Can a girl be called to the priesthood?

[gurneyhalleck1]

to the OP: you might be called by God to do missionary work, to become a nun, to become a catechist, to serve the poor, or to lead in other ministries such as music, maybe a Eucharistic guardian at the Adoration Chapel, a Catholic school principal, a Catholic nurse or doctor, heck the sky’s the limit…

But as Jmcrae and all the rest have said appropriately, the priesthood is out…

Just keep your heart and mind open to God and realize there obviously IS a call to you if you feel the Holy Spirit moving you, but perhaps you’re not understanding the call yet and misinterpreting it as a call to holy orders. Often times we are influenced by secular ideals about things that put a wrong spin on our thinking. The Holy Spirit is calling. Just take time to discern and pray hard.

 

[lefty22]

Women can be Sacristans - you would have to talk to your priest and see if your age would be a factor - but he may let you help the Sacristans - there is usally quite a bit of work that needs to be done.

At my parish, one of our sacristans is 15 or 16 and the other is a freshman in college. Is that unusual? Would it be rude to ask if I could help out? Like is this something that you are usually asked to do by the priests?

 

[ConstantineTG]

At my parish, one of our sacristans is 15 or 16 and the other is a freshman in college. Is that unusual? Would it be rude to ask if I could help out? Like is this something that you are usually asked to do by the priests?

No, the preists do not select servers at random or as if they are being called. You just go to the priest and express your interst. Usually there’s a person in charge of the servers, you can speak with that person too.

 

[LCMS_No_More]

This is probably going to sound really weird… please bear with me.

I’m a 16 year old girl, and when I was I think 13, I began to feel vaguely that I wanted to help people. The feeling got continually stronger, and though sometimes I tried to ignore it, it wouldn’t go away. I became fairly sure it was what God wanted me to do with my life, in some form or another (something along the lines of social work/working with underprivileged kids). Then a lot of things happened and my life really changed. I lost faith in God, and with that, I lost the incessant desire to help others.

I’m still working my way back after a struggle with faith, but I returned to the sacrament of Reconciliation last weekend, and I am still amazed by the grace and strength God has given me through it to face a challenging time in my life. I wouldn’t consider my faith solid at this point, but it’s improving and I want to take it much, much deeper. Even when I was having a really hard time with faith, I loved going to church, religious ed classes, and any church activities. I relish time spent in the church or with the church community and want to get more involved.

For several months, as I’ve made an effort to return to God and trust Him again, I’ve felt the familiar pull towards helping others. This time, though, it’s different, and not (yet) as strong and incessant as before. It’s there, though: I feel drawn towards helping people spiritually, and the desire seems to get stronger as time passes. You’re probably thinking I should consider religious life as a nun. But that life doesn’t appeal to me at all and it doesn’t fit who I am.

I can see myself as a priest. I desperately want to help people find their faith, want to help others to have the opportunity to encounter God’s grace like I did through Confession, and want to be there for people struggling with faith and going through hard times. Sometimes I feel that what I’ve been through in the last two years has moved me in that direction and made me more able to relate with and understand others going through similar things.

The obvious problem is I’m a girl. Some days I’m angry because that makes me unable to serve God in this way. Some days I wonder why God didn’t make me a boy to start with, since I don’t fit in with other girls anyway. Ultimately, though, I’m just confused. Why would I feel this desire if it’s impossible for me to become a priest? Does God really want it to be this way? To be bound by something unchangeable – my sex – feels horrible. Sometimes I am so desperate to be a priest, or to at least have the option, and I feel miserable because I cannot serve God in this way. At the same time, I can’t see a girl as a priest, and I think I would make a much better priest if I were a guy. Why would God make me feel like this? Why would He cause me to desire to serve Him in a way that I can’t?

Thank you and God bless.

~Lefty

I am impeded from the ministerial priesthood for a different reason than you, but I’ve really been able to rest in this fact. If you’re baptized, you already participate in a share of Christ’s priesthood…in other words, you’re already a priest! No, you cannot offer Mass or hear confessions, but you, as one of the baptized, can offer your own spiritual sacrifices joining them to the Mass.

Think about what a priest does. He offers sacrifices and intercedes on behalf of others.

I’ve found that I can offer up all the little annoyances of the day. St. Paul tells us in Romans to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, which is pleasing and acceptable to God. I have to get up for work when I’m still sleepy…an opportunity for sacrifice. To remain calm and collected when some idiot is acting like a fool on the telephone…an opportunity for sacrifice. To offer a seat on the Metro or bus for a disabled or elderly person…an opportunity for sacrifice.

