NROTC obligations / priesthood

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OnlyAmbrose

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Hi,

I’m currently enrolled as a freshman to attend UC Berkeley this fall on the NROTC scholarship. Basically, gov’t pays for tuition and books and meanwhile I’m getting training for the Navy or the Marine Corps. After college I am obligated to five years active duty and five years inactive.

God has spent these past few years calling me to be a priest, and the PLAN is to serve for my five years active duty and then enter the seminary. That’s when I realized that I still have five years in the reserves to worry about, and I’m just worried that I would not be accepted as a priest since I would have existing ties (however minimal) to the military for at least five years. I just wanted to know if I would be barred from entering the seminary if I was also serving inactively in the military.

Thanks 🙂
 
It may be possible, particularly if you wish to join the Archdiocese of the Military.
 
OnlyAmbrose said:
Hi,

I’m currently enrolled as a freshman to attend UC Berkeley this fall on the NROTC scholarship. Basically, gov’t pays for tuition and books and meanwhile I’m getting training for the Navy or the Marine Corps. After college I am obligated to five years active duty and five years inactive.

God has spent these past few years calling me to be a priest, and the PLAN is to serve for my five years active duty and then enter the seminary. That’s when I realized that I still have five years in the reserves to worry about, and I’m just worried that I would not be accepted as a priest since I would have existing ties (however minimal) to the military for at least five years. I just wanted to know if I would be barred from entering the seminary if I was also serving inactively in the military.

Thanks 🙂
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Interesting question. My name is Tim and I’m a second year college seminarian.

Most seminaries will not take candidates with outstanding military obligations…I would think the Reserve committment would fall under that category, as you’d have that over your head all during seminary and I’m not sure how a Rector/Vocations Director would feel about that. By all means, though, contact the local Vocations Director and get a difinitive answer.

FYI, try asking your NROTC staff about possibly serving your five years as a Naval Officer and then having them let you go for seminary studies, only to come back as a Navy Chaplain. Perhaps you have a vocation to both the priesthood and the Navy and God wants you to exercise both those interests at the same time.

Anyway, good luck with everything. God Bless!
 
OnlyAmbrose,

Go for it! Some of the best chaplains that I knew in the Army were those with prior military service.

Check-out this link on the Archdiocese of the Military Services website: milarch.org/recruitment/recruit_cosponsored.html.

The Archdiocese for the Military Services USA, in partnership with other U.S. (arch)dioceses, manages a Co-Sponsorship Program. This program enables a man with a vocation to priestly ministry in the military to be financially co-sponsored throughout his seminary training by both the Military Archdiocese and the seminarian’s civilian (arch)diocese. He is ordained a priest at and for that (arch)diocese. After completing at least three (3) years of priestly pastoral ministry he will be permitted (as part of the co-sponsorship agreement between the Military Archbishop and the co-sponsored priest’s Ordinary) to serve on active duty as a military chaplain for a full career.

This sounds tailored made for what you have in mind.

All the military services need Catholic Chaplains.

God Bless you in your discernment and service to our nations.
 
Thank you all for your responses!

A few concerns though-

I’ve certainly seriously considered becoming a chaplain. The problem is that I would really like to join a religious order, and I understand that it’s substantially more difficult to become a chaplain in that way, depending on the order. Furthermore, it goes without saying that a religious order in which such serious vows are taken would certainly not consider me with obligations.

I suppose serving in the archdiocese of the military would solve a lot of those problems, though. I’ll pray about it 🙂
 
First off, is breaking with the NROTC now an impossibility, either contractually or financially? If not, that may be the route to go.

Or if not, you could certainly serve your years as a naval chaplain. I would definately get in contact with orders you are considering and ask them about your situation. I am sure that most would be more than happy to take you.

If not, talk to the Archdiocese of the Military, and see if you can arrange with them that after your time you could look to join a Religious Order. Again, confer with the order first to make sure you don’t find yourself in limbo

Lastly, if you find yourself in your obligation, and a burning desire to enter seminary, I have heard stories of a priest(whose name I can not at all remember) who was in active duty, and went as high as the pentagon’s director of Chaplains or some title, and got his obligation(i think he had about 2 years left) waved, so that he could begin studying for the priesthood.
 
