Do I need a college degree to be a priest?

[Glorthac]

I’m willing to become a priest, but I can’t afford college. What should I do?

 

[Bessarione_OSBM]

I’m willing to become a priest, but I can’t afford college. What should I do?

If you want to become a preast you have to speak with your Bishop.
He will pay your studies. However as priest you will have the Bachelor Degree in Philosofy and Theology.

 

[hxcCatholic413]

I’m willing to become a priest, but I can’t afford college. What should I do?

contact your vocations director…that’s the most important thing you must do at this time and pray about it.

God Bless!

here’s a site that lists every state’s vocation directors (If you live in USA that is): ncdvd.org/vocation_directors.asp

 

[hxcCatholic413]

If you want to become a preast you have to speak with your Bishop.
He will pay your studies. However as priest you will have the Bachelor Degree in Philosofy and Theology.

Bachelor’s in Philosophy, Master’s in Theology

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

According to the Program for Priestly Formation, 5th edition, which is what the United States uses you are required to have a bachelors degree with at least 30 credit hours of philosophy and 12 credit hours of theology. You can get this with a bachelors of philosohy.

The graduate degree a priest gets is a 4 year professional degree known as the Masters of Divinity.

Some dioceses pay for the MDiv degree, most require you to take care of the bachelors which would include student loans. Some dioceses will pay for the MDiv but then after ordination they make you contribute part of your pay in paying the diocese back for the education.

So not only is a degree required, but at the minimum 8 years (unless you do some intentsive summer programs and the diocese lets you rather than giving you a summer assignment as most do) to of college to get to a place where you can be ordained. Dioceses will through in other things like a pastoral year and such other formation things that must be done.

Hope this helps.

 

[mosher]

I’m willing to become a priest, but I can’t afford college. What should I do?

Willing? You make it sound as if you are doing the Church a favor. Please, I hope this is just a poor word choice.

 

[JugglingReferee]

Willing? You make it sound as if you are doing the Church a favor. Please, I hope this is just a poor word choice.

Maybe meant that he’s not going to ignore God’s call for him to that sacrament.

In addition, with this economy, there are more people who can’t make ends meat, or who can barely make ends meat.

He certainly doesn’t have the money to pay for college and likely didn’t know that he can obtain subsidy.

 

[mosher]

Maybe meant that he’s not going to ignore God’s call for him to that sacrament.

In addition, with this economy, there are more people who can’t make ends meat, or who can barely make ends meat.

He certainly doesn’t have the money to pay for college and likely didn’t know that he can obtain subsidy.

I also hope that his meaning is what you say.

Concerning the latter issues it is true that in the past people became clerics to escape poverty or some other worldly concern. However, those times were usually followed by a lot of nasty problems in the Church. We don’t need people who are trying to improve their social situation entering the priesthood or religious life. We do need men (and women joining religious congregations) who enter the priesthood and/or religious life as servants of Christ with a zeal for the salvation and care of souls.

 

[scoobydoo6v92]

My experience has been that the church says you can be a priest without a college degree if you go to seminary. The unwritten law is that if are not young young young!!! and are degreeless you are basically screwed. It can be even a basket weaving 4 year degree it counts. Don’t matter that I have mastered a musical instrument lived life without going to jail killing myself, holding a job and being a decent member of society and living the teachings of the church. So if you are young like I don’t know 18 and have no degree than most certainly you have the world as your oyster. Of course you can be ordiened a priest today if the Bishop would do it. These awful draconian rules in the church regarding priesthood are man made. I am not talking seminary or the need for seminary but the bull that goes with just getting in. There are so many people just wanting to give you road blocks it is most frustrating and disheartening.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

My experience has been that the church says you can be a priest without a college degree if you go to seminary. The unwritten law is that if are not young young young!!! and are degreeless you are basically screwed. It can be even a basket weaving 4 year degree it counts. Don’t matter that I have mastered a musical instrument lived life without going to jail killing myself, holding a job and being a decent member of society and living the teachings of the church. So if you are young like I don’t know 18 and have no degree than most certainly you have the world as your oyster. Of course you can be ordiened a priest today if the Bishop would do it. These awful draconian rules in the church regarding priesthood are man made. I am not talking seminary or the need for seminary but the bull that goes with just getting in. There are so many people just wanting to give you road blocks it is most frustrating and disheartening.

Actually, at least in the United States, while you do require a degree, you must also have 30 credit hours of philosophy and 12 credit hours of theology, to be accepted into any major seminary.

Musical instruments play no role in the priesthood.

As for your others comments. While the rules are “man made” Christ did give Peter the keys to loose and bind on Earth. They are the rules of the Church.

