I want to be a Priest as well as a Musician

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Startingcatholic

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I feel two callings in my life very strongly one is to be a Catholic Priest and the Other is to be a Professional Jazz Musician. I have been told by many that I could do either well but I’m just so conflicted. Because often times when I’m at mass for example I feel a HUGE calling to be a priest but then I see my instrument and start doubting because I want to be both so much. Any wisdom?
 
Remember: vocation>career.

If you feel the strong vocational call to the priesthood, then there may be something there for you to discern, regardless of how strongly you also want to be a musician. Of course, if you discern that you are called to marriage or single life, then you can begin discerning a career in music.

However, if you end up as a priest, God can use your musical gifts in countless ways. It’s not like you have to give up being a musician. In fact, musical skill and knowledge is quite important for a priest! I’m in seminary and also a musician (organist), and my love of music has been put to good use in seminary and is still a big interest of mine. I have also had a couple of classmates who are jazz musicians.
 
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Obviously if you were a priest that would be your full-time job. However, there are examples of priests who have also managed to be musicians. Look up Father Ray Kelly and also the group called The Priests. Both these examples are from Ireland.
 
I forgot to mention that currently I’m in RCIA I know often times first coming into the church people feel called to religious life is common. But my entire life even as a Protestant I have felt a calling to being a Pastor/Priest and have been told that I should really consider being a priest when I was a Protestant.
 
A priest at my parish wanted to study music and particularly the saxophone in college. In the end he became a priest but he still plays saxophone and sometimes plays at parish events as well as writing and recording some of his own songs. As a priest you could always pursue music as a hobby. Anyway it is usually hard to make a career as a musician unless you are very talented or are lucky
 
Startingcatholic said:
I forgot to mention that currently I’m in RCIA I know often times first coming into the church people feel called to religious life is common. But my entire life even as a Protestant I have felt a calling to being a Pastor/Priest and have been told that I should really consider being a priest when I was a Protestant.
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I’m a convert as well. Since you’re not even Catholic yet, my advice is to slow down and take it easy. Focus on your confirmation and reception into the Church, then start discerning vocation. As a convert, you will more than likely be required to wait a few years after your reception into the Church until you’re allowed to apply to seminary (roughly 3 yrs). This should give you some time to discern what you’re really called to. I didn’t have the answer right away that I was supposed to go to seminary, it took years of prayer, discernment, and growing in my faith.
 
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My best advice is talk to your vocations director. There is also an excellent book on discerning vocations called To Save a Thousand Souls by Fr. Brett A. Brannen. As stated before, if you’re in RCIA, you have a few years before you can even enter seminary.
PS. Welcome home to the Catholic Church!
 
May have shared stories of musical priests, here’s one more. I know a priest who is a Fellow of Trinity College Cambridge (which is a pretty prestigious place to study music), he studied harp. He’s Irish. Now he’s a priest in America.

I don’t know if anyone mentioned Vivaldi. But Vivaldi was a priest. He’s remembered mostly for his music, but he was actually a priest as well. My advice would be to pray. God gives us talents. And, most often, God wants to use our talents in our vocation. He doesn’t ask us to sacrifice our talents for our vocation (at least most often).
 
Unless you want to be a full time musician, I don’t think there’s anything wrong here. But if you think about it this way, the priesthood is a beautiful gift. As a priest, you would bring the Son of God, physically present to the people. You would forgive sins and lead souls to the Lord. It’s a true privilege. That being said, priests aren’t holy robots; you’re allowed to have hobbies and other interests, just as you would be in marriage. There are many priests today who are jazz musicians. I’m sure there are others who have pointed that out in this thread.
 
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When I think of a musician/priest, Father Stan Fortuna comes to mind.

ZP
 
There was a priest at my parish many years ago who could play the organ really well. When there was another priest saying mass, we really had wonderful music.
 
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