Searching for... priesthood

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PriestVocation

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I would start first by saying that i have a Catholic University as a background and I’ve been a catholic all my life and I live somewhere in Europe.

I have found my vocation for priesthood since I was in my teens, Later on I wanted to go to a seminary but because of some family problems I couldn’t do that. But I went to the Theological Academy that was in the city where I live and went to the School of theology there. I always wanted to become a priest. I cannot explain it how, but I felt the need, and the attraction for this all my life. And now, when I am 28 I still long for it. My confessor was very happy to hear that this calling hasn’t changed a bit in the past years and he was very glad hearing from me I still want to become a priest.

The only problem is that my diocese, and all the dioceses in my country have a surplus a priests.

For the moment I abandoned my hope for becoming a priest because of the refuses that came from my bishop. I know I should pray more, but I doubt this is the only… practical solution…
 
Few European dioceses, if any, can claim to have a “surplus” of priests. There might be something else going on. Speak with priests in your diocese and see what the story is.

You could always look into joining a religious community of priests if you feel called to their particular charism. But, it’s important to remember that attending seminary or joining the religious life are not rights granted to all Catholics. It’s a divine calling to be determined as genuine by the Church.
 
Get a spiritual director.

It is important to know that while one might feel a call to the priesthood it is not confirmed until the Church (though a bishop or religious superior) actually calls one to ordination. If the Call never comes from the Church, then there is no call.
 
You may also consider applying to a diocese outside your country. I know many of the diocese in the United States have brought men interested in the priesthood from all over the world. In the Diocese of Savannah, we have several from South America, 4 from Poland, 1 from Nigeria, 2 from Viet Nam and about 35 from Ireland.
 
ByzCath said:
Get a spiritual director.

It is important to know that while one might feel a call to the priesthood it is not confirmed until the Church (though a bishop or religious superior) actually calls one to ordination. If the Call never comes from the Church, then there is no call.
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To be honest, I didn’t actually understand what you’re saying. I already have a spiritual director, and he advised me previously to look for another diocese because here, although there are seminarians who finish every year, most of them are ordained and sent abroad to other countries, or never ordained, or put on a waiting list. This happens for some year now. Only the religious orders here have the “luck” to keep their priests in the country.

If what you say is wright, that means St. John Neumann had no Call, just because his diocesan bishop didn’t want to ordain any seminarian. To be honest, I can’t agree with such a perspective.
 
Hey PV,

Are you from Malta? That’s the only place I’ve heard of in Europe that’s a Catholic paradise… Thanks be to God you are pursuing once again the deepest longings of your heart! What a wonderful problem to have, seeking a place to serve God as a Catholic priest. You will be in my prayers. Keep that in mind.

What I’m trying to say is, God has given you permission to explore beyond your boundaries, beyond your comfort zone, so take that as a sign that he wants to lead you on a grand adventure. Seek first to become more and more holy and balanced. This will be the human and divine foundation that will make you a great saint, and then a great saint-maker as a priest. There are many possibilities out there for you. I will offer you only our own website, but know that there are many others…

http://www.apostlesofil.org/male_branch.htm

May God bless you on this great quest!

In Christ,

Brother Scott
Seminarian
Apostles of the Interior Life, Rome
 
PriestVocation said:
To be honest, I didn’t actually understand what you’re saying. I already have a spiritual director, and he advised me previously to look for another diocese because here, although there are seminarians who finish every year, most of them are ordained and sent abroad to other countries, or never ordained, or put on a waiting list. This happens for some year now. Only the religious orders here have the “luck” to keep their priests in the country.

If what you say is wright, that means St. John Neumann had no Call, just because his diocesan bishop didn’t want to ordain any seminarian. To be honest, I can’t agree with such a perspective.
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Actually St John Neumann was ordained so he did have a Call.

My point is that while we may feel a call to the priesthood there is no actual call until we are Called forward to be ordained.

There are many who feel a call but are not Called forward.

I have not heard that any Catholic diocese in Europe has a waiting list, may I ask what diocese this is?

You might now agree with this “perspective” as you call it but it is what the Church teaches in this. There is no call unless it is confirmed by the Church. You can look to other dioceses and to religious orders/communities, but if in the end none of them put you forward then there is no call regardless of any feelings.

