Priest process

[Unfinished]

I am curious, what is the process for becoming a Priest?

Do you go to seminary after college or what? What if you get into seminary and decide it isn’t for you?

Do you have to choose an order/fraternity? There is so many and it looks confusing.

Will your diocese send you to seminary? Like you just tell them that you want to go then you get “stationed” in that diocese when you are ordained? Do you get to pick what seminary you attend?

What is acceptance to the priesthood based on? Do you have to “prove” yourself in some way?

Uh that is just a few I have. Maybe some webpages would be helpful? Or maybe one of the resident Priests could share his experience?

 

[twiztedseraph]

Unfinished:

I am curious, what is the process for becoming a Priest?

Do you go to seminary after college or what? What if you get into seminary and decide it isn’t for you?

Do you have to choose an order/fraternity? There is so many and it looks confusing.

Will your diocese send you to seminary? Like you just tell them that you want to go then you get “stationed” in that diocese when you are ordained? Do you get to pick what seminary you attend?

What is acceptance to the priesthood based on? Do you have to “prove” yourself in some way?

Uh that is just a few I have. Maybe some webpages would be helpful? Or maybe one of the resident Priests could share his experience?

Grace and Peace!

The process of becoming a Priest takes time (infact, some of the better orders take up to and including 14 years).

The first step is to approach a Priest (prefferably one faithful to the Magisterium) on the idea of one’s vocation. Ask him about his, and talk, pray and discern.

The next step would be to find out what order or diocese you would like to serve in, this would entail letter writing, or simply visiting. An application process would follow this where your physical and mental health is ensured. Letters of recommendation from Parish Priests and the like are good and sometimes necessary.

All throughout this process (which may take a year or two) you should be praying asking God if his intention is for you to be a Priest.

If you are accepted into a seminary you enter either as a postulant, candidate, or seminarian. Your studies in Philosophy, Theology and Pastoral studies will be combined with a demanding life of prayer and work (work may be deferred if you are in a diocesan seminary).

This period will be the bulwark of your priestly life in the future, giving you the tools to feed the flock. In diocesan seminaries this period is about 7 years, in most religious orders 10 and in some of the best orders 14.

You will after a few years of study probably do a Pastoral year (ie live in a Parish). Ater which you will be ordained a deacon, after that a priest.

 

[Unfinished]

I don’t quite understand.

If your diocese sends you to seminary, you come back and serve in that diocese when you are done, correct?

What is different if you join a specific order? Where do you serve?

 

[twiztedseraph]

Unfinished:

I don’t quite understand.

If your diocese sends you to seminary, you come back and serve in that diocese when you are done, correct?

What is different if you join a specific order? Where do you serve?

If you serve in a specific order, you are sent wherever you are needed, globally. Practically speaking this usually means your own country for a while, but it does mean you’ll move around alot more.

Might I suggest the Legion of Christ (the best order I was speaking of) of who I myself am discerning (but am still underage).

www.legionofchrist.com

 

[plato3]

There is not enough room on this site to go into the different ways of becoming a priest. It varies by situation, whether Order priest or parish priest ETC. Every Order and diocese has a “Vocations Director” that is happy to talk to all interested parties. Also, most have a discernment group, where you meet with other interested fellows and discern your call and give eachother some prayer support.
There is a program aimed at older men. Some in their sixties and one I know of was 80 years old and studying to be a priest. They go to the seminary for a lesser time and recieve a certificate in theology and not a degree. A friend of mine (Who’s wife died) entered this progam and was Ordained in a few years. He was in his sixties, when he started. Also, a Permanent Deacon in our diocese, who’s wife died was told by the bishop that he had a vocation to the priesthood. This fellow was well up in years. After some private study with a priest, he was Ordained. We also had a married convert, who had been a priest in a non-Catholic denomation that was Ordained. This gives you an idea of the many programs.

