How Open Are You to Your Children's Vocations?

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For those who have young children, what would you do if your son/daughter said he/she wanted to enter the seminary/monastery/convent? Have you considered this possibility? Are you perhaps pushing him/her this way? From my personal experience, my own mother has been incredibly supportive of my vocation, but has not been pressuring at all. I know a few guys whose parents cried when they entered the seminary, and at least one whose mother was inconsolable when he left. To me, the “vocations crisis” (if it exists) must be with all vocations or none, as they are all, obviously, inextricably linked. I am trying to discern ways to encourage parents to be more open to their children’s vocations, as well.
 
I would suggest doing what my mother did when i told her that I felt very called by homiletics. She told me that that may or may not be the seed of a religious vocation, but either way God has a plan for me and i am obliged to follow it where it leads. In other words she told me that it want my decision to make.

Currently i am moving on in school, starting college in biochemestry, but i am still aware of that pull toards the church. If i end up a faithful father or a faithful Father either way I know i will be happy with God’s call.
 
If even one of my children has a religious vocation, I will be thrilled.

If I never have grandchildren because they all do… hey, I’ll find some other small children to spoil. I will be yet more thrilled.

Nevertheless, the best thing is for a person to learn to keep their ears open and to follow the call they hear, not the one their mother wishes they heard. Better to follow a humble calling and to do it well than to attempt to follow a calling that isn’t yours.
 
I would support my children whatever their vocation in life shall be.
 
I would be overjoyed if any of my children felt a special call from God. In fact, I would feel very honored and humbled that God had chosen my child for such a special mission.
 
Glad to see this thread!

My son is 12 now, & for the past two years he has expressed an interest in becoming a priest. More specifically, a Franciscan. He always speaks of the future in terms of him being in the priesthood.

I think it would be a true blessing to have him dedicate his life to God. How beautiful. 🙂

We shall see, he is young still. We will keep praying about it & for an increase in all vocations. :gopray:
 
This is awesome. I love to see faithful Catholics with children. That means we have a good chance of having faithful Catholics in the future (so I don’t have empty pews if I’m a priest). So much can be done by parents when they cooperate with God and give their kid a chance at living their vocation. My prayers and thanks are with you all.

Also, do any of you have vocations camps in your diocese that you could encourage sending your kids to? I have one in my diocese (Peoria) that made a profound impact on me. If you aren’t sure, you really should look into it.
 
I have 3 sons and I pray that they all become priests if it is God’s will.

I think all our children need to be extremely strong in their faith because of the lack of faith in today’s society. I can only imagine that their temptations as they grow up will be greater in this very materialistic and highly “sexualized” society that we live in.

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us sinners who have recourse to thee!
 
I have 3 kids and a soon to be step kid. I really think my oldest, as much as he says he doesn’t feel called, will one day silently sign up for the seminary and then tell me. He knows that I am proud of him no matter what he does as long as it includes living a Christ-like life. My middle son (15) wants to be a deacon because he doesn’t think priests can play basketball …go figure, I have no clue where he got that one. My daughter talked about being a nun from 4-7 years old. Now she denies that she wants or has ever wanted to be a nun. I think at 13 she is just wanting to date(I won’t let her yet). My soon to be step(10) received first communion in the Catholic Church but because she lives with her mom, (the woman picks her churches by the social clubs attached, if she goes at all) I can’t say that she will be confirmed when she is old enough. I would be proud for any of my children to serve the church in any way they feel called.
 
I don’t have a child but my parents are very open to any vocation I might have.

matt
 
We have one son - and should God choose him, I would be honored and humbled and would support him in any way possible.
 
We’ve just started our family with one son, so far. If, God willing, we’re blessed with more children & if every single one of them had a call to religious life, we would be thrilled and humbled!
 
My oldest son is 7. He has been saying that he may want to be a priest when he grows up. He is certainly very interested. He likes to sit in the front at Mass so he can see everything that is going on. I am not pushing him in any direction but will help him in any way. We read about the saints alot (at his request) and about holy days as they come up. He is still very young. If he feels when he gets older that that is not his calling then I will be just as supportive. I just pray everyday that each of my children finds their calling whatever it may be. I had a mother who pushed me ina particular direction eventhough in my heart I knew it was not the right one. Not a bad one, just not the right one. So I also pray every day for God to keep me open to the possibilites in my children’s lives and to help me find wasy to support them.
 
My wife and I would be honored if God blessed up with a priest from one of our four sons (ages 6 to 13). We pray regularly for God’s perfect will for each of them.
 
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Brain:
I would suggest doing what my mother did when i told her that I felt very called by homiletics. She told me that that may or may not be the seed of a religious vocation, but either way God has a plan for me and i am obliged to follow it where it leads. In other words she told me that it wasnt my decision to make.

Currently i am moving on in school, starting college in biochemestry, but i am still aware of that pull toards the church. If i end up a faithful father or a faithful Father either way I know i will be happy with God’s call.
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My girls are 5 and 2 so we’ve got awhile before we cross that road. My oldest does play nun, puts a scarf on her head & a rosary around her neck etc. She’s told alot of people she’s going to be a nun and teach 3rd grade. 9 times out of 10 she wants to be a nun, the other one she wants to have 19 children (it was 7like in The Sound of Music- until she saw Yours, Mine and Ours that influenced the numbers)!!!

I think its important to let my kids know that I think its a great choice if they feel called.
 
Our 11-year-old has, from time to time, expressed a desire to be a priest. He’s also wanted to be a TV chef, like Emeril, or an archaeologist like Indiana Jones, so we’re not researching seminaries yet. Another time he expressed this desire was right after he and his cousin (who is a girl and also his best friend) had a heated argument and he wanted to know if priests could get married. When I said, no, they couldn’t, he said, “All right, that’s it! I’m going to be a priest!”

He just recently began as altar server at a chapel that has a very reverent, traditional Mass. The priest’s dream is to someday have 4 altar servers for each Mass, so he is actively campaigning for altar BOYS. He wants my son to become head altar boy so that he could have him serve along with him at a monastery that has permission to have the Tridentine Mass twice a month.

My brother-in-law is a Legionary of Christ and is a great influence on my son (BlestOne, your son should see my BIL play basketball AND baseball… have him look into the Legion of Christ!) So I have him praying for my son to discern his vocation.

To me, it would be returning to God what He has so generously given to me and my husband. You see, our son is adopted. We’ve never been able to have biological children. So even though I might feel torn or even a little disappointed to not be able to have grandchildren through this precious boy, I know that God gave us the best and we can do no less in giving back to God. So if He wants my son, like Abraham, I would gladly offer him to God.

BlueRose
 
I’m not married, nor do I have children, but when I do, I will let them decide what they want to do as long as it is for the right reasons (though I might also encourage them to obtain an education that will allow for a fall-back of sorts if their dream job doesn’t work out)

Eamon
 
My ten year-old son has spoken of becoming a priest since he was six. If this is God’s will for him I will be thrilled!
 
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