Should I finish my degree or enter seminary after this year?

[skookmark]

Hello everyone,

I am currently entering my third year of undergrad, and was wondering if anyone could offer advice for my discernment.
I am currently a business major at my school and was seriously considering leaving after this year to enter into seminary. I have felt that I have the right inclinations to enter the priesthood. I would like to become a diocesan priest and offer some Traditional Catholic aspects to the Novus Ordo (ex. Altar Rails, Ad Orientem, et al.).
I feel as if I am doing my parents a disservice by staying in school. It seems as if I am wasting my time staying in college as well. I have not really enjoyed undergrad that much due to factors of maturity and alike.
I have also talked to the Vocations Director and a few seminarians from my diocese, and they would love to have me on board.
Thank you everyone.

 

[skelly]

I think they prefer for you to have your undergraduate degree and then seminary.

 

[IdaCatholic]

Is this up for a vote,? If so then seminary ASAP. Why waste a whole year?

 

[Divine3]

We just need holy, dedicated and unworldly priest …altar rails are the last thing on your agenda. Praying for you. You can always go back to business but may you make it your business to leave the nets behind and follow Jesus.

 

[PetraG]

Hello everyone,

I am currently entering my third year of undergrad, and was wondering if anyone could offer advice for my discernment.
I am currently a business major at my school and was seriously considering leaving after this year to enter into seminary. I have felt that I have the right inclinations to enter the priesthood. I would like to become a diocesan priest and offer some Traditional Catholic aspects to the Novus Ordo (ex. Altar Rails, Ad Orientem, et al.).
I feel as if I am doing my parents a disservice by staying in school. It seems as if I am wasting my time staying in college as well. I have not really enjoyed undergrad that much due to factors of maturity and alike.
I have also talked to the Vocations Director and a few seminarians from my diocese, and they would love to have me on board.
Thank you everyone.

What does your pastor say? What do your parents say? Honestly, I would give weight to people who actually know you and to those who actually have the decision about whether or not you are ready to enter the seminary yet. After that, well, I’d say the answer is to be found in your prayer life, not here.

 

[CTBcin]

It’s hard to give much advice when we don’t know you or your life or your discernment process. Each person’s discernment is different. But as a seminarian and as someone who knows lots of seminarians, here’s my gut advice:

Finish college. It’s good to have the degree, and you’ve come this far anyway. Seminary is a place of discernment, and who knows? If you figure out you aren’t called to priesthood, you at least wouldn’t have to go back to college and finish the degree. Things sometimes get messy for guys that leave college to go to seminary then leave again. Plus, on the practical side, having a business degree might be to your advantage, especially being a parish priest.

Moreover, guys who go to seminary after getting their college degree generally don’t have to go to college seminary, but straight into major seminary to start their Pre-Theology studies. Personally, I’d consider that a plus.

If you were starting your freshman or sophomore year of college, I would have leaned towards leaving and going to seminary, but to me, it just makes more sense to finish your degree first.

Anyway, that’s what I would do. But take it with a grain of salt. The most important thing is to be in close contact with a spiritual director, vocations director, parents, etc. These are the people who will help you figure out where you need to be.

All the best and good luck!

 

[Divine3]

@CTBcin. Wise advice from your experience.

 

[1Lord1Faith]

This is a no brainer. Finish school.

It sounds like you are being tempted away from the plans that you’ve already made. Stick to them. It’s only a few more months anyway.

 

[JHFamily]

My two cents… if the vocations director is willing to allow you to begin now, I certainly would, assuming that they’ll be sending you to a good seminary for your undergrad studies.

 

[TheHolyTrinity]

I agree with CTBcin’s advice if possible to complete your education. It most likely will help you in you in the future running of the parishes you will work at.

 

[otjm]

Right now you are on track to get a business degree. Let’s do a couple of scenarios.

!) you finish the business degree and decide to pursue what you feel may be your vocation (and a business degree is not useless to priests - too few have them, but they have to work with a non-profit organization with all that entails - taxes, personnel, funding, budgets, effective long as well as short term maintenance of physical plant as well as funding long term for renovations, just to name a few things that come across a priest’s desk in day to day operations of a parish.

Then you go to seminary, and you will likely need a degree (or the equivalent work) in Philosophy. And, like a number of people who apply to seminary each year, you may find that Philosophy and seminary life brings your vocation into focus - and that priesthood is not your calling. Where do you stand? With a degree in business that prepares you for a job and career.

1. you decide to bail out of business and apply for seminary. You are going to change your major most likely, to Philosophy; and after a year or tow, or perhaps even in Theology, you discern priesthood is not your calling. Where are you at that point? With a degree in Philosophy, which, as I often say, teaches you for the job of digging ditches and thinking a lot (I happen to have that degree in Philosophy - so I can say this). I am not knocking Philosophy; it is just that not all who enter seminary are ordained - and enough are not ordained to suggest that erring on the side of caution might be worthwhile.

I am not hearing, as I do from some people who had for seminary, that you have had a burning commitment to the vocation of priest; you are in a discerning stage. I have no clue as to what your comments mean:

It seems as if I am wasting my time staying in college as well. I have not really enjoyed undergrad that much due to factors of maturity and alike.

If they mean that you have little motivation to get down and study, going to seminary is not going to improve that; it is more likely to be a stage of romantic immaturity… If they mean something else, you need to explain because they are very ambiguous.

 

[jesusmademe]

I am currently a business major at my school and was seriously considering leaving after this year to enter into seminary.

Are you saying that if you became a Priest you would have wasted time with studying business?
If you really experienced that you were drawn to business then why leave it now? And is being a business major not a good thing when entering a seminary? I am no expert but I don’t see why it wouldn’t be good.

