How old were you when

[wina]

A) I became Catholic in the Fall of 2005 at age 24. But, it was the summer before that when, for the very first time, a priest asked if I had thought about a religious vocation.

B) When I broke up with my long time girlfriend I began to seriously consider the priesthood, this was around my 25th birthday.

C) When I began investigating the religious life, I was contacted by the Josephites, who knew my story. These were one of many orders that contacted me through on of the vocations search websites. The Josephites said they could not consider me until I had been a practicing Catholic for 3 years. For some reason, that stuck with me so I decided to wait for my 3rd anniversary of being received into the Church to make a decision.

D) My third anniversary came and went. There was no defining moment that I decided I would apply for seminary. It was very gradual, having days where I was very excited and others where I was very nervous. But, in the end, I decided to trust in God and see where this will lead me.

E) My 27th birthday was very close to my 3rd anniversary of being received into the Church. I contacted my vocations director then and began the formal process. This month (December) I am scheduled to meet with my archbishop and undergo psychological evaluation. The rest is in God’s hands.

Wonderful story, I will pray for you

 

[iamMyBeloveds]

How old were you when you…

A) Started thinking about a vocation as a priest/nun etc.

B) Began seriously considering it

C) Took major steps to go about it (i.e. contacting people)

D) Decided for/against

E) Began the process

Wow, this is a neat exercise. I makes us realize the Holy Spirit’s action throughout our lives, guiding us to our vocations gently over time! Praised be Jesus Christ for His patience and goodness with us!

A) Maybe around 16 I started thinking about it, and perhaps once or twice as a child. Nothing major.

B) 17 when I seriously started thinking about it and discerning prayerfully

C) 17 -19 when I started contacting orders and got a spiritual director

D) 21 when I decided for it

E) 21 when I began the process to become a candidate and got accepted into an order, which I will officially enter after college in Sept of 2009, when I am 23.:nun2:

It’s been a long and winding road, in which I even got “off track” in college and dated, even at some points believing I was called to marriage! God is so good, though, and the desire for religious life kept coming back, especially when I visited different order or was in the presence of religious Sisters.
My biggest advice: persevere! Jesus wants you to know your vocation even more than you want to know it. All in His time!

God bless you all!

 

[BarbaraTherese]

7yrs old.

 

[PatriciaGabriel]

A) Started thinking about a vocation as a priest/nun etc.
about 17

B) Began seriously considering it
about 17 or 18

C) Took major steps to go about it (i.e. contacting people)
19

D) Decided for/against
19

E) Began the process
19

 

[ThomasEugene]

A) Started thinking about a vocation as a priest/nun etc.
15 years old, almost a month after my birthday. i discovered it when i read the story of the Miraculous medal. That time, i don’t know what a vocation is, or what are religious, etc. All i know there are only diocesan priests and nuns that have different habits depending on their convent. i saw my twin brother researching about the augustinians. so i got a signal that i really have a call. i know he has a vocation and i know he knows that i have a vocation but we’re not telling each other! geesh, knowing that God wanted something from me really changed my life.

B) Began seriously considering it
almost immediately, when i started looking for religious orders online.

C) Took major steps to go about it (i.e. contacting people)
16… i met my spiritual director who is an O.Carm. i have told some nuns here. my vocation is a secret here. i may tell you here because you don’t know me personally and i am under a pseudonym.

D) Decided for/against
what does this means?

E) Began the process
planning to began the process after college, as what my sd advised. recently i tried contacting the SSPs but i think i am not ready.

 

[GilChrist77]

How old were you when you…

A) Started thinking about a vocation as a priest/nun etc. 12

B) Began seriously considering it 12

C) Took major steps to go about it (i.e. contacting people) 16

D) Decided for/against 12

E) Began the process not yet, I will after collage

JMJ+
~Betsy

 

[hitherwood1]

I was 12 when I started thinking about being a priest (mainly because I wanted to be like my parish priest). A year later he took us altar servers on a trip to a major seminary and I was impressed how normal the seminarians were and very happy. I’m just 15 now and although I still wonder if I can promise the Lord that I can be celibate all my life, and I have some trouble working out what sort of a priest God wants me to be, the vocation call just gets stronger and stronger.
By accident I met another teen on the net, and discovered we both started thinking about being a priest when we were 12. So we decided to start our own web site and tell our stories. The site is very new and there’s still a lot to do, but we invite anyone to visit, read our stories (3 at the moment), pray for us, or add your own story! You don’t have to be a teen to add your story but we think this is the first web site run by teens for their own age group.

catholicpriest.me.uk

 

[StarMaiden]

How old were you when you…

A) Started thinking about a vocation as a priest/nun etc.
11 years old

B) Began seriously considering it
This year.

C) Took major steps to go about it (i.e. contacting people)
2 months ago.

D) Decided for/against
Haven’t reached this point yet.

E) Began the process
Haven’t reached this point yet.

