Encourage child to become a priest or nun?

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I voted no, not because I wouldn’t want any of my children to follow a so called “religious” vocation (as if the vocation to marriage isn’t religious), but because I would be encouraging them to follow Jesus with all of their heart, soul, and strength. I would encourage them to do whatever God calls them to, whether it is to be married, or a priest, or a nun, or whatever. I would encourage them to be a plumber or a foreign missionary - to do whatever they do for the Lord with all that they have.
 
I would not encourage it. I would mention how much the Catholic community needs Priests, but that is a decision, a calling, a vocation God needs to call him to personally, without influence.

I think parents should encourage whatever vocation their child feels called by God to do.!!! They have to make this decision. And any Priest that truly isn’t willing to 101% make the necessary sacrifices for this vocation, is not a good candidate. So you don’t want anything or anybody to influence them.

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The call to Faith is also a personal decision, a personal acceptance of God’s call to holiness, but I intent to influence my children’s decision on that quite heavily, thank you very much 😃

I also intend to similarly encourage my son to the priesthood and my daughters to religious life.

I have told them that I would be happy and supportive of any honest career they chose, but I would be most PROUD of a religious vocation.
 
I have no children, and never felt the call to a vocation except for one lunchtime in 7th grade after we had read about Maryknoll missionaries in China.

I have wondered, howver, why I know of no priests, nuns or brothers in my family on either side for as many generations as I can trace back. You would think someone would have had, or answered the call in a large family, Catholic on both sides. Just seemed odd to me. I rememebr my mother always telling us that if we felt we had a vocation, we should follow the call, but she would like us to be out of high school at least before deciding.
 
I just so happen to be 14 and i think that a child should explore his/her own faith as he/she wants.Yet i also believe yhat a child should be educated in this complex subject from a yong age,(I would also like to add that my pearents are not at all realigous in fact they dont even go to mass apart from when i am singing)I am self edcuated on the subject of the faith and of exsorcisms and am currently reading Fr.Amorths AN EXSORCIST MORE STORIES.My pearents have not given me the slightst bit of encoragement and i am considering a vocation.

So weather or not pearents want to give encoragement on this subject of vocations to the various religous orders it is up to them.But children should be given an education on the subject.
 
If I had a child who showed interest, yes I would encourage them. Or more like, offer support. The choice is completely up to them. And I agree, parents can sometimes put roadblocks in the path of discernment. Not intentionally or even knowing sometimes. my own parents wouldnt be very open to my possible vocation. They have so many secular plans for me, I feel so guilty sometimes.
Brenden, congrats on your formation! 🙂
 
I say maybe because that would depend on what I feel. Meaning his or her personality and demeanor would be my guide. I try to be a very observant parent and I think that I would know if my child were struggling with a mental thought and I would plant the seed and pray that the Holy Spirit would sow it. As parents we can only guide our children and pray that God’s will be done so I wouldn’t just encourage something for my sake. I did just recently ask my husband what would he say if is only son were to come and tell him he wanted to be a priest and he said that would be fine with him. I love my husband and his answer is one of the reasons. So parents guide and pray that God’s will for your children be fullfilled.

God Bless
Kathleen
 
I’d encourage them to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Heck, My guys would be Swiss Guard if they could. My 20 year old said he could think of nothing cooler than being part of “the papal meat shield”. :rolleyes: I had to agree…

We need to pray for vocations as well as for all those who already have answered a call and serve us as clergy…the critical shortage of priests and nuns as well as the scandals and so many other things might just’ve been averted had we prayed for them the way we have always been taught to. 😦
Pax vobiscum,
 
One problem you see is due to the fact that many Catholics are using articifical birth control to have their one boy and one girl. Then they get sterilized. What’s the problem with this (besides the obviously sinful nature of the above acts)…

Well, if their one boy becomes a priest, then the fmaily name won’t go on. So, parents may be tempted to discourage a vocation to the priesthood/religious life.

