Finding a Spiritual Director For Traditional Vocation

[HisCross]

I am currently discerning a vocation and was wondering if I could get some advice. While I don’t have any experience with the EF Mass, other than what I read and have heard and seen in videos, I feel very drawn to it. I know that the Novus Ordo Mass is valid and beautiful, but in my heart it is not the manner in which I want to praise God. Just as some are called to be a Benedictine rather than a Dominican, or a priest rather than a brother, I feel called to the Latin Rite of the Mass. For me and others, the atmosphere is more in context for worshipping our sacred God.

My question pertains to getting a spiritual director for a “traditional” vocation, (if that is the right term). The church at my university does not have the EF Mass, but I have found a church about 40 minutes away that does. Would it be weird if I were to travel to that church for the EF Mass and seek spiritual direction there, if the priest was willing? I just don’t want to bark up the wrong tree at my university parish, if you know what I mean.

Thank you for any prayers or advice,

Justin.

 

[Denise1957]

Hi Justin!

For a start, you could try contacting the FSSP. They train men in their seminary to serve the Latin Mass, and after ordination they then serve in various apostolates (which offer the TLM) around the world. The website for the FSSP in North America has a section for vocations. Just click on the link, and you’ll see a black bar at the top with various links, including one for vocations, and contact info for those who may be interested. There’s also a link for the locations of various FSSP apostolates around the country. Perhaps there’s one located near you that you can visit.

fssp.com/press/

I don’t think it would be wierd at all to travel to the EF Mass that’s 40 minutes away from you. Many who attend a EF travel much further - an hour or more!

 

[bardegaulois]

Hello Justin.

I travel an hour to the TLM in a neighbouring diocese, and travel an hour in the opposite direction to my spiritual director. If the travel is too much for you, speak to one of the priests who says the TLM at the parish you attend and ask him if he knows any priest near you who would serve as a good director.

My director would love to say the TLM publicly, but does not due to a heavy-handed diocesan curia and some demanding parishioners. However, he is surely among the most encouraging of men in my home diocese for traditional vocations. My confessor is a religious priest who lives much closer to me. I’ve never heard him say Mass; he might not even say Mass publicly. Nevertheless, his insights and counsels have borne much more fruit than any other priest to whom I’ve confessed–including traditional priests.

In short, you’ll not know until you ask.

 

[Cloisters]

sounds like the tlm and sd is do-able for you.

some priests do get antsy when one discusses the old latin mass. one of my sds got literal chills when the subject was mentioned. tread carefully.

blessings,
cloisters

 

[HisCross]

Denise, thank you for suggesting the FSSP, they look to be a great fraternity with the Latin Rite. I will surely be contacting them. It looks like the nearest FSSP parish to me is about a 3 hour drive to All Saints Catholic Church in Minneapolis, and their seminary in Denton is about the same distance too. So getting there shouldn’t be too bad.

Thank you Cloisters and Bardegaulois for your direction. There are probably priests or laity in my town that could give me good guidance too. I will probably lightly ask around my church to get a feel if traditional vocations would be something that could be fostered here.

 

[Deo_Gratias42]

Just so you know, both the Extraordinary Form and the Ordinary form (as well as many others) are all the “Latin Rite”. The “novus ordo” is also the Latin Mass, but it is permitted to be offered in the vernacular. What you’re talking about is the “Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.”

 

[Denise1957]

Denise, thank you for suggesting the FSSP, they look to be a great fraternity with the Latin Rite. I will surely be contacting them. It looks like the nearest FSSP parish to me is about a 3 hour drive to All Saints Catholic Church in Minneapolis, and their seminary in Denton is about the same distance too. So getting there shouldn’t be too bad.

Thank you Cloisters and Bardegaulois for your direction. There are probably priests or laity in my town that could give me good guidance too. I will probably lightly ask around my church to get a feel if traditional vocations would be something that could be fostered here.

Glad to see that you’ll be contacting the FSSP, and that they are within drivable distance. If you feel so inclined, perhaps you could keep us informed as to how your vocation progresses, but if you’d rather not, that’s fine, too. If you need prayers, let me know, and I’ll offer them for you. God bless!