 

[HeDa]

If you know business administration, finances etc then you know what the bank and the financial council are talking about when it comes to having control of the financial books and they are less likely going to give you a bad deal or talk over your head.

If you can learn a new language as part of your Business studies then I recommend doing that.

 

[Glennon_P]

Only you can decide what’s best for you, but I can share my own experience.

I considered the seminary for the last couple years of my undergraduate degree (definitely not a Philosophy major!) at a public university. I decided in the spring semester of my fourth year to try the seminary that fall. My Vocation Director and I looked at where I was academically and he encouraged me to finish my degree in the summer and begin seminary studies a couple weeks later, which I did.

The reason he wanted me to complete my degree was that it would mean at least a year less - maybe two years less since I had not one shred of Philosophy credits - in my seminary studies. At the same time I entered, a friend entered; he was an Engineering major with one semester left before his bachelor’s degree. As you might suspect, he too had zero Philosophy credits and actually had to enter the college seminary as a Year II student. That is to say, he needed three additional years of undergraduate work before he could begin his Theology studies.

Reason #2 I suggest completing your undergraduate degree is in case your discernment leads you from the priesthood. Having a degree in a field that (presumably) you are interested in pursuing enables you to make that transition back to lay life. That was my case…after a year, I decided to not continue my seminary studies and went to work in the field of my undergrad degree.

Reason #3 - as mentioned upthread, a business degree could be very valuable in your priesthood. Having those skills would enable you to serve the Church in a special way.

You’re close to finishing that degree…I would suggest that you complete it and take the final year of your business studies as a time to deepen your spiritual life with spiritual direction from your Vocations Director or another trusted priest.

My prayers are with you as you seek God’s will.

 

[tafan2]

@skookmark
I will take a different approach to this than a few of the other posters. If the following are true

1. the vocation director and the seminary rectors are ready for you to start now
2. You do feel a very strong calling to be a priest
3. Your parents agree (see below my comments on this one)

I think it is definitely better to the seminary now. I don’t understand the logic of waiting at all. If, after a year or two, you determine the priesthood is not for you, you can finish your business degree at that time. You will have simply postponed starting your business career by the two years you spent in the seminary. The same thing would occur if you finish your business degree now and then enter the seminary. Except for one, very important factor: If you drop out and then go back to finish your degree, you will be using ther universities career planning resources to find a job. This is a huge advantage. If, on the other hand, you finish your degree now, and then go to the seminary, and then drop out, you will be looking for a job, two years out of school, with no experience, on your own. A much harder nut to crack.

So, by my reasoning, even if the priesthood does not work out, you are better off going and doing it now, as opposed to after you graduate.

On the other hand, if the priesthhood works out, you are getting on with your final calling sooner, rather than later.

As to parental support: I am assuming they are paying for a large part of you education. Because of this, I do think you owe them a say in the decision (make sure you explain my logic above, because in my mind it is critical to the decision). If you have been financially independent, then don’t worry about your parent’s opnion too much.

 

[skookmark]

Thank you for all the videos and quotes. I really enjoy Fr. Mike Schmitz’s videos, and I really appreciate the other testimonies. Thank you so much.

 

[skookmark]

Thank you for the encouragement. I am aspiring to be as holy, virtuous, and unworldly as of now. I pray that souls may follow The Light of The Lord. Plus, I would eventually want people to revere The Lord as they should. Traditional elements, I believe, will put a greater emphasis and reverence on the Eucharist and The Lord in general.

 

[TheLittleLady]

This varies from Diocese to Diocese.

Our OP is best to let the Vocations Director guide him

 

[skookmark]

What does your pastor say?

My pastor is really encouraging my vocation to the priesthood. He invited me to my diocese’s Serra Club dinner so I could meet seminarians, and talk to people.

What do your parents say?

My father would be on board with me attending seminary. I have talked to him about this calling. On the other hand, I think it would be hard to talk to my mother about this. I haven’t really mentioned my desire to be in the priesthood at length.

Honestly, I would give weight to people who actually know you and to those who actually have the decision about whether or not you are ready to enter the seminary yet.

I am giving weight to people such as close friends and priests to let me know what I should do. Some say I should finish my degree to make sure I get a business background, some say go right away. I’ve prayed about this a lot, and it seems like I’m getting closer to an answer, but time will only tell.

 

[skookmark]

It’s good to have the degree, and you’ve come this far anyway. Seminary is a place of discernment, and who knows?

Good point, but what if I graduate with my degree, go into seminary, and decide after 3 years that its not for me? How would I be able to remember and use the skills I lost after all that time.

Things sometimes get messy for guys that leave college to go to seminary then leave again. Plus, on the practical side, having a business degree might be to your advantage, especially being a parish priest.

I can agree with this, but I do not like the school that I am attending. That would not really matter to me.

Moreover, guys who go to seminary after getting their college degree generally don’t have to go to college seminary, but straight into major seminary to start their Pre-Theology studies. Personally, I’d consider that a plus.

That’s a good take. But wouldn’t it depend on the seminary? I’ve taken a significant amount of liberal arts courses and I think they would easily transfer over.

If you were starting your freshman or sophomore year of college, I would have leaned towards leaving and going to seminary, but to me, it just makes more sense to finish your degree first.

I get where you’re coming from. I just picked the worst time to consider leaving college.

Anyway, that’s what I would do. But take it with a grain of salt. The most important thing is to be in close contact with a spiritual director, vocations director, parents, etc. These are the people who will help you figure out where you need to be.

I will definitely be more in touch with these people soon! Especially my parents.

All the best and good luck!

Thank you so much, and God Bless!