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

[ihartsig]

Pawel - It looks like there are some really great things going on down in Melbourne!

I had a quick question for everyone: When praying about whether or not to join an order, and if so which one, what are the main factors that you consider when trying to find which one is correct for you?

 

[pawel15]

Pawel - It looks like there are some really great things going on down in Melbourne!

I had a quick question for everyone: When praying about whether or not to join an order, and if so which one, what are the main factors that you consider when trying to find which one is correct for you?

No one can really tell you which order you may or may not belong to. However out of experience, you will find the answer when you least excpect it. Not everything will be clear, but praying for an answer will difinitely help.

Try to talk to God like he’s right their in front of you, converse with Him, tell Him everything. He will tell you when the time is right.

Be patient and persevere in your prayer’s.

God Bless

 

[CatholicCajun]

FYI. My husband and I pray a Chaplet for Priest everyday for certain priests, all priests, those in seminary, those in discerment. We also make and give these chaplet away and put them for free in our stores to get other people to pray for our priest and priest-to-be, I am sure we have given away close to 600 and I just got 100+ more blessed. So please be assured that you are prayed for. God Bless.

 

[orgel_maestro]

No one can really tell you which order you may or may not belong to. However out of experience, you will find the answer when you least excpect it. Not everything will be clear, but praying for an answer will difinitely help.

Try to talk to God like he’s right their in front of you, converse with Him, tell Him everything. He will tell you when the time is right.

Be patient and persevere in your prayer’s.

God Bless

Świetnie! To bardzo fajne wiadomości. Bogu niech będą dzięki! Jestem szczęsliwy, że zdecydowałeś studiować teologię i zostać ksiądzem. Mam przyjaciela, który miał zamiar też studiować w seminariumie, a teraz już nie chce. Zamiast teologii, zdecydował, że prawo byłby lepszy. Pomyślałem, że on byłby jednym z najlepszych kandidatów, zawsze choził na mszę, modlił się, studiował teologię na uniwersytecie i tak dalej. Ale, on czuje się, że to nie jest dla niego. On mi powiedział, że on dużo grzeszł, i to były często, jest może zbyt skomplikowana, żeby opisać. Jednak, to znaczy, że będzie trudny i twoja wiara będzie sprawdzona. Będę modlić się szczgólnie za ciebie i za innych chłopców tutaj. Wszytkiego najlepszego i szczęść boże!

 

[J_G]

Great to read everyone’s stories, and it’s really nice to know that there are people praying for us. My story begins a decade ago, i am now sixteen, when i felt a calling to live a quiet, simple life. Back then i called it a Catholic amish farmer (a monk would have been a better description, but i didn’t know better). As i grew, i replaced that idea with soldier, doctor, lawyer, firefighter, or whatever, until about a six months before John Paul II died. i really struggled with the idea of giving up a normal, secular life, for one that seemed so… different. Then, i started researching many different orders, and after finally contacting several orders, i have settled upon a few that i feel called to. The ICRSS, the Trappists, the Capuchins, the Jesuits, and perhaps as a diocese priest. Amongst these, i feel most strongly called to the Trappists. i plan on going on a vocation retreat with them sometime (what better way to test a calling then to try it). As i am still in high school, and cannot be accepted until age 20, and need two years of job experience or schooling beyond high school, i am at a loss as to what to do. Praying for everyone here too.

 

[pawel15]

Lets keep this thread going guys

I’ve just recently had an interview with my vocations director. It went quite well, now i’m going to see the parish psychologist. This will show if i might be crazy.

Anyway, all jokes aside, i have been maintaining my faith much better than i had hoped. When you place total trust in Jesus and His mother, than your whole life becomes alive, and sin does not come as easy to you any more. I feel more in love with the church and my calling to the diocesan priesthood is getting stronger every day. I sometimes wish i were a preist right now. But to become great, you must make yourself small. Be humble and perservere in your prayer life.

What’s happening with the rest of you guys?

…and God bless

 

[zemi]

Lets keep this thread going guys

I’ve just recently had an interview with my vocations director. It went quite well, now i’m going to see the parish psychologist. This will show if i might be crazy.

Anyway, all jokes aside, i have been maintaining my faith much better than i had hoped. When you place total trust in Jesus and His mother, than your whole life becomes alive, and sin does not come as easy to you any more. I feel more in love with the church and my calling to the diocesan priesthood is getting stronger every day. I sometimes wish i were a preist right now. But to become great, you must make yourself small. Be humble and perservere in your prayer life.

What’s happening with the rest of you guys?

