Called to priesthood, meeting with my own priest

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Kittycoin

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I’ve been feeling a great calling to the priesthood for a while now, and it’s only growing stronger. I have a meeting with my priest this morning to discuss it with him for the first time.

I have a list of questions and topics I want to talk about. Do any of you have any advice about certain points I should be sure to bring up, or ask about specifically? I am an older man than most who are called, I am 42 years old, unmarried with no children. Will my age be a difficulty for me?

I feel that God and I both want me to become a priest. I feel this calling comes directly from His desires for me, and how He wants me to live my life in Love and Service to Him and to His people.

Please pray for me. I am very excited! And if you have any advice for me for my first meeting with my priest about this subject, I would be very appreciative and give it much thought.

Thanks, and God Bless You All!
 
Kittycoin said:
I’ve been feeling a great calling to the priesthood for a while now, and it’s only growing stronger. I have a meeting with my priest this morning to discuss it with him for the first time.

I have a list of questions and topics I want to talk about. Do any of you have any advice about certain points I should be sure to bring up, or ask about specifically? I am an older man than most who are called, I am 42 years old, unmarried with no children. Will my age be a difficulty for me?

I feel that God and I both want me to become a priest. I feel this calling comes directly from His desires for me, and how He wants me to live my life in Love and Service to Him and to His people.

Please pray for me. I am very excited! And if you have any advice for me for my first meeting with my priest about this subject, I would be very appreciative and give it much thought.

Thanks, and God Bless You All!
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Because of your age, a diocese may not accept you. You may have to go to a religious order. Some that come to mind that may accept you are the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius and FSSP. God Bless!
 
holyfamily1 said:
Because of your age, a diocese may not accept you. You may have to go to a religious order. Some that come to mind that may accept you are the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius and FSSP. God Bless!
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No this is not entirely true, some enter the seminary at even 50 or older, I personally know a priest that joined at around fifty.
 
Thanks for your responses, guys.

I just finished my meeting with my priest, and brought up the issue of age. He assured me that my age wasn’t an issue. He said I should put that worry out of my mind, much older men than me have been ordained, and the need for good priests is so great.
 
Kittycoin said:
Thanks for your responses, guys.

I just finished my meeting with my priest, and brought up the issue of age. He assured me that my age wasn’t an issue. He said I should put that worry out of my mind, much older men than me have been ordained, and the need for good priests is so great.
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Great News! and yes don’t worry about age, besides as was said, there is a great need for holy priests at this time.
 
Kittycoin said:
Thanks for your responses, guys.

I just finished my meeting with my priest, and brought up the issue of age. He assured me that my age wasn’t an issue. He said I should put that worry out of my mind, much older men than me have been ordained, and the need for good priests is so great.
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Great!
 
In my opinion 42 is a good age not the most young but still in good shape. With the amount of time it takes to be trained learned and ordained depending on your educational background you will probably be 49 or 50 just estimating. I’d live a halthy lifestyle and exercise will help keep your strength going for a long time.
Follow the vocation 🙂 we need priests
 
Thank you for the encouragement. I think my educational background will be helpful. I was a triple major in college: philosophy, religious studies, and psychology. I’m not sure how those studies will fit into seminary, but I imagine they can’t be anything but useful.

I also think my age gives me a perspective, a life lived in the world, that will help me relate to others.

I’m passionate about this goal and appreciate all the encouragement I can get. I’m moving forward with the Grace and Will of God. He and I both want this for me.

Thanks again.
God Bless You
 
Kittycoin said:
Thank you for the encouragement. I think my educational background will be helpful. I was a triple major in college: philosophy, religious studies, and psychology. I’m not sure how those studies will fit into seminary, but I imagine they can’t be anything but useful.

I also think my age gives me a perspective, a life lived in the world, that will help me relate to others.

I’m passionate about this goal and appreciate all the encouragement I can get. I’m moving forward with the Grace and Will of God. He and I both want this for me.

Thanks again.
God Bless You
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As far as my research goes (I feel called to become a Jesuit priest) those 3 degrees will help you go through seminary a lot quicker and I think psychology will help with guidance.
I must ask how long did it take you to complete those 3 majors?
 
I was in college for seven years studying those subjects. As you might imagine from my study choices, I was in no hurry to leave school and enter the “real world.” I didn’t study subjects that would lead to a real job, didn’t study business much, or engineering, or other such things that lead to a worldly career. I was a scholar and intellectual, and loved school. I never wanted to leave. I had planned in those days to become a professor in those subjects. Sadly, life had other plans for me.

Thanks for your interest, and for sharing your own plans. I wish you great success and will pray for you.
 
Kittycoin said:
I was in college for seven years studying those subjects. As you might imagine from my study choices, I was in no hurry to leave school and enter the “real world.” I didn’t study subjects that would lead to a real job, didn’t study business much, or engineering, or other such things that lead to a worldly career. I was a scholar and intellectual, and loved school. I never wanted to leave. I had planned in those days to become a professor in those subjects. Sadly, life had other plans for me.

Thanks for your interest, and for sharing your own plans. I wish you great success and will pray for you.
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Yeah I feel much the same just want to learn a lot of things hopefully I can double major in history and anthropology or archaeology. If I ever triple majored my third would be either philosophy, psychology, or botany
 
Kittycoin said:
Thank you for the encouragement. I think my educational background will be helpful. I was a triple major in college: philosophy, religious studies, and psychology. I’m not sure how those studies will fit into seminary, but I imagine they can’t be anything but useful.

I also think my age gives me a perspective, a life lived in the world, that will help me relate to others.

I’m passionate about this goal and appreciate all the encouragement I can get. I’m moving forward with the Grace and Will of God. He and I both want this for me.

Thanks again.
God Bless You
Click to expand...
Sounds cool to me! We have an older priest in Cleveland who felt called to his vocation after his wife died, and yes, he does bring his real-world life experience to the priesthood in a good way.

Your major courses of study sound very pertinent and helpful.

Praying for you!

:blessyou:
 
As one who came to the seminary after some time working one of the difficult things I’ve found has been getting used to the routine of full time study again - although being more mature now than I was when I completed my original degrees does make it a bit easier.

I also find that I’m more concerned about the practical applications of what I’m learning and what life in parish ministry will be like than some of my younger class mates. I think I’ve also learned not to sweat the small stuff - so things which some other seminarians might be very zealous about don’t really concern me. Finally, I’ve also found that obedience to my formators is really not all that different to working although I know of others who do find it difficult perhaps because of the closeness in age between them and some of the staff.

42 is by no means over the hill - if anything the wisdom you’ve gained from life in general and life in the workforce will serve you well in the seminary.
 
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