask them about it before I talked to my parish priest. I wanted to get more info and I wanted to pray more before I told them. Then I told my dad and eventually I told my mom. They are so supportive.

Jeff
Click to expand...
That’s what I’ve heard people say. If you have something you want to do (be a teacher, doctor, historian, engineer, electrician, whatever you want), then study that. There’s always a chance that you don’t have a vocation, and if that happens then you don’t want to feel like God’s backed you into a corner or something.
 
The best thing to do is to ask “The Grower” of the Vineyard to show you if He want’s you to become a Priest. Also checkout the admonitions of Saint Francis of Assisi there are 28 of them. If you desire honestly to become a Priest He will show you — all you have to do is to ask the “master” and to be his servant.
 
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