 

[abort73catholic]

How old were you when you…

A) Started thinking about a vocation as a priest/nun etc.

probably around the age of 11

B) Began seriously considering it

a few years ago…when i was about 14/15

C) Took major steps to go about it (i.e. contacting people)

well, my aunt is a nun, so that helps…um…i haven’t really contacted people, but i have looked over different orders

D) Decided for/against

have not decided

E) Began the process

n/a

I’m still in the discernment process, and let me tell you…it’s so hard to trust that God will lead me wherever I need to go! My heart is one that longs for closeness…it longs for the love one feels when it is with the person meant for them. However, it confuses me, but I am somewhat afraid of commitment because I don’t want to ever hurt anyone. And I’m afraid I will take the wrong path, because I just don’t know.

I sense a long, discerning road ahead of me.

 

[cheese_sdc]

A) Started thinking about a vocation as a priest/nun etc.

Started to think about it my junior year of High School

** B) Began seriously considering it**

Senior year of HS

** C) Took major steps to go about it (i.e. contacting people)**

Senior year of HS.

** D) Decided for/against**

I entered the seminary at 18, left four years later, at 22.

 

[Priest_In_Time]

How old were you when you…

A) Started thinking about a vocation as a priest/nun etc.

B) Began seriously considering it

C) Took major steps to go about it (i.e. contacting people)

D) Decided for/against

E) Began the process

A: I was 13 years old, and I thought about being a deacon.

B: Last year, I was 15. I decided I wanted to become a priest. And am willing to dedicate my life to it.

C: December 13th, 2008, I contacted my priest. We talked about it for 4 hours straight, and I never got bored.

D: I committed 101% in January of this year. =).

E: I haven’t yet. I will as soon as humanly possible.

 

[theresam111]

A) I first thought about it in elementary school but didn’t think I had anyone I could share it with. No one ever brought up the subject to me so I thought it wasn’t an option for me.

B) I strayed away from the Church in high school and got married while away. My husband died only a few years after our marriage, right after our son was born. The Lord, in His mercy, drew me back to Himself a few years later. As I grew closer with the Lord my desire for Religious life resurfaced but I had a young child to care for so I just kept my vocation tucked safely in my heart. Now, my son is grow and I can seriously consider Religious life. I am now 43.

C) D) and E) 43 to all. While I keep getting distracted I have been taking steps and contacting communities to see where the Lord might be leading me.

 

[Kyle_Moreland]

A) 2/3

B) 6/7

C) 12/13

D) not yet…

E) not yet…

 

[Sr_Judith_Ann]

How old were you when you…

A) Started thinking about a vocation as a priest/nun etc.

B) Began seriously considering it

C) Took major steps to go about it (i.e. contacting people)

D) Decided for/against

E) Began the process

The first time I gave it consideration was in the 6th grade so I was 11 or 12. Again I considered it in the 8th grade. By then I knew—and promptly forgot it and it didn’t really enter my consciousness until I was 17. It was then that I seriously considered it but not whether I should or not–just when and where. I was 18, almost 19, when I applied to the community. I was a freshman in college. I entered after my freshman year in 1968.
Sister Judith Ann

 

[hxcCatholic413]

How old were you when you…

A) Started thinking about a vocation as a priest/nun etc.

B) Began seriously considering it

C) Took major steps to go about it (i.e. contacting people)

D) Decided for/against

E) Began the process

A) 17
B) 17
C) 18
D) 18
E) not yet

 

[Shoshana]

How old were you when you…

A) Started thinking about a vocation as a priest/nun etc.

9 years old

B) Began seriously considering it

9 years old

C) Took major steps to go about it (i.e. contacting people)

16

D) Decided for/against

I decided for it since 9

E) Began the process

Entered the convent at 18…had ot leave at almost 21. Why? My IQ was superior and I stuttered. They thought the combo was lethal. I had to cure myself of the stuttering in 6 months, and if not successful, leave and pay the therapy. Or if it was cured, I could stay and they payed.

 

[Iosephus_Magnus]

How old were you when you…

A) Started thinking about a vocation as a priest/nun etc.

B) Began seriously considering it

C) Took major steps to go about it (i.e. contacting people)

D) Decided for/against

E) Began the process

A) 18
B) 19
C) 19
D) 20
E) soon

 

[janessa1850]

When I converted to the RCC-age 29-I first was bitten by the nun bug.

I began serious inquiries at age 37, however it was a plan for the future because my daughter was not yet 18. Even then it was told to me that I would be too old by that time to enter an order.

At age 48 I still wanted to be a nun. I began looking for orders that would accept older persons and couldn’t find any.

At age 50 I decided to become an anchoress living at my own house. I turned my living room into a chapel/library. I still look for orders where I can live on my own and wear a habit. I am very interested in the Servants of the Sacred Cross but they are 1200-1400 miles from me and the annual travel expenses are beyond my ability. I’m asking God to provide yet a way.

 

[shubr0om]

How old were you when you…

A) Started thinking about a vocation as a priest/nun etc. 15

B) Began seriously considering it 16

C) Took major steps to go about it (i.e. contacting people) not yet:blush:

D) Decided for/against waiting for god to say something

 

[Adrienne5678]

How old were you when you…

A) Started thinking about a vocation as a priest/nun etc. 11

B) Began seriously considering it 11

C) Took major steps to go about it (i.e. contacting people) 13

D) Decided to be a nun 11

E) Began the process Gotta wait till I’m at least 17 …4 more years…