Is it too soon to talk to my priest or vocations director?

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Torolf

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I believe I’m being called to a vocation to the Diocesan Priesthood. I’ve been meeting with a spiritual director and mentioned feeling a pull to this vocation. She told me to talk to my priest or the Diocese vocations director and gave me a copy of To Save A Thousand Souls. I’ve been reading the book and it also suggest talking to a priest as soon as you think you may be called to a vocation and the importance of not discrening on your own. My concern is I’m a convert and haven’t been Catholic for long. I guess I’m nervous that my priest will shut me down or get mad for bringing up vocations this soon. I know he won’t really get mad but the thought keeps churning around in my mind.

So some background on my situation. I was brought into the Church last July. Prior to that I had attended mass for a little over a year (during and before RCIA). I was baptised in my parents Nazarene Church two years before I started going to mass. I’ve felt called to ministry of some form since early childhood but it came and went through the years.
 
It doesn’t hurt to talk to him. You may very well be one of those people who has felt a call since childhood. There are a lot of saints who showed signs of feeling a call to ministry at an early age.

At worst, the priest will tell you wait a bit and think about it some more since you are new to the faith. He should not “get mad” at you. If the meeting with the priest does not go well, you also have the option of talking to the diocesan vocations director.

Neither one of them is probably going to be telling you to go enter the seminary right now, again because you are new, but they can certainly advise you on next steps in your discernment and maybe suggest things to think about, pray about, or read.

Good luck! The Church benefits greatly from converts who become priests. I have known three so far and all of them brought perspectives of viewing Catholicism that were rooted in their previous faiths and were different from the usual cradle Catholic priests. Not that cradle Catholic priests are bad, but it’s nice to see some different ways of approaching homilies, the Bible, etc.
 
The typical wait for a convert going into religious life is 5 years but I believe that is not a set in stone rule. Talk the Vocations Director and see what he says.
 
Horton said:
The typical wait for a convert going into religious life is 5 years
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I actually know a few that require 2-3 years.

It is not too early to contact a priest or vocations director, though. Discernment doesn’t happen overnight. You can be in that process while “biding your time” to meet the requirements.
 
Thanks everyone. I’ll see about setting up a meeting with a priest.
 
Torolf said:
Thanks everyone. I’ll see about setting up a meeting with a priest.
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That sounds good. All you need to say is that your spiritual director suggested that you see someone about this. It is not as if you’re asking to fill out seminary applications right now. You just want to know how to proceed and your spiritual director wisely sent you to ask someone with more experience in that area.
 
yes, I say go for it, it does no harm to ask him a few questions or just have a conversation
 
What you are contemplating will change your life in this world so as to change it in the next. Time, as long as it seems, is fleeting. Discernment takes time. It can be agonizing. Yet, it cannot hurt to speak with Father, as well as your archdiocese’s vocations director.

But, have patience. The etymology of the word “patient” traces to 14th century French for “to suffer without complaint.” You have about a million devotions and other practices to build your spiritual armor before you seek to confront the devil directly - which is a part of each priest’s ability and authority.
 
po18guy and cajun, thank you both. Patience has never come particularly easy for me but God’s been working with me a lot lately. I’m learning to slow down and be at peace with where I’m at. I’ve got an appointment with Father next week so I’ll see what he says but I’m ready to wait and let God move in His own time.
 
A prayer regarding vocations.(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
In Korea, most religious institutes for women require 3 years but it might be different for priests.
 
I talked to my priest today and he gave me a lot of good advice. He reiterated what my spiritual director and To Save a Thousand Souls kept emphasizing; take the step and talk to the vocations director. He also suggested spending an hour or more in adoration each week and attending daily mass.
 
It is not too soon.

I myself am also a convert and a seminarian. I began talking to my vocation director about a year or two after my conversion and entered seminary a little over three years after I was confirmed.

One of the first things I read was To Save a Thousand Souls. It is a very helpful book and will give you lots of good information for what seminary and priesthood is like.

Most dioceses require men to be Catholic ~3 years, give or take, before they can enter the seminary. However, it’s never too soon to talk to your Vocations director. He can give you helpful advice and support as you continue discernment. Even if you can’t apply just yet, it’s good to get on his radar. In the meantime, keep up your prayer life and strive for holiness.

And bring it up with your priest too. I doubt he’d shut you down. I started talking about vocation with my priest a day or two after I was confirmed! EDIT- I see that you talked to your priest. That’s a good start!
 
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Thanks for the prayers CajunJoy. I’ll keep you all up to date as things progress.

CTBcin - Thank you for your reply and I’ll be praying for you. My priest said converts are all viewed on a case by case basis but 2-3 years is the norm in our diocese. Obviously I won’t know until I talk to the vocations director. In the meantime there’s plenty for me to work on.

I’m going to take a couple days to pray and spend some time in adoration then call the diocese.
 
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Torolf said:
CTBcin - Thank you for your reply and I’ll be praying for you. My priest said converts are all viewed on a case by case basis but 2-3 years is the norm in our diocese.
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Yeah, some dioceses will review recent converts on a case by case basis, but 2-3 years as a Catholic is generally encouraged (and the norm). I’ll pray for you! It sounds like you’re doing the right things, so just keep it up.
 
So a lot happened this morning. I called the vocations office and was told the vocations director would call me back. I’d been told by a few people that it usually takes quite a while for him to return calls so I expected a few days wait. He called me five minutes later. We talked for a while and he set a meeting two weeks from now for me to visit the diocese’s formation house and discuss my discernment.
 
Praise God for you, @Torolf.

If i didn’t have any kids, I’d definitely be looking at the priesthood. At least in some level. I want to serve our Church too.

Good luck, Torolf and God bless you.
 
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Be sure to also talk with your pastor. The vocation director will want his (name removed by moderator)ut before he sends you to the seminary, I don’t know your age and whether you have gone to college. 🙏🙏🙏
 
Michael16 said:
Praise God for you, @Torolf.

If i didn’t have any kids, I’d definitely be looking at the priesthood. At least in some level. I want to serve our Church too.

Good luck, Torolf and God bless you.
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Thanks. There are plenty of ways you can serve. The Church desperately needs faithful catechists, deacons, spiritual directors, counselors and the list goes on. I’ll pray for you that God will lead you where you need to be.

Thank you CajunJoy for the video and thank you all for the prayers.

I had the date wrong before so the meeting was yesterday instead of next week. The meeting went really well and I even got to talk to the bishop for a while. I also met many of the seminarians and toured the formation house and school. The vocation director determined I don’t have any impediments and he said if all goes well and I still feel this is what is calling me to I can expect to start classes in August. Some of the classes I took in the past will transfer so I should only need three years of philosophy.

He gave me several books and we made a spiritual plan of prayer, adoration, daily mass and meetings with my spiritual director and priest. I’ll also be meeting with him once a month. Our next meeting is in October and he said we’ll discuss more details then.
 
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