Thread for all discerning priesthood and for those already studying for priests

[zemi]

TLM = Traditional Latin Mass?

 

[GandalfTheWhite]

Yep

God bless!
~G

 

[zemi]

Yep

God bless!
~G

Thanks

 

[pawel15]

This weekend i am going to a retreat organised by my diocesan vocations director. The retreats for all young men (or older) who are discerning a possible vocation to the priesthood.

I hope i can get the most out of this retreat, i want to talk to other young guys like me who are discerning as well.

Last friday i met with my vocations director, i was a bit nervous because you are meeting someone who knows so much about the priesthood. I couldn’t answer a few questions in alot of detail. But this is only a learning process that i will have to get used to. I had so many questions prepared but when the time came i felt a bit of uncertainty. But after about 10-20 minutes everythong went smoothly and only with some minor interuptions. I feel even more stringly about the priesthood now.

Anyway, all is well.

God Bless

 

[Esto_Vir]

Hey everyone,

I’m 25 years old and after much prayer and discernment, and after meeting with the Vocation Director, I am applying to the seminary for the Archdiocese of St. Louis. From what I hear there are a lot of guys applying this year, and they aren’t sure what they’re going to do when they have “Come and See” weekends or host retreats for high school guys. But that’s a nice problem to have!

I don’t know what you guys think, but personally, I think God is raising up a new generation of priests, especially after the Church was rocked with the abuse scandal. And considering most, if not all, of the young guys applying and already in the seminary, are faithful, orthodox and on fire for Christ, and were brought up under the magnificient leadership of JP II, I think we will have one of the greatest generations of priests in the history of the Church. Doesn’t God always lead the Church to new glory after a trial or hardship? And considering how terrible these abuse scandals have been, I truly hope our seminaries and religious orders overflow with young men who want to change the world. Wouldn’t you love to see the media speechless at the sight of the resurgence of the Catholic Church, especially in America? They pretty much think we’re done, or are on our way to ruin. Its a great time for young men to answer the call! Long live Christ the King and His Holy Catholic Church!

 

[zemi]

Hey everyone,

I’m 25 years old and after much prayer and discernment, and after meeting with the Vocation Director, I am applying to the seminary for the Archdiocese of St. Louis. From what I hear there are a lot of guys applying this year, and they aren’t sure what they’re going to do when they have “Come and See” weekends or host retreats for high school guys. But that’s a nice problem to have!

I don’t know what you guys think, but personally, I think God is raising up a new generation of priests, especially after the Church was rocked with the abuse scandal. And considering most, if not all, of the young guys applying and already in the seminary, are faithful, orthodox and on fire for Christ, and were brought up under the magnificient leadership of JP II, I think we will have one of the greatest generations of priests in the history of the Church. Doesn’t God always lead the Church to new glory after a trial or hardship? And considering how terrible these abuse scandals have been, I truly hope our seminaries and religious orders overflow with young men who want to change the world. Wouldn’t you love to see the media speechless at the sight of the resurgence of the Catholic Church, especially in America? They pretty much think we’re done, or are on our way to ruin. Its a great time for young men to answer the call! Long live Christ the King and His Holy Catholic Church!

Hey! Welcome to the forums, Esto Vir!

I’ll write more later, I’m about to go out now

 

[ihartsig]

Hey Everyone-

Thank you all for your great contributions and stories in this forum. It really is so encouraging and helpful to hear from other guys who are hearing the amazing call to the most awesome and Holy devotion to God through the priesthood.

Reading this forum for the last few hours has been great - it has given me so much joy, inspiration, sympathy, and hope. I have prayed for each of you as I read your stories of discernment.

I will be turning 21 this week (it has amazed me the similarity of ages present in this thread), and have only begun seriously discerning a possible vocation to the priesthood in the past year. I truly believe that I have been called to this for a very long time, but ever since my youth I have had an innate resistance to the idea, almost a fear of it, that came up every single time someone asked if I had considered the priesthood. Since going to college, those pressures have subsided, and it seems that, with the yelling and obvious signs subsided, I am finally beginning to hear God’s call in the very faint whispers and most subtle signs. Sometimes when I think of my stubbornness and sin, I really think that “all-patient” should be added to the “all-knowing, all-loving, and all-good” description of our Lord .

As this is only my second ever post on the forums, you can see that I am very much a newbie to all of this, as well as to discernment in generl. I will most definitely be checking out many of the suggested resources when I get home this evening.

More than resources, though, I know that I need desperately to work on my prayer life and dedication to living my life in a state of grace. Obviously, like all others, some of my greatest fears about life as a priest involve the inability to have a family or wife. These typical fears have been becoming slightly less scary recently, but I think that the greater fear is my personal inadequacy to be a Priest, to truly lead people in their faith. I really enjoyed pawel15’s very appropriate words from an earlier post:

I feel unworthy even now at the thought of God calling ‘me of all people to become a priest’. But i know that God loves us and so we must love Him. Do not let satan tempt you with riches, women, good health, fame and entertainment. Because if you want to take up the cross and follow Christ, you must suffer with Him, and lay down your life for others as He did.

