Priesthood and School loan debt

[JohnnyReb]

Is school loan debt a big hinderance to someone who is discerning a call to the diocesean priesthood?

I am going to meet with my diocese vocations director very school. I wonder if school loan debt will hinder any chance I may have of entering the seminary if things ever progress to that point.

I have around 60k in debt from earning my bachelors and master’s. I studied to be a Protestant minister and converted this past easter. I am choosing to discern because I know the church is in need of young men to step up to the plate. As a young single male, I feel it is my duty to seek out God’s will.

I have also tossed around joining the army for a few years to wipe out that debt if the debt could be a problem. Military service does come with risks, and would delay any chance I would have at persuing a possible vocation. However, the military is something I have always tossed around too.

 

[Drilling4Truth]

Student loans can hinder you in the application process, but it’s not an impossible hindrance. This is something that your vocations director will be better equipped to answer. Some diocese do offer assistance to pay off part of your student loans, but that can vary from diocese to diocese.

There is one alternative you could bring up with your vocations director, and that is the military offers scholarships to seminarians who would then be obligated to serve as an active duty chaplain for a time, followed by a few years as a reservist. It could be that your diocese may pay some of your student loans while the military pays for your actual seminary. Please know, this is just me thinking out loud.

Best of luck in your discernment. I will pray for you.

 

[ChristIsTheWay]

It varies from one diocese to another. In my experience, it is not as much of an impediment for diocesan priesthood as it is for religious priesthood. I’ve encountered only one diocese that told me that I should take care of my student loans (around 25k) before coming back to talk. It isn’t uncommon for some dioceses to pay some or most of one’s loans off. It’ll all depend on the diocese. My first piece of advice: don’t get discouraged! Just talk with your vocation director and see what he says. Pray, pray, pray!

 

[puzzleannie]

Is ever progress to that point.

I have around 60k in debt from earning my bachelors and master’s. I studied to be a Protestant minister and converted this past easter. I am choosing to discern because I know the church is in need of young men to step up to the plate. As a young single male, I feel it is my duty to seek out God’s will.

I.

you may also want to contact the Coming Home Network-there is probably a link on EWTN site, or somebody has already posted it in this forum. they specialize in helping Protestant clergy and their families transition, especially of course in the area of finding employment since for them, conversion affects their ability to support their families as well. Marcus Grodi recently had a guest on his program–he interviews converts every week on the Journey Home on EWTN–whose life followed a scenario like yours.

 

[Allen537]

Is school loan debt a big hinderance to someone who is discerning a call to the diocesean priesthood?

I am going to meet with my diocese vocations director very school. I wonder if school loan debt will hinder any chance I may have of entering the seminary if things ever progress to that point.

I have around 60k in debt from earning my bachelors and master’s. I studied to be a Protestant minister and converted this past easter. I am choosing to discern because I know the church is in need of young men to step up to the plate. As a young single male, I feel it is my duty to seek out God’s will.

I have also tossed around joining the army for a few years to wipe out that debt if the debt could be a problem. Military service does come with risks, and would delay any chance I would have at persuing a possible vocation. However, the military is something I have always tossed around too.

As the above posters had stated, it depends on the order/dioceses you are applying to. In my experience, school loans are generally not a big deal. Considering that many diocese and religious orders accept men during college (my case when I entered the seminary) those groups should not have a problem accepting men after the fact, since they would have been paying for it anyway.

In Carmel,

Br. Allen

 

[KCT]

I know a priest who thought he would have to delay entry due to students loans.

On the feast of St. John Vianney (patron of parish priests) he got a call from the vocations director of the diocese. Someone had made an anonymous donation to pay off his student loan debt.

Turns out, the priest’s mom had asked lots of people to pray for her son and is vocation. This man heard the request for prayers and was prompted to make the donation.

If you’re called, God will take care of you.