those discerning vocations, let's hear from you!

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UKcatholicGuy

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Hey all,

Just curious to see how many of our CA friends are considering / discerning vocations to the priesthood or religious life (male or female).

Just tell us a little about your journey, what order you want to belong to, etc.

God bless!
 
Hey UK,

Since I live near you and we really need vocations, I like the Rosary for vocations said by the Bishop and Deacon Jim. Do you pray that one when it’s on, or have your own copy?

Are you maybe discerning a vocation? I haven’t had a chance to get thru your website so maybe that’s an obvious question.

Paula
 
For the past year and a half I have been praying about a call I believe is leading me to the sisterhood…at first it was terrifying because I desperately want to be a wife and mother. In fact, it was so terrifying that I lost my faith for almost the first year of it. However, as God began to call me back and give me my own miracles to hold onto, the calling has become less and less frightening…to the point that sometimes I truly desire to commit myself to it. I still want to be a wife and mother first, but right now I have decided that I’m going to wait and pray on it (I’m only in high school, so I have a while to be sure) I already know that, should I not be married by a certain time in my life, I will join the sisterhood. If God doesn’t have me marry before then, it is only good that I should marry the church. Right now, I am still not sure where God is leading me, but I’m trusting in Him and putting it all in His hands. Please pray for me in this journey:)

In Him,
Brittany
 
I am!
But I don’t know much yet.
I think God is waiting for me to make some “leaps of faith” rather then just sending me an email telling me what order or vocation to persue…

Oh well…
Leap!!!
Moving toward parish priesthood.
Called vocational director and looking at starting seminary in Fall.
 
I’ve been discerning for about two years. I still have no idea but I feel a partiality to it. Through discernment I have come to like the religious life alot.

I hope to follow in the footsteps of St. Francis and maybe become a Franciscan priest. I also have thoughts on becoming a missionary, being on the frontlines really excites me.

Yet, I have creative side of me. I also want to look into film, writing, and other forms of creativity. Whether that is a director or a journalist, I have no idea.
 
Like BloodandFire, the idea of mission work in a Third World country is very appealing. I’d love to engage in prison or hospital ministry in a place that really needs it. Though I definitely plan to attend seminary after graduation, I’m still not sure whether I’m called to the religious life. The pull towards a wife and children is also very strong. I hope to study abroad in Rome and attend a summer discernment program with the Jesuits, so hopefully these steps, combined with LOTS of prayer, will aid me in discernment. I’ll certainly pray for everyone else who’s discerning a religious vocation (or any vocation, for that matter).
Code: 
      God bless,
Chris
 
BloodandFire said:
I’ve been discerning for about two years. I still have no idea but I feel a partiality to it. Through discernment I have come to like the religious life alot.

I hope to follow in the footsteps of St. Francis and maybe become a Franciscan priest. I also have thoughts on becoming a missionary, being on the frontlines really excites me.

Yet, I have creative side of me. I also want to look into film, writing, and other forms of creativity. Whether that is a director or a journalist, I have no idea.
Click to expand...
Remember the Paulists. They are missionaries in the US. All are priests. They are heavily into media.
 
My little personal story:

Although born in Portugal, a Catholic country, my parents are not really practicing Catholics. I was only baptized when I was 7 years old, and, although I started to go to mass frequently when I was 16 years old, I only started practicing the faith more seriously two years ago (I’m 20).

I had a relationship which was terribly wrong, and it was Catholic Answers together with the Opus Dei centre thag convinced me of the value of chastity, and so I eventually ended the relationship.

Exactly one year ago (August the 3rd, 2007) I started another relationship, with a practicing Catholic girl. It was an excellent relationship, and we did intend to marry.

However, I started to feel called to do something else. It was very weird, at first, it started by imagining myself wearing a cassock. And then, the thought suddenly came up: “What if I am to become a Priest?”.

I quickly dismissed the possibility. However, in the last three months, I’ve been thinking about that possibility almost 24hs-a-day. I told it to my spiritual director, and, contrary to my expectation, he didn’t dismiss the possibily - on the contrary, he took the possibily of a priestly vocation very seriously.

The situation with my girlfriend became increasingly strange, as I paid more attention to a possible priestly vocation than to her. The break-up followed. However, we remain great friends, although we see eachother less frequently.

And now… I’m alone with God. I’m working on a bank this summer (I study Economics at the University on the rest of the year), and having a lot of time to pray about the vocation, and also to do apostolate with my friends.

I’m thus considering a priestly vocation. I’d like to join a Traditional Fraternity (like FSSP or the Institute of Christ the King), but distance and costs might be a problem, as the nearest seminaries I know are in Germany (FSSP) and Florence, Italy (ICK).

I could also consider to be a simple diocesan priest, but I’d like to study on a traditional seminary and learn the TLM. Perhaps the Opus Dei University in Rome could do too.

First of all, I need to know if God is really calling me to be a priest or not. I thank your prayers and any information about traditional seminaries in Europe.
 
