Religious Order/ Apologetics

[DarrenOglesby]

A lot has been going through my mind lately, Recently I have been doing alot of listening to EWTN podcasts, and I cannot get over of how well Fr. Mitch Pacwa can really explain things. I am amazed, and he has become like a role model.

I was wondering if there are types of orders that spend their time dedicated to defending the church, with apologetics and studying.

It seems if I were a parish priest there wouldn’t be much time to devote myself to that type of work. I could be wrong though.

I am certainly open to whatever God has in store, and to whatever a Bishop or a Superior asks me to do.

But Apologetics and defending the church really attract me. I also like helping people spiritually, like in spiritual direction, although I have no experience.

Any suggestions

 

[surritter]

I would think that a diocesan parish priest spends a lot of time with liturgical stuff like Mass, as well as visiting the sick and working with religious education. They might also do counseling for couples or spiritual direction, which can take a lot of time. Then don’t forget the part about running a parish – there are business activities to attend to, and if there is a school it can be quite busy!

Ideally, parish priests would be involved in a lot of apologetics, but I suspect for many it’s not a proactive thing; it may only come up when they are approached by a possible convert, such as in RCIA.

Every Catholic is called to evangelize, but perhaps there is a order whose focus is apologetics.

 

[Little_Mary]

I don’t know of a specific order, but your local Chancery should have an Office of Evangelization. You could start there.

You could also contact John Martignoni at www.biblechristiansociety.com

He may have some good ideas for you.

Good luck!

 

[Little_Mary]

Also, check out www.wordonfire.org

Fr. Robert Barron founded this site, as well as the DVD series Catholicism.

You may be able to contact him throught that website.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

A lot has been going through my mind lately, Recently I have been doing alot of listening to EWTN podcasts, and I cannot get over of how well Fr. Mitch Pacwa can really explain things. I am amazed, and he has become like a role model.

I was wondering if there are types of orders that spend their time dedicated to defending the church, with apologetics and studying.

It seems if I were a parish priest there wouldn’t be much time to devote myself to that type of work. I could be wrong though.

I am certainly open to whatever God has in store, and to whatever a Bishop or a Superior asks me to do.

But Apologetics and defending the church really attract me. I also like helping people spiritually, like in spiritual direction, although I have no experience.

Any suggestions

I am not aware of any religious institute that is dedicated to apologetics.

The apologetics movement within the Church seems to be relatively recent in Church history,

A priest is a sacramental minister and is present for service to the Church. There really is no need for a priest (that is a whole community of them) for this service.

The apologetics apostolate seems to be more of a lay apostolate.

 

[Oneofthewomen]

Fr. Pacwa is a Jesuit, so I would start with the Society of Jesus.
They are the intellectuals of the Church, after all!

A lot has been going through my mind lately, Recently I have been doing alot of listening to EWTN podcasts, and I cannot get over of how well Fr. Mitch Pacwa can really explain things. I am amazed, and he has become like a role model.

I was wondering if there are types of orders that spend their time dedicated to defending the church, with apologetics and studying.

It seems if I were a parish priest there wouldn’t be much time to devote myself to that type of work. I could be wrong though.

I am certainly open to whatever God has in store, and to whatever a Bishop or a Superior asks me to do.

But Apologetics and defending the church really attract me. I also like helping people spiritually, like in spiritual direction, although I have no experience.

Any suggestions

 

[DarrenOglesby]

I guess evangelization was the word I was looking for. I sent an email to the Jesuit vocation office last night, may discern with them. If I feel that is the way God is pulling me.

I really would like to be a priest that is involved in sacramental ministry such as hearing confessions, celebrating mass as a fill in ect. But I’m really drawn to the community aspect of religious life

 

[LoyalViews]

The Dominicans are called the Domini canes, the “hounds of the Lord”. They preach and defend the faith, and they use apologetics a lot with non-Catholics. I don’t know if you would call that evanglisation, but I would.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

I guess evangelization was the word I was looking for. I sent an email to the Jesuit vocation office last night, may discern with them. If I feel that is the way God is pulling me.

I really would like to be a priest that is involved in sacramental ministry such as hearing confessions, celebrating mass as a fill in ect. But I’m really drawn to the community aspect of religious life

The Jesuits are not known for community. They do not have common prayer and I am not sure that they require any sort of common recreation.

It is important to keep in mind that if you do join a religious institute that has some sort of apostolate for evangelization that does not mean that you will be assigned there. One must keep a very open mind.

 

[DaughterOfMary6]

A lot has been going through my mind lately, Recently I have been doing alot of listening to EWTN podcasts, and I cannot get over of how well Fr. Mitch Pacwa can really explain things. I am amazed, and he has become like a role model.

I was wondering if there are types of orders that spend their time dedicated to defending the church, with apologetics and studying.

It seems if I were a parish priest there wouldn’t be much time to devote myself to that type of work. I could be wrong though.

I am certainly open to whatever God has in store, and to whatever a Bishop or a Superior asks me to do.

But Apologetics and defending the church really attract me. I also like helping people spiritually, like in spiritual direction, although I have no experience.

Any suggestions

You might check into the Dominican Friars. St. Dominic started the order in the 13th century during the time of the Albigensian Heresy in order to combat the teaching of the age that the body was inherently bad. Some notable Dominicans are St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Martin de Porres, St. Catherine of Siena, and St. Rose of Lima. Their motto is “to pray, to bless, to preach.” They are most into studying because their whole apostolate is apologetics and preaching the Truth (Word of God).

The Eastern Province is the most well known.