How to choose the best Religious Institute for the priesthood?

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aldocera

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Hello, everyone

I am considering a vocation. I am actually discerning which Institute best suits for me.

Thus, I would like to know your opinions, from your own experience or from someone else experience, about, how to choose between multiple choices for an institute.

Which factors should someone consider about enrolling in a religios institute?

By the way, I am interested in 3:
  1. FSSP
  2. Legion of Christ (I studied in one of theie universities)
  3. Jesuits
I found the other 2 attractive also.

Could you give me a hand, please?
 
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I think you have to look at your primary attraction to the priesthood. Is your number one priority to celebrate Mass in the extraordinary firm? Then the FSSP may be the first ones to consider. Are you primarily interested in being a parish priest? Then the Jesuits are probably not your first choice. On the other hand, if you are attracted to.other kinds of ministries such as education, spirituality, campus ministry, and others while also serving as a priest, the Jesuits may be a great fit.

As Maximillan says, seeing the Jesuits and the FSSP on the same list is a little jarring.
 
God grant that you will be called to the one that God desires for you, if it is your vocation to be a priest.
Each order/instuitute tends to have a particular charism.
If God is calling you, then may the Holy Spirit guide you.
 
Are you confirmed already? I’ve been a strong advocate for Catholics that didn’t finish all sacraments to start there. The best way to determine what a proper path is for you may be to start with a confraternity as well.
 
Would not recommend the Jesuits to anyone… They can be everything and anything but priestly and religious…
Known several firsthand and it was not a good experience.
 
Get to know the different orders and their priests. Speak with the vocation directors of the orders and also your diocese.

Just because one order had problems 20 years ago doesn’t mean that they are having the same problems today. One community of X order in the world is not representative of the whole order so don’t rule the whole order out. If there were problems with one order or community then I would ask how they solved the problems and how they moved on.

Spiritual direction is very important here so ask your diocese or parish priest for a director they could recommend.
 
aldocera said:
I am considering a vocation. I am actually discerning which Institute best suits for me.

Thus, I would like to know your opinions, from your own experience or from someone else experience, about, how to choose between multiple choices for an institute.

Which factors should someone consider about enrolling in a religios institute?

By the way, I am interested in 3:

FSSP
Legion of Christ (I studied in one of theie universities)
Jesuits

I found the other 2 attractive also.

Could you give me a hand, please?
Click to expand...
One does not “enroll” in an Institute of Perfection. After a process that is relatively involved, one can apply on the one hand and the competent authority can admit an applicant or reject an applicant on the other hand.

It is, of course, a two way street – and, at the end of the day, even more a decision on the part of the Institute of Perfection than on the part of one who aspires to be part of it.

When I did formation work, one of the most negative signs was when someone came for a visit having “made the decision” that this was the path they decided they wanted to pursue when, in point of fact, their decision making process had not involved those with whom the person had needed to be in dialogue. Nor, it must be said, was their decision based in the reality of actual life. That was a red flag.

In fact, these men were in no place to begin to soundly arrive at such a decision.

All that to say, if you have an interest in, for example, the Society of Jesus, then you should open a dialogue with the Jesuit vocation director and open the process by which you can begin to have a relationship with those who are charged with assisting in the discernment of whether you might be an apt candidate for their Community. This would give you the opportunity to see if there was, in fact, an attraction to them as well as an attraction of them to you. It is also the place where one gets the information about the concrete reality that is the life in a given province to begin to make an initial decision about whether or not this is viable.

I have worked with Jesuits across many many years…they are a splendid group of Religious and I have referred a number of men to them over the years. Last year, the Jesuits of the United States alone ordained almost 30 to the priesthood.

It is however a case where one needs to see up close – and to experience – what is the life.
 
Well, that is the problem. I want a fusion. What Jesuits do (good stuff) but celebrating the Tridentine Mass as well.

I am aware of the spiritual formation between them. I know Jesuits are not doing well.

I would like to know whether FSSP would allow someone to do other kind of ministries besides parish ministries.
 
From what I know pretty much all orders will allow you to be trained in celebrating the Tridentine Mass, even if you are trained in the Novu Ordo. It will take further study.
 
My advice is to spend time with the Orders you’re interested in, and maybe some others as well. In my opinion the best discernment is “experiential”. Like trying on a shoe at the she store. While some color shoes or brands may be more attractive to you, you can’t make a good decision until you try it on and walk around the store a little.

I think rather than focus on externalities, such as celebrating the Tridentine Mass, feel out the community itself. Things such as liturgical forms, or certain ministries can be ironed out later. And depending on who the superior is at any given time, policies may change. The important thing is that the community is one you feel at home with, feel attracted to their charismatic, and can after meeting them fell you may be able share the highs and lows of life together with. So contact the vocation directors, have conversations with them, attend discernment retreats /come-and-see weekends, and take it from there. It sounds like you feel more called to and active life than a cloistered one, so there’s no need to look into the Trappists if that’s surely not attractive to you. But do contact the Jesuits, FSSP, Legionaries, and perhaps some others “active” communities communities that have priests.
 
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