Also, you can intercede for others. One of the things that really got me thinking was when Mother Mary revealed to the three children at Fatima that a lot of poor sinners go to hell because they have no one to pray for them. Guess what…you can pray for poor sinners. You can offer up your little sacrifices on their behalf.

In that way, every Christian, man or woman, can be, nay, already IS, a priest.

 

[joandarc2008]

I am impeded from the ministerial priesthood for a different reason than you, but I’ve really been able to rest in this fact. If you’re baptized, you already participate in a share of Christ’s priesthood…in other words, you’re already a priest! No, you cannot offer Mass or hear confessions, but you, as one of the baptized, can offer your own spiritual sacrifices joining them to the Mass.

I’ve found that I can offer up all the little annoyances of the day. I have to get up for work when I’m still sleepy…an opportunity for sacrifice. To remain calm and collected when some idiot is acting like a fool on the telephone…an opportunity for sacrifice. To offer a seat on the Metro or bus for a disabled or elderly person…an opportunity for sacrifice. Also, consider your prayers as little sacrifices.

St. Paul tells us in Romans to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, which is pleasing and acceptable to God.

In that way, every Christian, man or woman, can be a priest.

Think of that as a starting point…you’ll find that there’s a lot you can do.

 

[Falls_Apart]

Hi, it’s me again. I just wanted to apologize to lefty22; I realize that I got sidetracked posting a response to her personal question to bring up my own views on Church doctrine, something I shouldn’t have done. I do have my opinions, and maintain them, although I respect those who don’t. Women’s ordination is a complex issue, and one with a lot of feelings on either side. It’s inaccurate to say that I haven’t read up on it; I have, and have heard most of the arguments posted here on both sides multiple times before. Disagreeing with a point doesn’t make me ignorant. But I digress. The point, I suppose, is that I wish lefty22 the best in her discernment process. You are quite clearly a mature, thoughtful, devout individual, and I wish there were more teenagers like you nowadays.

 

[lefty22]

Hi, it’s me again. I just wanted to apologize to lefty22; I realize that I got sidetracked posting a response to her personal question to bring up my own views on Church doctrine, something I shouldn’t have done. I do have my opinions, and maintain them, although I respect those who don’t. Women’s ordination is a complex issue, and one with a lot of feelings on either side. It’s inaccurate to say that I haven’t read up on it; I have, and have heard most of the arguments posted here on both sides multiple times before. Disagreeing with a point doesn’t make me ignorant. But I digress. The point, I suppose, is that I wish lefty22 the best in her discernment process. You are quite clearly a mature, thoughtful, devout individual, and I wish there were more teenagers like you nowadays.

Falls Apart, please don’t apologize. I appreciate your (name removed by moderator)ut and your opinions. If I did not say a lot in response to the “women in the priesthood” debate, it is merely because I’m not quite sure what to think about it myself at this point and I feel more comfortable as a silent observer here. I’ve found everyone’s responses on both “sides” very helpful, and I appreciate your honesty in expressing your opinion. So thank you.

God bless!
~Lefty22

 

[lefty22]

Thank you all for your replies and suggestions. I plan to talk to one of the priests at our parish about becoming more involved in the church. I think that’s a good first step, and I hope that by being more connected with the church and making God central in my life, my vocation – whatever it is – will become more apparent to me.

And LCMS, I never thought of it like that. Thanks!

God bless you all – you are in my prayers.
~Lefty22

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

Just keep your heart and mind open to God and realize there obviously IS a call to you if you feel the Holy Spirit moving you, but perhaps you’re not understanding the call yet and misinterpreting it as a call to holy orders. Often times we are influenced by secular ideals about things that put a wrong spin on our thinking. The Holy Spirit is calling. Just take time to discern and pray hard.

I second this. We all have a vocation and you are obviously very much aware of that, just haven’t figured out what yours is yet. But don’t worry, it will become more clear, things will just click one day. Pray about it and see where you can get involved in the church to get things started.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Exactly, Contra. I am a married man with three kids. Bottom line—I’m not called to the priesthood any more than a female is. I am called to a different vocation. And I like to think I’m living a couple of them and in a few years can cultivate more. There is more to Catholicism and being Catholic than just being a priest.

I second this. We all have a vocation and you are obviously very much aware of that, just haven’t figured out what yours is yet. But don’t worry, it will become more clear, things will just click one day. Pray about it and see where you can get involved in the church to get things started.