From the past I am aware that you have issues with this, but really those are your issues and should not affect anyone who is truly discerning a vocation within the Church.

 

[scoobydoo6v92]

From the past I am aware that you have issues with this, but really those are your issues and should not affect anyone who is truly discerning a vocation within the Church.

Yes I totally understand what Jesus told Peter that day. Also I am not truly discerning? Just because I am being turned down don’t mean that I agree nor not TRULY!!! discerning. These are not just MY issues they have I am sure been others that been turned down for some reason or the other. I am not saying that they should effect me or the man in the moom. Just stating that I have noticed that if you don’t fit into a nice little box the Bishop throws away vocations like we have too many priets. I am sorry but my diocese has a real shortage of priests and our priest is 84!!! had a bypass!! how much longer does he have?? his order told our bishop that after he goes they won’t send any more priests as they don’t have enough!!! so these issues are not just MY issues they are our parish’s issues. plus the rest of the diocese because there are more than my parish that has a celebratin without a priest. So these again are not just my issues they are everyone’s issues. I remember you too you were always nice. I am not attacking anyone on here, but must be nice to be in seminary how would YOU feel if you kept getting turned down?? and someone says it is YOUR issues not for anyone one truly discerning? would that make YOU feel good?? don’t think so. So I am STILL discerning I am going to KEEP discerning till Jesus tells me otherwise or directs me to the RIGHT diocese. Took my friend 15!!! diocese before he was accepted. I am on my 6th. I am just frustrated hurt and puzzled. I have been beat up the last three years and it sucks. I am real happy for you that you are living your dream, pray that I live mine. God Bless Scoob.

 

[scoobydoo6v92]

Musical instruments play no role in the priesthood

Exactly either does a degree in electrical engineeering but one guy had that and got him in. THe point was not the musical instrument. The point was that I am not an empty head and that I can learn and retain knowledge. That was the point. learning an instrument is not a two week thing. If I had a 4 year degree in music I would have been snatched up like 100 dollar bills on the floor. I have learned 3 trades as well Electrical Refrigeration and plant maintenance. I would hope a Bishop would feel that I am fairly smart with normal cognitive skills to learn the material it takes to be a priest. which to me the biggest one would be living life and surviving.

 

[puzzleannie]

If you want to become a preast you have to speak with your Bishop.
He will pay your studies. However .

not in this diocese
call the diocesan vocations office or the vocations director of the religious order(s) you are considering and get the information you need

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Musical instruments play no role in the priesthood

Exactly either does a degree in electrical engineeering but one guy had that and got him in. THe point was not the musical instrument. The point was that I am not an empty head and that I can learn and retain knowledge. That was the point. learning an instrument is not a two week thing. If I had a 4 year degree in music I would have been snatched up like 100 dollar bills on the floor. I have learned 3 trades as well Electrical Refrigeration and plant maintenance. I would hope a Bishop would feel that I am fairly smart with normal cognitive skills to learn the material it takes to be a priest. which to me the biggest one would be living life and surviving.

There are other issues than just education that make one unsuitable for the priesthood.

Again to the OP, do not take the work of someone who is disgruntled with the process as the whole truth.

Speak with your diocese’s vocation director. Speak to your pastor. Get a spiritual director.

As has been stated, in the United States you will need a bachelors degree and 30 credit hours of philosophy and 12 credit hours in theology to enter into the major seminary to study for the Masters of Divinity program which is what is required for ordination. You may fulfill those credit hour requirements by getting a bachelors in philosophy.

I filled the requirements by having an Associates in Computer Programming then getting a Bachelors in Liberal Art (concentrating on philosophy and theology) but I still had to do one 3 credit hour summer philosophy course at Catholic University before I started the major seminary for the M.Div…

You will also need those requirements if you decide to go for a pontifical degree. There are a couple of religious communities like the FSSP who send their men to their own seminary in the States but they require you to have a bachelors degree. Some religious communities like the ICKSP have their own seminary in Italy where they teach their seminarians in French. I do not what their basic requirements for entry are. You usually do not get any degrees from these sort of programs.

Again, speak with your pastor, get a spiritual director, and talk to a vocations director for the diocese. If you feel called to a religious community then contact them also. Know that a vocations director for your diocese is really interested in vocations for the diocese and may not be much help with discernment with a religious community, same goes for a given religious communities vocations director, they are working for their community and will not be much help with other communities.

I hope this has helped.