…and God bless

Hi Pawel

What everything do you have to undergo? I mean an interview, then psychologist, then…?

I’m now having some male-female relationship problem. I’m sure this can be a turning point for me. But it will last for a while I’m sure.

 

[vince2paul]

Hi all,
I just spent some time writing about my life story, including my initial call. They could be found on my blog on top of the page.

It’s good for me to read my own story whenever I want to give up my discernment to the priesthood/religious life. I don’t know, I just feel I’m unworthy and my past sinfulness. It’s good that I have St. Paul as my patron saint.

I’m still not sure the what’s ahead of me, but I have confident in Him.

 

[pawel15]

Hi Pawel

What everything do you have to undergo? I mean an interview, then psychologist, then…?

I’m now having some male-female relationship problem. I’m sure this can be a turning point for me. But it will last for a while I’m sure.

Step 1: 1000 word biography
hand in certificates, baptism, confirmation; ect
Step 2: Interview with vocations director
Step 3: Psychological examination
Step 4: Medical Examination
Step 5: Interviews with 2 priest from Corpus Christi college/seminary
Step 6: Interview with the Archbishop
Step 7: Academic evaluation
Then if i successfully complete these steps ill be formally excepted into the seminary.

 

[ihartsig]

Step 1: 1000 word biography
hand in certificates, baptism, confirmation; ect
Step 2: Interview with vocations director
Step 3: Psychological examination
Step 4: Medical Examination
Step 5: Interviews with 2 priest from Corpus Christi college/seminary
Step 6: Interview with the Archbishop
Step 7: Academic evaluation
Then if i successfully complete these steps ill be formally excepted into the seminary.

Wow Pawel - That is quite a process! I’m sure it will help both you and them to determine the correct fit for you. I definitely admire your courage though - You have taken that first step in an amazing journey!

Vince2Paul - Thank you for posting a link to your life story - while I have not yet had a chance to read it, I always find great inspiration and help from hearing/reading others’ stories, and how God called them. The feeling of unworthiness is a struggle that I am constantly fighting against, but I know that by nature, I am an unworthy person, but through sacrifice and faith, I can serve Christ in any way that He may have intended me to.

I just wanted to share with all of you a little piece of advice a Priest shared with me yesterday when I was talking to him about my vocation. I had asked this priest if there was any particular prayer or reading that was very helpful in discerning God’s call, and while he recommended many things to me, his final advice was very simple: get in the habit of saying thank you.

What he said was profound but true: sometimes in the process of discernment, we get so preoccupied in our own thoughts and worries that we do not allow ourselves to step back, and Thank God constantly for the vocation that he has for us. Although we do not know what it is, we do know and have faith that in staying true to Christ, God will lead us to that great blessing, and that is something that we should thank Him for everyday. That attitude of thankfulness is something that I am trying to infuse on a much greater level into my prayer and spiritual life.

Well good luck and God bless to all of you - I will keep you in my prayers!

 

[Jart]

After being living on a college campus in the dorms for almost a month things have gotten much easier! Before temptations were hard to overcome. God has given me grace to where peer influence is no longer a factor. It has become very easy to turn down pot, alcohol, strip clubs etc. Being in discernment I have become more open to talking about it with people. A girl I met asked if I was going to be a priest out of the blue! I asked her why she asked that and she said it wouldn’t surprise her. She is not the only one who has brought it up! A priest told me it may be a sign. Man… God is awesome. For those of you in college how do you handle these temptations thrown at you?

 

[zemi]

After being living on a college campus in the dorms for almost a month things have gotten much easier! Before temptations were hard to overcome. God has given me grace to where peer influence is no longer a factor. It has become very easy to turn down pot, alcohol, strip clubs etc. Being in discernment I have become more open to talking about it with people. A girl I met asked if I was going to be a priest out of the blue! I asked her why she asked that and she said it wouldn’t surprise her. She is not the only one who has brought it up! A priest told me it may be a sign. Man… God is awesome. For those of you in college how do you handle these temptations thrown at you?

Hi Jart! Thank you very much for sharing!

I will write more later… got to do sth…

 

[Tim_Kirchoff]

Hello, all!

I am one of the few who attended Quigley Seminary in its last year, and at my new school, people think that means I was already set on becoming a priest. That doesn’t mean I’m not, but it makes for some amusing conversation.

 

[archonnx]

Step 1: 1000 word biography
hand in certificates, baptism, confirmation; ect
Step 2: Interview with vocations director
Step 3: Psychological examination
Step 4: Medical Examination
Step 5: Interviews with 2 priest from Corpus Christi college/seminary
Step 6: Interview with the Archbishop
Step 7: Academic evaluation
Then if i successfully complete these steps ill be formally excepted into the seminary.