I have no obligations until the end of the first year, so I do have time to think about it. tbh though I’d rather go through with it and go to seminary if possible, so asking around seems to be the best bet 🙂 I’ll be calling the Dominicans today.

Thanks for all the replies and prayers!
 
“Lastly, if you find yourself in your obligation, and a burning desire to enter seminary, I have heard stories of a priest(whose name I can not at all remember) who was in active duty, and went as high as the pentagon’s director of Chaplains or some title, and got his obligation(i think he had about 2 years left) waved, so that he could begin studying for the priesthood.”

THAT is very dangerous. I would not recommend trying to get around the rules by finding the guy with the most stars on his shoulderboards. Going “as high as the pentagon’s director of Chaplains” is NOT a valid way to get out of a comittment in the military.
 
I certainly don’t want to “get out” of any obligation. If I incur an obligation, I will certainly fulfill it. Like I said, the ideal situation would be to go through college, spend 5 years active duty, and then enter seminary. Not sure if that’s possible yet though, as these vocations directors are being very difficult to get ahold of. 🤷

But I agree, it would be unfair and unworthy to duck out of an obligation by appealing above my superiors. That’s not part of the plan 😉
 
“But I agree, it would be unfair and unworthy to duck out of an obligation by appealing above my superiors. That’s not part of the plan ;)”

Exactly…that’s all I wanted to get across.
 
OnlyAmbrose,

I took a two year ROTC scholarship to get through college as well. So, I understand what you are trying to do…I think. My intent at first was taking the scholarship to pay my tuition and not to make a career in the Army. In execution I ended up doing twenty plus years.

Anyway, if you are having trouble getting hold of the vocation directors of the orders you are interested in, you might want to call the Co-Sponsorship Program Director of the Archdiocese For The Military Services. Ask him what religious order seminaries they have worked with as part of the program. The number is: Phone: (202) 719-3655, or email him at E-Mail: CoSponsorship@milarch.org.
 
OnlyAmbrose said:
Hi,

I’m currently enrolled as a freshman to attend UC Berkeley this fall on the NROTC scholarship. Basically, gov’t pays for tuition and books and meanwhile I’m getting training for the Navy or the Marine Corps. After college I am obligated to five years active duty and five years inactive.

God has spent these past few years calling me to be a priest, and the PLAN is to serve for my five years active duty and then enter the seminary. That’s when I realized that I still have five years in the reserves to worry about, and I’m just worried that I would not be accepted as a priest since I would have existing ties (however minimal) to the military for at least five years. I just wanted to know if I would be barred from entering the seminary if I was also serving inactively in the military.

Thanks 🙂
Click to expand...
After you serve your obligation, you’ll become an inactive individual reservist, which means they won’t touch you. If you become a Marine, however, they might, if our wars are still blazing. Navy? Doubt it. Your biggest challenge will be to remain single during your obligatory years.
 
KingAlfred said:
After you serve your obligation, you’ll become an inactive individual reservist, which means they won’t touch you. If you become a Marine, however, they might, if our wars are still blazing. Navy? Doubt it. Your biggest challenge will be to remain single during your obligatory years.
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Ooo that’s good to know, I was strongly considering the Marines.

And as to the latter part of that post, yeah, I know hehe. 😊 I’m praying a daily rosary with that intention in mind.

And OldRedLeg, thank you for the contact, I will try to get in touch with them 🙂
 
OnlyAmbrose said:
I certainly don’t want to “get out” of any obligation. If I incur an obligation, I will certainly fulfill it. Like I said, the ideal situation would be to go through college, spend 5 years active duty, and then enter seminary. Not sure if that’s possible yet though, as these vocations directors are being very difficult to get ahold of. 🤷

But I agree, it would be unfair and unworthy to duck out of an obligation by appealing above my superiors. That’s not part of the plan 😉
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right, and I don’t really want you to either, because God knows you wont find me fighting. But I was just passing on a personal story of someone, because I know that some times God calls a little more strongly than other times.
 
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