Most of you have already known what i just wrote, but i want to emphasise the point that we 'must not be afraid’
The late John Paul the 2 kept repeating these words, “Do not be Afraid”.

Seriously, pawel15, thank you very much for posting that. It is a very helpful thing to remember. If I can get past that personal inadequacy, though, the idea of being a priest is more and more exciting. I know that I need to become a much attend confession much more frequently, and increase my prayer knowledge and dedication. Despite knowing that I have so very far to go, I am still very excited that I have decided to begin my discernment process. This fall when I return to school, I plan to talk to the priest at our campus center, as well as several priests in my home diocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

I am really humbled by all of you and your willingness to pursue God’s call. Thanks to everyone, and God Bless!

[/QUOTE]

 

[pawel15]

I really enjoyed pawel15’s very appropriate words from an earlier post:

Seriously, pawel15, thank you very much for posting that. It is a very helpful thing to remember. If I can get past that personal inadequacy, though, the idea of being a priest is more and more exciting. I know that I need to become a much attend confession much more frequently, and increase my prayer knowledge and dedication. Despite knowing that I have so very far to go, I am still very excited that I have decided to begin my discernment process. This fall when I return to school, I plan to talk to the priest at our campus center, as well as several priests in my home diocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

No, thankyou

I appreciate your opinion of me. But remember, these are not ‘my words’. The gift of the Holy Spirit enables us to know how to pray and how to speak to one another.

The desire for knowledge and the desire for confession is the also the Holy Spirit working in us. The Holy Spirit in all soughts of wonderfull ways re-ignites our cold hearts so that we may find the means to learn how to pray, and how to better understand the sacred scriptures. Knowledge of what was spoken by God (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) through man, can only be given to you by Him. In other words it is Gods wisdom that created man, so man gets to some degree Gods wisdom as well. Each one of us must learn how to spiritually open our hearts to the Lord. Because the Lord wants us to understand His wisdom and He also wants us to learn of the His divine plan for us.

God loved us so much that He gave us His only Son, Christ Jesus. Theirfore confession is important for every Catholic, because through the sacrament of confession we are able to grow in communion with Christ and to better undertsand His salvitic redemption. Christ is the Word of God, God the Father said all He had to say in that eternal Word.

Remeber what Jesus said, “Though Heaven and Earth may dissapear, (however) my Word will never dissapear.”

May the Lord Bless you and Keep you.
Praise be to Jesus Christ. Amen

P.S. A catholic should go to a retreat at least once a year.

 

[PaulJohns]

Hello all,

I’m new to this forum, but I thought that I would introduce myself.

I’m Paul and am 22 years old. I had always had the idea of becoming a priest since I was two, so it’s something that I’ve kind of grown up with. There have been times when I thought, no I’m not going to do this, but I have always come back to the idea. At this point in my life, I absolutely know that I am called to be a priest. It’s just a matter of when and what order, although I am fairly certain (about 90%) that I will be joining the TOR’s (Third Order Regular of St. Francis of Penance). They’re located in Loretto, PA and run a university (St. Francis University) where I completed my undergraduate in chemistry this past spring. I recently arrived at Notre Dame where I will be entering graduate studies in chemistry, although I am not sure that this is what the Lord wants for my life right now. I may find that I am not here for very long and may not complete the degree requirements (which takes about 5 years). I’ll definitely be here for one year, but I may enter the TOR’s instead of finishing the degree. So, that’s my story in a nutshell.

Pax,
Paul

 

[freudmacher]

Hello all,

I’m new to this forum, but I thought that I would introduce myself.

I’m Paul and am 22 years old. I had always had the idea of becoming a priest since I was two, so it’s something that I’ve kind of grown up with. There have been times when I thought, no I’m not going to do this, but I have always come back to the idea. At this point in my life, I absolutely know that I am called to be a priest. It’s just a matter of when and what order, although I am fairly certain (about 90%) that I will be joining the TOR’s (Third Order Regular of St. Francis of Penance). They’re located in Loretto, PA and run a university (St. Francis University) where I completed my undergraduate in chemistry this past spring. I recently arrived at Notre Dame where I will be entering graduate studies in chemistry, although I am not sure that this is what the Lord wants for my life right now. I may find that I am not here for very long and may not complete the degree requirements (which takes about 5 years). I’ll definitely be here for one year, but I may enter the TOR’s instead of finishing the degree. So, that’s my story in a nutshell.