Anyone ever notice that when you express an intresst in the priesthood one of the first things they want you to do is talk to a shrink?

 

[latinmasslover]

BLESS YOU ALL for answering God’s call, or for giving God the opportunity to tell you if you are in fact called to follow Him so closely! You’re all in my prayers, Keep the faith! (My brother, Anthony, is in love with a girl, but also feels like he might be called to the priesthood…please remember him in your prayers).

St. Pius X, pray for holy priests!

 

[pawel15]

Iv’e finaly had the psychological examination. It went really well, but the questions i had to answer on the computer were quite strange but necesary to see if i was crazy or not. The phsychologist recommended me to the vocations director as being fit to study for the priesthood.

Next im off to th doc’s to get checked up, hopefully i dont have to strip.

Anyone else in the process of applying for the seminary?

God Speed:thumbsup:

 

[Joannm]

Same here… I have one year left at Notre Dame and then I’m planning (God willing) to enter for the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

:newidea: Can we make it standard for first-time posters on this thread to mention what diocese/order they are in discernment/formation for? I know many will have mentioned it elsewhere but it would be helpful to have this info within the thread.

Thanks for starting the thread, zemi!

This is off topic but there must be great rejoicing in South Bend this morning. Too bad the game was not on TV here on the East coast.

BTW I attend ND in the summers…Next summer will be my clast year of classes, then the summer after comps.

 

[matt487]

Hello everyone! Thought it should be time for me to donate to this thread. =)

Yesterday I felt it confirmed within me that a priesthood is what I’m called to. I called the Seattle Archdiocese Vocations office today but they weren’t open, so I emailed instead. I may give them a call tomorrow.

Soo, that being said, I guess I’ll introduce myself. My name is Matt, and I’m a senior at Washington State University. I’m currently majoring in political science, so I’ll have to take pre-theology at seminary before I start on any doctorate work. As to my future and getting it started, I’m feeling pretty excited but also a little fearful. I mean, the priesthood! It’s a unique calling with many challenges, but as I look at my future I can see that the priesthood is a role that, despite its challenges, will make me truly happy.

One thing I think about is my mother. Mothers must have some sort of foresight about their children. My mom had always wanted me to become a priest ever since I was little. I had always shrugged it off and said “Aw, mom, yeah right, hahahaha.” But…to think that I am actually beginning to pursue this, is amazing! When I actually undergo the process of starting a vocation in the priesthood (perhaps when I drive back to Seattle to meet with the vocation director, etc) I’ll let my family know. She will be so excited.

Actually, as I type this, there’s a song by the Christian ska group Five Iron Frenzy that is brought to mind, that kind of defines me right now:

*i’m going in (1,2,3 and go)
like a kamikaze (like geronimo)
a leap of faith (and i finally feel alive)
3, 2, 1 i’m going in

i don’t know if it’s just me
but it seems that things aren’t changing
every day is pretty much the same
with a little rearranging
if i do nothing i can’t fail
no blistered hands, no broken nails
killing time, i’m paralyzed
with faded dreams and hollow eyes
i’ve been waiting for a revelation
for a moment of clarity
conflicts and convolutions
ricochet inside of me
there comes a time for throwing caution to the wind
i feel the pulse again

i’m going in (1, 2, 3 say when)
like a flaming arrow (soaring in the wind)
a leap of faith (and i finally feel alive)
3, 2, 1 i’m going in

i am so slow to commit
i have wasted years on fences
is is really true the shoes don’t fit?
is it only my defenses?
what if i don’t measure up,
don’t listen well, don’t smile enough?
alone and unknown up 'till now
need to change direction somehow
i’ve been open to persuasion
wanting someone to take the lead
it’s alittle disconcerting
signing up for eternity
there comes a time for throwing caution to the wind
and so my life begins*

(seeklyrics.com/lyrics/Five-Iron-Frenzy/Kamikaze.html)

Anyways, that all being said, I’m looking forward to hearing from more of you. Right now I really have to focus on doing well on my classes. This is God’s mission for me now, to get through this work so I can move onto eventual training for the priesthood.

May God bless everyone else here, and have a good week.
~Matt

 

[Joannm]

Study for the priethood is not doctoral work. You get a M.Div. unless you study in Rome or at a pontifical seminary, then you may get an STL. Doctoral work may or may not come after ordination…depends on what your bishop wants.

 

[matt487]

:doh2: Whoops, sorry! Got the two confused (M.Div and doctorate work).