General Vocations Questions

[hcruz402]

Hello. I have a general question, concerning vocations. Is it (at all) rare, for a man to not be sponsored by his own diocese or by a certain religious order? Would it be wrong of that man to apply to either another diocese or even to a/another religious order, for that matter? That is, provided that the Lord is truly calling that man to the priesthood.

Moreover, in the event that the man is rejected by his own diocese or by one religious order, does that necessarily/always mean that the man should discern a different vocation (i.e., living a holy and pious life as a single layperson, or perhaps discerning the permanent diaconate)?

 

[Thom18]

I think it’s unusual to not be sponsored by one’s own diocese, but it’s not unheard of. Some dioceses send their priesthood candidates to seminaries in other states, as is the case for one religious order in my diocese. If you wish to live and work in a different diocese, then it would make sense to apply to a seminary or religious order in that diocese.

I don’t think a man should necessarily consider a different vocation just because he is rejected by one diocese. The rejection may be a sign that you aren’t suited for priesthood or religious life, or it may just be a sign that you aren’t ready yet.

 

[Lamentation]

Concerning not being sponsored, not only is it rare, but impossible; assuming one wants to be considered a seminarian. Our path follows the priesthood: there is no such thing (canonically) as a priest without a superior - in the same way, there is no seminarian without a sponsoring ecclesial entity.

It would not be wrong for him to apply to another diocese/order, however, but they are canonically required to do their due diligence if you have previously applied somewhere else; specifically, scrutiny will be applied regardless if it is a diocese that you do not reside in (seen/heard this firsthand).

Do you need to discern a different vocation? Yes and no. You are clearly not being called to a place that you are rejected, but you are free to apply elsewhere.

 

[CatholicSpirit]

I believe that prayer is critical in two senses. First, prayer to aid in determining if the call is genuine. Second, a self assessment of prayer frequency. A person may enroll in the Angelic Warfare Confraternity (for example), which can amount to 15 Hail Mary prayers and two prayers for chastity per day. If someone (a male) finds themselves well suited for such an endeavor, the urge to commit to more prayer may be a good sign. There is also the Third Order Franciscans which takes 2 years to complete. I would work on something of this nature to assist in a determination.