 

[mosher]

Plus, all US seminaries are accredited colleges. You go to the seminary to get a degree or two. So, yes, you always have to have a degree to be a priest (all things being equal). Do, people think that you just do and pray all day long? No, it is 4 to 8 years of spiritual, pastoral, personal, and intellectual formation. You either leave the seminary MDiv., MA, or if you have no college education and you go to a seminary that has a college program you would also attain a BA prior to your Theological studies.

 

[saintsilvan]

there is a conggration who accepts aspirants even without money. even after high school. Look for ALLIANCE OF THE HOLY FAMILY INTERNATIONAL. they will give everything you need for free

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Plus, all US seminaries are accredited colleges. You go to the seminary to get a degree or two. So, yes, you always have to have a degree to be a priest (all things being equal). Do, people think that you just do and pray all day long? No, it is 4 to 8 years of spiritual, pastoral, personal, and intellectual formation. You either leave the seminary MDiv., MA, or if you have no college education and you go to a seminary that has a college program you would also attain a BA prior to your Theological studies.

Mostly true but there are a few religious communities that run their own seminaries that are not accredited.

Also when you leave the major seminary you have an M.Div. as that is what is required for ordination in the US. You may also have an MA as there are programs where you earn both the M.Div. and MA. If you do not have any college you are correct that you would go to a college seminary and end up with a Bachelors in Philosophy and then move on to the major seminary.

As you have said, seminary is more than just education. It is spiritual, pastoral, personal, and intellectual formation.

If a candidate can not meet one of those, then they do not have a vocation to the priesthood.

 

[mosher]

Mostly true but there are a few religious communities that run their own seminaries that are not accredited.

Also when you leave the major seminary you have an M.Div. as that is what is required for ordination in the US. You may also have an MA as there are programs where you earn both the M.Div. and MA. If you do not have any college you are correct that you would go to a college seminary and end up with a Bachelors in Philosophy and then move on to the major seminary.

As you have said, seminary is more than just education. It is spiritual, pastoral, personal, and intellectual formation.

If a candidate can not meet one of those, then they do not have a vocation to the priesthood.

Of course you are correct. But since the PPF (Program for Priestly Formation) was published it is rare that a religious community is exempted from its requirement that a candidate attaining an MDiv, which is also an accredited degree.

You bring up a more important point. A vocation, any vocation, has both a private and a public dimension to it. Often we only consider the private dimension these days because we focus so much on the autonomy of the individual. So, in the case of the priesthood, one may feel called to the priesthood but if the Church does not confirm that subjective disposition then that person does not, in fact, have a vocation to the priesthood.

 

[DarrenJ23]

Willing? You make it sound as if you are doing the Church a favor. Please, I hope this is just a poor word choice.

I think dedicating your life to God, and being celibate for life is a sacrifice made for God, to reach humanity, for humanities sake, so I would say his word choice is well. If he didn’t say willing, I’d be worried. lol

 

[scoobydoo6v92]

I think dedicating your life to God, and being celibate for life is a sacrifice made for God, to reach humanity, for humanities sake, so I would say his word choice is well. If he didn’t say willing, I’d be worried. lol

I feel that when you answer God’s call to discern the priesthood. It isn’t a favor you’re doing for the Church, but rather sacraficing a lot. When I was finally accepted I was excited and still am at the idea of the possibillity. but it is a sacrafice to give up your pets which I love very much. Give up your home give up your time with family and friends and mostly the idea of ever having a wife and kids. (I am totally for single celebate priests) I also think it is a sacrafice to be told all the things that are wrong with you. It is a sacrafice also to live in an 8by 12 room when you are used to living on 40 acres and 2000 square foot home. So when i read that post about doing the Church a favor, it isn’t doing the Church a favor, it is offering up a lot of freedoms and a lot of comfort. That is how I see it. Also I m so tired of hearing about degrees THEY DO NOT IMPRESS ME!!! you know what impresses me? A priest that is pastoral and there is a lot of room for improvement in that department. I am apalled at how people act in the seminary. It is like any other workplace setting. What else impresses me is someone who never went to college and dropped out of high school and are highly sucessful buisnessmen or masters of their profession. I also think that when you are in your 40s and never been in jail, owned a house since 20 and mastered two trades,mastered an instrument, Is a degree in it’s self. I am highly offended that the education people don’t count that towards a degree, THAT HAS GOT TO CHANGE!!!I I am so tired of the education system in this country. No degree in the world will ever make you a priest. No degree will make you pastoral. Without the pastoral side, there is no priest. Did Jesus Christ have a degree? how about the 12 disciples? NO they were lowly fishermen. We need to get back to the basics and have other options to be a priest. I think that 2 pastoral years before entering the seminary should be mandatory. I see so many priests and seminarians that have no charity or pastoral abilities.