I am not saying that you do not have a call just to be aware that a call needs to be confirmed. If all a true calling was is a feeling that one is called then what about all those who can not have a calling to the priesthood but feel one?
 
I have only one thing to add to the idea above: there is also the possibility that the bishop/Church ordain persons with no call for priesthood, or not to ordain someone with a true vocation for priesthood. I can remember prophet’s words “I called you from your mother’s womb” (I quote from my memory). It what you’re saying is correct it means that the vocation for priesthood starts on the moment that man is considered by the Church as to be ordained… To be honest, I doubt that.
 
PriestVocation said:
I have found my vocation for priesthood since I was in my teens,
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Are you sure about you finding your vocation to the priesthood? or you meant you had been thinking about it since your teenage year?
PriestVocation said:
The only problem is that my diocese, and all the dioceses in my country have a surplus a priests.

For the moment I abandoned my hope for becoming a priest because of the refuses that came from my bishop. I know I should pray more, but I doubt this is the only… practical solution…
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Have you tried everyone of the dioceses? It’s hard for me to think of a country in Europe where there are a surplus of priests.
 
Yes, I’ve been thinking about it for a very long time, before I was 19 . That’s why I studied theology.

I won’t tell the country, but trust me, the bishop said it clear to the seminarians, last year I think, that they should study something else after theology because he can’t provide them any parish in the country. I was told there is a finnancial problem, and the diocese cannot afford more than 1 priest per parish or smth like this.
 
PriestVocation said:
Yes, I’ve been thinking about it for a very long time, before I was 19 . That’s why I studied theology.

I won’t tell the country, but trust me, the bishop said it clear to the seminarians, last year I think, that they should study something else after theology because he can’t provide them any parish in the country. I was told there is a finnancial problem, and the diocese cannot afford more than 1 priest per parish or smth like this.
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Besides praying and other spiritual directions, I think you can also look into different religious orders - you never know that you might be more interested in religious life.
 
Umm! Let me think: carthusians for example, benedictine friars, francisans, carmelitans, carmelitans. This type of monks I have in mind when I think of monasticism.
 
PriestVocation said:
Yes, I’ve been thinking about it for a very long time, before I was 19 . That’s why I studied theology.

I won’t tell the country, but trust me, the bishop said it clear to the seminarians, last year I think, that they should study something else after theology because he can’t provide them any parish in the country. I was told there is a finnancial problem, and the diocese cannot afford more than 1 priest per parish or smth like this.
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If God is really calling you, don’t you think He’d be able to make an opening for you even if your own country has a financial problem? He’d hardly call you and then slam the door shut in your face.

Mind you, I have found from personal experience He can be very frustrating at times.
 
Hi, A suggestion that was made earlier was that you contact the bishop or vocation director of another diocese yourself. Your priest surplus is not happening here in Canada or the United States.
 
I would also encourage you to look at more religious orders too. There are some, whose spirit is very much ministry oriented. By this I mean that their particular charism is centered on the ministry. Even their prayer life, like the diocesan priests, flows out of their ministry. They come together as a community for support and sharing. Some of these do not take any vows except the implicit one in ordination.
I would also ditto the advice, to look beyond your own diocese to others that have a real need.
 
PriestVocation said:
Umm! Let me think: carthusians for example, benedictine friars, francisans, carmelitans, carmelitans. This type of monks I have in mind when I think of monasticism.
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Friars, which Franicisans and Carmelites are, are not technically monastics, as a benedictine is. We are properly called mendicants.

We are active in the world but live in community and pray in community. We do not live in a cloister.
 
Spirithound said:
Hi, A suggestion that was made earlier was that you contact the bishop or vocation director of another diocese yourself. Your priest surplus is not happening here in Canada or the United States.
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I know this. But … sending a letter or email would seem a bit peculiar, I think. I’ve never tried this thing before. Do you have something, a site, where I can start my search? I doubt in this time of crisis they would be interested in an out-sider…
 
PriestVocation said:
I know this. But … sending a letter or email would seem a bit peculiar, I think. I’ve never tried this thing before. Do you have something, a site, where I can start my search? I doubt in this time of crisis they would be interested in an out-sider…
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Sending a letter or email to a vocations director for more information is not out of the ordinary. Vocation Directors deal with this all the time.

It might help us if we knew were you are so that we can give you advice on who to contact that is near you.
 
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