My name is Emily and I’m discerning a call to the sisterhood. Since around 2nd or 3rd grade I’ve wanted to become a sister. I didn’t know much about sisters at that time though; I just knew that I absolutely loved their habits and I wanted to give my life to God!
Years later, the wanting to become a sister kept prodding in my mind, but I was still too young to look at communities. None the less, I’ve always tried to reserve myself for God.
Then I got to college, and I was naive. Some bad things happened because of my naivity, but because of the love and prayers of many people my eyes were opened to the truth and I immediately got out of the situation.
Immediately after I got out of it, my life went skyrocketing up. Life was constantly getting better, and I praised God for the good He had done for me.
Now, I look back at that time and I think that it may have been the devil trying his best to prevent me from following my calling.
I am now back to discerning sisterhood, most likely a Franciscan community, but that’s all that I know.
I’m a little bit afraid of what God is calling me to because, well, it’s something so big and I am so small. I don’t know where I am going, or what exactly He wants me to do, and those uncertainties are enough to freak anyone out. I’m just trying to trust God, although I know that a little bit of fear is normal and even expected. I just have to remember that if God wills it, it will happen.
Well, that’s my condensed vocation story so far!
God bless!
 
This is the condensed version of my story:

I studied to be a minister with the Assemblies of God and obtained a master of divinity degree from an evangelical seminary in June 2006. I was raised in the Southern Baptist church and at a very young age, felt called to the ministry. After graduating from college, I entered seminary with the idea that I would become a minister. Through my studies of church history and theology, I discovered the truth of the Catholic church. I wrestled with what I knew to be true, and my career goals. Eventually, I decided that I should be confirmed. I came into the church at Easter. However, after graduation from seminary, I returned home to help my mother after my dad’s premature death from cancer. I obtained my teaching license and thought that all I would do for the rest of my life is teach. I thought the door was closed on the ministry for the rest of my life. In a lot of ways, I was relieved that it was. My teaching career became my focus. It still is currently my focus.

However, the call to ministry will not go away. I need some spiritual direction, but I am not sure how to go about finding it. Is it possible that the Lord would begin to call me (if he is) so soon after joining the church? I have ask “Why can’t I just enjoy the scenery of being a faithful Catholic?” Then again, who I am to tell the Lord what he should do? God cannot be put in a box
 
After two years of personal discernment, I am off to Franciscan University in about 2 weeks to start on an official path to the priesthood. I recently submitted my application to my diocese to become Seminarian, and will be in the Pre-Theologate program that focuses on forming future priests.

While I feel a strong pull towards the spirituality of the Franciscans of the Renewal, I feel my true calling is to help out my current community(despite not liking the heat of Florida:p ), especially bringing back some traditionalism that has been lacking in my experience, and getting the youth, especially teens to be more involved, though I have no intent for any Lifeteen type thing. Simply to involve them in full on, mature, traditional Catholic Faith
 
I remember the devotion of your youth, how you loved me as a bride, how you followed me in the desert, in a land unsown. Jer. 2:2

This is the verse I keep coming back to. It was the reading at daily mass the day after I decided to say yes and at least explore religious life. I felt like God was speaking right to me.

I remembered how I used to pray to be a bride of Christ as a little girl. But, I grew up, went to college, followed many fads in spirituality because I was ignorant of the deep spirituality available in the Catholic Church. I fell in love a few times, but never married. As I was making my way back to the Church, listening to a lot of catechesis and apologetics, I began to think of religious life.

At first I thought God was crazy–or maybe I was crazy! Why did I keep having this thought. And, like another poster said, it became an almost daily thought. So, I figured I’d bargain with God.

Okay, I said, I’ll prove how wrong you are. I’ll look into it and then you’ll see!

You know, God tells us to come as little children. I try, but sometimes my little child is a real brat! 😛 But, God is good, kind, merciful and gentle. I went to a “come and see” weekend. I came and saw how good it was.

I’ve visited several communities now. In the beginning it was to decide between apostolic/ contemplative. Some were brief visits and others more frequent and for longer periods. I thought I had made my decision. The community was very good and at times I felt great peace there, but for some reason when I thought of joining I did not feel at peace. I made an application anyway, but God intervened and I postponed the application process and decided to explore a few more communities.

I’m very excited about visiting the Dominican sisters in Farmington Hills, MI. I keep feeling like they may be “the ones” At least, I keep feeling like the whole process, after several years, is about to speed up and be quick.

Even though discerning has sometimes made me nuts–impatient, angry, frustrated–in the end it’s helped me trust more, to be more docile and humble, to know God’s love more and to love Him more, and the adventure continues…
 
SenorSalsa said:
After two years of personal discernment, I am off to Franciscan University in about 2 weeks to start on an official path to the priesthood. I recently submitted my application to my diocese to become Seminarian, and will be in the Pre-Theologate program that focuses on forming future priests.

While I feel a strong pull towards the spirituality of the Franciscans of the Renewal, I feel my true calling is to help out my current community(despite not liking the heat of Florida:p ), especially bringing back some traditionalism that has been lacking in my experience, and getting the youth, especially teens to be more involved, though I have no intent for any Lifeteen type thing. Simply to involve them in full on, mature, traditional Catholic Faith
Click to expand...
Congratulations and good luck with the Pre-The’s!