Deacon Tony

 

[Seatuck]

Unfinished,

Good for you to be undertaking this discernment. Many dioceses and individual Orders have retreats for those considering a vocation to the Prieshood. It would be beneficial for you to go on one of those.You’ll get your questions answered on the “how to’s”. Every diocese has it’s own requirements with regard to education etc. They often have thier own seminary within the Diocese. So go to your diocese website or call them up and find out how they handle the discernment process. If you are interested in a particular order call them up and see what they have going on.
Prayers for your discernment.

 

[ExMotuAquinas]

twiztedseraph:

Grace and Peace!

The process of becoming a Priest takes time (infact, some of the better orders take up to and including 14 years).

What do you mean by better orders? i didn’t realize that some orders were “better” than others. Do you mean that the Jesuits are better than the Benedictines or the Trappists? Please explain.

And where do you get this 14 years? I was a Benedictine for a short time (marriage is my vocation) and it would not have taken me 14 years to be a priest. I had 4 months Postulancy, 1 year Novitiate. I would have had 3 years in Simple Vows before I made a lifetime commitment. I could have gone to seminary any time after the first year in Simple Vows and been ordained 4 years later since I finshed college in what would have been my first year in simple vows had I not sought a dispensation and left after 8 months in vows. All told that would have been about 9 years post high school. A friend of mine in the Omaha diocese went to seminary straight after college and was ordained 4 years later. He was sent to Rome to complete graduate work in Canon Law after he had been in a parish for a few years, but that was after he had been ordained so I don’t count those years.

The first step is to approach a Priest (prefferably one faithful to the Magisterium) on the idea of one’s vocation. Ask him about his, and talk, pray and discern.

The next step would be to find out what order or diocese you would like to serve in, this would entail letter writing, or simply visiting. An application process would follow this where your physical and mental health is ensured. Letters of recommendation from Parish Priests and the like are good and sometimes necessary.

All throughout this process (which may take a year or two) you should be praying asking God if his intention is for you to be a Priest.

If you are accepted into a seminary you enter either as a postulant, candidate, or seminarian. Your studies in Philosophy, Theology and Pastoral studies will be combined with a demanding life of prayer and work (work may be deferred if you are in a diocesan seminary).

This period will be the bulwark of your priestly life in the future, giving you the tools to feed the flock. In diocesan seminaries this period is about 7 years, in most religious orders 10 and in some of the best orders 14.

You will after a few years of study probably do a Pastoral year (ie live in a Parish). Ater which you will be ordained a deacon, after that a priest.

Are you beginning your count in years after High School or post college? Some dioceses will send their candidates to collge seminaries, like Conception Seminary Collge, others do not do that very often. Many dioceses will not accept candidates who are not at least 21 and near the end of their collge education and even then do not consider them to be candidates for the priesthood until they are attending a major seminary. The normal course of studies at a major seminary is 4 years including pastoral experience during the final year (during which they are also ordained as Transitional Deacons). Seminary graduates also usually earn at least a Masters of Divinity but some may also earn an M.A. in Theology.

Pax

 

[ExMotuAquinas]

twiztedseraph:

If you serve in a specific order, you are sent wherever you are needed, globally. Practically speaking this usually means your own country for a while, but it does mean you’ll move around alot more.

Might I suggest the Legion of Christ (the best order I was speaking of) of who I myself am discerning (but am still underage).

www.legionofchrist.com

I don’t want to bash an order, but I am personally very wary of the LoC. They tried to “recruit” me and some other friends in college (5 of whom are now priests in dioceses or other orders). There was something about them that I found just didn’t set well with me. There is also the case of the son of one of the professors where I went to college who tried to join the LoC. I don’t know what happened, but he ran away in the middle of the night and was a mental wreck for a few years after that. It took him a long time to get over whatever had happened.