Pax,
Paul

Welcome Paul. My prayers are with you…Seth

 

[Jart]

Lately I feel that my vocation as loosened a bit. I used to think of it often and think maybe it is what I am supposed to do. Now it doesn’t come to mind so much and when it does I don’t think anything about it. The thought fades quickly. Is this normal or could it be I only THOUGHT I had a vocation?

 

[zemi]

Lately I feel that my vocation as loosened a bit. I used to think of it often and think maybe it is what I am supposed to do. Now it doesn’t come to mind so much and when it does I don’t think anything about it. The thought fades quickly. Is this normal or could it be I only THOUGHT I had a vocation?

I don’t dare to say, Jart. But I’m sure it can point to something. Wait for more “signs” as I do now. If it is God’s will, the signs will point to it. I’m sure it’s not his strategy to make his signs point to one direction and wanting us to go just the opposite way, you know. That’s at least what I think I’ll try to do.

Have you listened to Fr. Larry Richards, Jart?

 

[Jart]

Yes, I did listen to Fr. Larry Richards. I only listened to the first one though. It was pretty good!

 

[zemi]

Yes, I did listen to Fr. Larry Richards. I only listened to the first one though. It was pretty good!

Ok, then, just checking out

 

[GandalfTheWhite]

I just wanted to ask. Do you pray the rosary? If yes, how often? Do you pray the whole mystery are recommended by the popes? Thanks.

 

[pawel15]

Hi all,

It’s been a while since i was on this forum to post about my discerment to the priesthood.

After much prayer, medidation, mass, and talking with many priests i have begun my formal pre-seminary application. This will involve interviews, medical and phsychological examinations. I even have to write a 1000 word auto-biography.

The priests down here in melbourne are great, they are so holy and yet at the same time they are a realy good to talk to.

So all is going good here.

I hope the rest of you know or find out what God is asking of you.

 

[zemi]

Hi all,

It’s been a while since i was on this forum to post about my discerment to the priesthood.

After much prayer, medidation, mass, and talking with many priests i have begun my formal pre-seminary application. This will involve interviews, medical and phsychological examinations. I even have to write a 1000 word auto-biography.

The priests down here in melbourne are great, they are so holy and yet at the same time they are a realy good to talk to.

So all is going good here.

I hope the rest of you know or find out what God is asking of you.

Wow,

it seems like great news, Pawel! Keep us informed. I’m interested in any news.

I’m devoting now much of my time to studying (apologetics).

 

[pawel15]

I am also studying apolegetics.

One book which is really good is ‘Catholicism Answers Book’. I also briefly read ‘Catholics For Dummies’, and after reading it I highly recommend that you read it.

Keep on studying, becuase it is food for thought

 

[under_the_dome]

Hi all,

I have been on forum hiatus for the last month or so – it is great to see that this thread is still going strong! Blessings upon all those who have shared their vocation experiences since I’ve been gone.

I mainly wanted to come and share that just two days ago I met with my bishop and gave him a “verbal commitment,” if you will, that I will be entering the archdiocesan seminary after completing my undergraduate degree next May. I hadn’t planned on telling him that going into it – we have been meeting informally every 4-6 months for the last two years. After about 20min of small talk, however, he asked “so, where are we at?” (with regard to discernment). At that point, I just felt moved by the spirit to tell him that, each day, I feel more and more confident that I am receiving a genuine call to the priesthood, and that I plan to make my formal application after Christmas.

This is such an exciting time both for me and for the Church in San Antonio – just yesterday (on the feast of the Assumption), a new seminary residence was dedicated that will house 80 men. Already, it is filled to capacity! Just five years ago, there were only about 35 seminarians studying in San Antonio, and only 8 of them were doing so for the archdiocese itself (the others were from other dioceses or religious orders). As of Fall 2007, there are 96 seminarians, 36 of which are for the archdiocese! Ours is the only seminary in the United States that is actually adding space! This fact has been (surprisingly) not very well publicized – if only more people knew what great things are happening here…

I might add, also, that the new residence hall is quite stunning. It is not quite finished yet (constant rain this summer has set back completing about 2 months), but I was taken inside for a tour the other day and came away very, very impressed. There is a beautiful adoration chapel there with stained glass windows that were salvaged from an old church in New England; a large central atrium with a coffered ceiling; two enclosed courtyards; and 80 self-contained bedrooms with private baths. I will try to post pictures at some point, if the rain lets up and I am able to sneak in and take some.

 

[pawel15]

The ArchDiocese of Melbourne has just launched their new official website; So if anyone of you wants to see the life of priests and semanarians in Melbourne, click on the link below:

catholicvocation.org.au/

I’m really into most of the functions that are happening in the archdicese of melbourne, located mainly at the St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Their is so much faith and holiness in this part of Melbourne.

Hopefully this website may shed some light for you,
Enjoy!

God Bless