I have been in and out of Steubenville myself, including a pre-the stint. Now I am getting ready to enter a Cistercian monastery in my old hometown in NJ. 8/15 can’t come soon enough (but there isn’t enough time before then either:eek: so much left to do!!)
 
nightwalker said:
Congratulations and good luck with the Pre-The’s!

I have been in and out of Steubenville myself, including a pre-the stint. Now I am getting ready to enter a Cistercian monastery in my old hometown in NJ. 8/15 can’t come soon enough (but there isn’t enough time before then either:eek: so much left to do!!)
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I too am looking at a Cistercian vocation. I aim to go for a live-in in September. I get so much peace from the idea and the community I am looking at feels so homely to me. I decided on this vocation after praying long and hard last year for God’s plan for me. I was entering my final year of a theology degree and I wanted to know my next move. I made acts of hope and so on and one day, I just had this inspiration to go and visit a Cistercian monastery not too far from where I live. I have been before, but had not thought of it for years. I went to visit them last November and again during Holy Week. When I was there during Holy Week a woman came up to me after Maundy Thursday Mass and said that when she saw me, the Lord said to her; ‘order’, which she said meant I was to enter a religious order. I was shocked and didn’t really know how to take it, while wondering if it was really a sign from God. I have done the Ignatian method of discernment and get positive signs for a Cistercian vocation. I just hope I can go through with it…
 
Nick9 said:
I too am looking at a Cistercian vocation. I just hope I can go through with it…
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:cool: 👍

Brother keeps reminding me, “showing up is half the battle”.

Which monastery, if you don’t mind my asking?
 
nightwalker said:
:cool: 👍

Brother keeps reminding me, “showing up is half the battle”.

Which monastery, if you don’t mind my asking?
Click to expand...
hi, I am going to Mount Saint Bernard Abbey in Leicestershire, UK. I am feeling a bit more upbeat about it now, after a period of trial.
 
Here’s my story.
All my Great Aunts in my dad’s side but one were sister’s of St Joseph in London ON. and my family would always go visit them in the summer. So the idea of being a nun was always in the back of my mind. When I was 12 I was making a bracelet and my mind was wandering and all of a sudden I knew I was going to be a nun but I didn’t know where or how I was going to live this vocation out. This past year I had it narrowed down to three convents, The Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor MI, The Servants of God’s Love also in Ann Arbor MI and The Sisters of Life in NYC.
At one point I was SURE I was going to join the Servants of God’s Love because they run a foster home and I love kids. But they don’t wear a habit and this bugged me but I was like “why should this bug me, shouldn’t the important thing be what they do not what they wear?” I struggled with this for a very long time. Then at the beginning of January my friend called me and was like “Hey, do you want to go on the Right to Life march in DC with the Catholic home schoolers?” I decided to go and thought maybe this will help me decide if I want to spend my whole life fighting for the right to life. It was SOO amazing to see so many people from different walks of life all united in one cause. When I got home I kept feeling like I should join the Sisters of Life but then I kept going back and forth between “Did something happen or do I feel like this because I wanted something to happen?” Then at the end of February I was at a retreat and my small group leader and I were talking and I told her what was going on and she said “Betsy, if you believe the Lord is calling you there then go for it and he will let you know if there is some place else he wants you.” and then that very next day I was at a Work of Christ prayer meeting (if you want more info on that PM me) and someone got up and gave a sharing that pretty much said “Get off your duff and do what I tell you.” I was like “OK! I get the point!” So that is how the Lord showed me that I am going to join the Sisters of Life in NYC, and I’m so excited about it.

God bless
~Betsy
 
I’ve been discerning for the past year or so. I’m considering a vocation to priesthood, serving in either a diocese or a traditional order such as the FSSP. (I’m torn about the prospect of joining an order because I know that many American dioceses are in dire need of priests.) So far I’m not ready for making any commitments, but I feel like I may need to make a decision within the next year. And then there’s always college to keep me busy!
  • V
 
Mine is a little weird(Imho). I started out planning on being a S. Baptist Minister/History teacher, and more or less had all my life planned out. But the more I understood about Baptist doctrine, I knew, I couldn’t do it, but I still felt the call. Well, it was my freshmen year of H.S. when our the school librarian, who knew I was looking into different Churchs said something to me. We were talking and she gave me this really weird look and she said, “Joel…you would make a wonderful Priest.” My very first thought was, “Oh…so you don’t think I’d be a good Dad or something…” I was kinda offended. Well, a few days later she asked me to midnight mass, and I, nicely, turned her down.

I then got to reading more on the Catholic Church and I realized, yeah, the Catholic Church is for me. But I also thought, well, I could never be a Priest, so I kinda gave up that idea. But as I was joining, I kept having people tell me they could see me as a Priest, and people kept telling me to pray about it, Well, for a while, I didn’t. But after I joined, I did, and it just kinda hit me…maybe I am being called, even if that means my life wont be liked I planned it to be. But hey, tis better to follow what God wants, not yourself. So I hope to start seminary within the next year.

Pray for me!!
 
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