 

[Unfinished]

Seatuck:

Unfinished,

Good for you to be undertaking this discernment. Many dioceses and individual Orders have retreats for those considering a vocation to the Prieshood. It would be beneficial for you to go on one of those.You’ll get your questions answered on the “how to’s”. Every diocese has it’s own requirements with regard to education etc. They often have thier own seminary within the Diocese. So go to your diocese website or call them up and find out how they handle the discernment process. If you are interested in a particular order call them up and see what they have going on.
Prayers for your discernment.

Well, I have an idea of how these things work in the real world. Like when I joined the Marines - as soon as you even say you might be interested in the military everyone and thier grandma started hounding me. That is why I am wary of brining it up until I at least have a better idea of what I want to do.

It would be a lie to say that priesthood was more than a thought right now, I find it appealing for many reasons, but quite scary for many reasons.

 

[chicago]

Unfinished:

Well, I have an idea of how these things work in the real world. Like when I joined the Marines - as soon as you even say you might be interested in the military everyone and thier grandma started hounding me. That is why I am wary of brining it up until I at least have a better idea of what I want to do.

That’s actually a wise course. People tend to either say, “You want to do WHAT?” or they may get excited and push too hard, practically ordaining you long before you ever even enter seminary.

It would be a lie to say that priesthood was more than a thought right now, I find it appealing for many reasons, but quite scary for many reasons.

That’s natural and as it ought to be. Pray, trust, and don’t worry. If you want to explore it more, I’d recommend talking to a spiritual director or contacting the diocese/orders which you have some interest in. Their vocation directors can offer some assistance.

 

[Khoria_Anna]

You need to talk one on one with a priest in your area. He will probably refer you to the diocesan vocations office, where they have the resources to provide information on the various orders and on becoming a diocesan priest, ao you’ll have an idea of whether you want to go “order tract” or “diocesan tract.” They’ll probably also hook you up with several other priests from whom you can get some personal spiritual direction, discernment and information. Keep your eyes and ears open and your catechism handy because you will need to discern who is faithful and who isn’t. Thank you for considering this high vocation. . . I’ll add you to my prayer list.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

ExMotuAquinas:

What do you mean by better orders? i didn’t realize that some orders were “better” than others. Do you mean that the Jesuits are better than the Benedictines or the Trappists? Please explain.

I think he was getting at the “orthodoxy” of different orders.

It is a sad fact that some of the others out there are not what they should be.

And where do you get this 14 years? I was a Benedictine for a short time (marriage is my vocation) and it would not have taken me 14 years to be a priest. I had 4 months Postulancy, 1 year Novitiate. I would have had 3 years in Simple Vows before I made a lifetime commitment. I could have gone to seminary any time after the first year in Simple Vows and been ordained 4 years later since I finshed college in what would have been my first year in simple vows had I not sought a dispensation and left after 8 months in vows. All told that would have been about 9 years post high school. A friend of mine in the Omaha diocese went to seminary straight after college and was ordained 4 years later.

This all depends on the order and diocese.

You must have a bachelors degree or at least the required 18-24 credit hours of philosophy to get into a seminary. So for those who enter orders with out a bachelors degree there is that added time.

For me, in formation with the Carmelites, it will be 7 to 8 years to be ordained. We have a one year pre-novitiate, which may be longer as this is where you finish your college/philosophy work. Then we have the year and a day novitiate. Then we go out on an internship into one of the ministries of the order, this lasts 2 years but it can be shortened to 1. Then the 4 years of the seminary.

It is true the diocesean candidates make it to ordination sooner after they finish their college/philosophy work as they do not have a pre-novitiate (or postulancy) nor a novitiate time to complete. But some diocese do have a pastoral year that takes place at the end of the third year of the seminary. The candidate then returns to the semianry to finish his fourth year. Some dioceases just do this pastoral work over their summer vacations.

 

[Brain]

I know a guy who was in the LoC, but he transferred to the Archdioscese of Seattle and I believe he may now be a transitional deacon.