Rich
 
I think for a lot of kids, the idea of being a priest or religious never even enters their minds. From their earliest days so many parents encourage their kids to study hard, get into the best college, and become a doctor or lawyer or vice president of a large corporation. Kids get the idea early on that success = high-paying job, big house, nice cars, world travel, early retirement, etc. The idea of career or vocation as responding to God’s call to use one’s gifts in service of his kingdom, be that in single or married life with a “regular” job, or through the ordained priesthood or religious life, is not really emphasized. Now it’s all about advancing one’s personal and financial interests, and in this worldview the priesthood or religious life would be considered a failure or a waste. That’s a powerful message that kids are bombarded with, and it can be hard for kids to tune that out and listen for that quiet voice of God calling to them. So anyway, I would do my best to encourage my kids (if I have kids someday, God willing) to not get so caught up in the quest for more money, and listen to what vocation God is calling them to, not to what the world (or even mom and dad) seem to be pushing them toward.
 
My 15 year old son was received into the church this Saturday. We have already talked to him about his vocation and the importance of the priesthood. Should God wish to call him, he has all the tools to answer that call. Nothing would make me prouder than to see him follow the call of God, wherever it may be.
 
Yes I would.
Aren’t parents obligated to. I certainly felt I should.
 
**My sons as priests? **Not likely.

There just isn’t much call for sarcastic men to enter the priesthood. They are good kids, good young men, but just aren’t diplomatic enough for such a vocation.
 
I am a convert. I am disappointed that my daughters never have seen a nun in a habit. There are no visible role models for our daughters. Why is this?
 
I would if I thought that it was something that was a real possibility for my child. I certainly wouldn’t rule it out right off the bat. Although with my son’s disability, it’s extremely unlikely if not impossible.
 
CHRISTOS VOSKRES!
One of my best friend’s is a priest, his brother is a priest and his sister is a nun. His father was ordained at their kitchen table in the “under-ground” church in Communist Ukraine. His grandfather was priest who was martyred for the Faith.

He could teach these so called “persecuted” Christians in this country a thing or two about being persecuted, that’s for darn sure!

I pray that God will bless him and his wife with sons and daughters who will serve the Church as faithfully as his family has.
 
Definitely encourage your child to the religious life–do this by presenting these choices as valid, wonderful choices. I encourage my children–11 year old boy, 10 year old girl, and a 3 year old(tho he doesn’t do lots of “free prayer”)-to pray about what God wants them to do–in life for their future and in day to day life. At our parish, servers begin in the 6th grade–despite the “scandals” I am encouraging them both to do this. I also make sure we visit the Pauline Media store in the area so they can see sisters in their habits. (I have complimented them on sticking to their habits many times!:clapping: ) We are fortunate to have two parishioners in the local seminary–so they come back during the summer and often for Sunaday Mass. My husband and I are sure to point them out to the kids…just like I brag about the doctor in our family, and my teaching degree…being a religious has to be on par or above all career choices-not some thing that is too far out there that they cannot ever picture themselves as a religious.

Mom-
“…a person’s a person, no matter how small…” Horton from Horton Hears A Who, Dr. Seuss
 
I think that the best way of encouraging vocations is positive exposure coupled with supportive opportunity. If young people are readily exposed to priests and religious, seeing this as something good and normal, their interest might be piqued enough to want to explore it themselves without feeling pushed. This needs to be coupled with their general awareness of where there might be a chance to explore that possibility within an encouraging environment so that they can feel comfortable taking that first step on their own when they are ready.
 
“Encourage child to become a priest or nun?”
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I think it depends on the child, not every kid really has the temperment or native intelligence to be a priest or a nun.

For a caring vocation such as these, its just not enough to care but you have to appear as if you care as well. Some folks are sincere, but they just don’t look like it.

That was one of the late John Paul II’s talents, he not only cared, he looked like he cared. They tell me he was looking for a career in the theatre, before he decided to study for the priesthood after the second world war broke out, and that talent served him well.
 
I would encourage both of my children to discern a call to religious life just the same as I would encourage them to a call to married life. It is my duty as their mother to provide them with the best possible example and information I can so they can discern their vocation with the guidance and grace from God. I would be happy for them either way they went, as long as they are true to themselves, to God, and to the Church.
 
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