To men--have you ever considered becoming a priest? If not, why?

[JMMK]

For a time, I really wanted to be a priest. I didn’t realize it, but my girlfriend did. At this point, we had been dating for about 5 years (she won’t let me marry her until she finishes grad school ) and she pretty much forced me to take the time to discern what my calling was. I could feel a pull to the service of the Church. I spent a lot of time before the Blessed Sacrament in my parish’s adoration chapel.

I was afraid, to say the least. I prayed and asked questions, but never direct questions. The Holy Spirit took me through my paces, showing me what it was I was being pulled towards. It was probably a month or so before I even worked up the courage to ask if I should be a priest. And to that, I was given no answer. When I asked again later, the response was, ‘What are My priests?’ I thought it was kind of an easy question. I had been around priests all my life, I was an altar boy for 5 years (my church did not allow altar girls, and yes it does matter.), and I came from an actively catholic family, so I thought it was obvious. But the more I thought about it, I couldn’t put a solid outline on what a priest was; or, more appropriately, what duties *required *a priest, and what didn’t. So I did my homework. I went through all sorts of theological resources, learning about the meaning and purpose of priests: acting in Persona Christi, forgiving sins, offering the sacrifice of the mass, etc. The more I learned, the more I grew to admire what it really meant to be a priest. Yet, for all my admiration, it was not what I was being pulled to.

By the end of it, I came to the conclusion that a priest is not what I am called to. And no, celibacy is not the issue (I’ve behaved thus far; I don’t see why I can’t continue). I know I am still called to the direct service of Holy Mother Church, but I am not sure as to what capacity, yet. I’m still young, so I have plenty of time to find out. Now if I ever marry my girlfriend (if she ever finishes school) I would be so proud to raise a son that becomes a priest.

 

[Bro_Joshua]

For a time, I really wanted to be a priest. … I had been around priests all my life, I was an altar boy for 5 years (my church did not allow altar girls, and yes it does matter.), and I came from an actively catholic family, so I thought it was obvious. But the more I thought about it, I couldn’t put a solid outline on what a priest was;…
.

Well, it sounds like you know how to investigate things - such as what does priesthood entail and what is it all about. I often wonder what folks might thing pristhood is about, but didn’t follow through like you did. Most who check it out probably will decide to pursue other routes in life, but I think we might have had a few more vocations if the information was there. I think of a man who once told me I had a wonderful life where all the Priests and Brothers lived in harmony and peace. I was able to asure him that its just like married life — ya’ got to keep working at it all the time, and there are some very rough turns in priesthood or religious life as there is in any walk of life – but also fulfillment and satisfaction.

 

[prodigal-sun]

I began to Discern late (37)& I felt pulled in two directions… preisthood or marriage. So I promised God that “If you truly want me, I will serve you.” If you have not provided with a wife byt he time I am 40 I will become the best preist you ever saw.

I was blessed with my beautiful wife about six months later and we know have a 2.5 year old gorgeous daughter.

GOD IS GREAT!!!

 

[Bro_Joshua]

I began to Discern late (37)& I felt pulled in two directions… preisthood or marriage. So I promised God that “If you truly want me, I will serve you.” If you have not provided with a wife byt he time I am 40 I will become the best preist you ever saw.

I was blessed with my beautiful wife about six months later and we know have a 2.5 year old gorgeous daughter.

GOD IS GREAT!!!

Amen, God is great. I wish you and yours much continued happiness.

 

[guanophore]

Attended seminary for four years (entered after I graduated High school and finished my undergraduate degree at a small seminary in the South). Didn’t become a priest and now no longer practice Catholicism (but that took me 12 years after leaving the seminary).

The clergy of the Catholic Church is full of people who value power more than service. They wish to rule and pronounce rather than lead. Power is their sex, and they use it to demean, belittle, and satisfy their base urges.

In the view of the seminarians and priests, the laity exist only to be berated into following the “Roman Line”. They wish to dominate the spiritual lives of parishioners, not simply point the way to the Divine.

I wanted no part of that.

It often happens that we see in others what exists in ourselves, but we don’t want to see.

If you could not see yourself contribiting anything different than what you describe above to God’s flock, then clearly you are not ready to be a priest. I hope that, someday, you can see a different role and way of being for a priest, and maybe even find that in yourself. Otherwise, God will guide you elsewhere. Blessings.

 

[hawkeye]

I regret that I didn’t, I thought about it a few times when I was a young man.

 

[Bro_Joshua]

I regret that I didn’t, I thought about it a few times when I was a young man.

I want to inquire about your responce, but at the same time, I don’t want to go into areas that might not be any of my business. My curiosity has sort of a general reason for asking. I have heard some men say in various ways that they regretted not looking into the priesthood. I think vocation directors would be interested in knowing more about people who “think” about it, but don’t go beyond that stage, so to speak. I realize that not everyone who thinks about it would actually enter seminary, but I would like to know if there are things the clergy and religious (and who ever might be involved) can to to assist those who “think about it” and might have actually become a priest if the right people or situations were in place.

I always wanted to be a religious priest (I did not know at the time about the Brotherhood), but I have dyslexia and my elementary and secondary achademic grades looked like a roller coaster. Well meaning teachers, trying to encourage me to better marks, said that seminaries only accept honor students. So, I realized (mistakenly) that I could not enter priesthood or religous life.

A chance encounter with a Franciscan simple professed student who was friendly and had a great sense of humor told me that top education marks are not a requirement – if so then he and maybe half his classmates would never have been admited. The last I heard he was the Provincial Superior of the Province. I had left seminary, and years later returned. It was and still is a happy journey.

I shared that only to mention that I know there are many reasons men hold back form looking into their interest or calling to priesthood – and I know its not all achademic as was my case. Its a fulfilling life for the person and the Church - just don’t be shy. And, quite a few “older” people can still join up.

 

[hawkeye]

I want to inquire about your responce, but at the same time, I don’t want to go into areas that might not be any of my business. My curiosity has sort of a general reason for asking.

Don’t know why I didn’t, well my mother passwed away in 77, I was 19 and still trying to come to terms with her death.

One priest a Passionist did take an interest in me, but it wasn’t to be.

The reason I say I regret is because of the large amount of priests that have left their post, married etc;

We need more faithful priests, the parable of the sower comes to mind when anyone falls by the wayside in matters of their catholic faith, priests or otherwise.

Matt:1319] When any one hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in his heart; this is what was sown along the path.

 

[whatevergirl]

I was scrolling through looking for my healthy cooking thread I started a while ago (hoping to find something good to make for tomorrow:blush: ), and came across this one–I am sorry I didn’t get back to this. Reading through, I pray for all of you who are discerning the calling to the priesthood, and also for those who have already decided to pursue it…God bless you in your endeavors to serve the Church! :angel1:

 

[JReducation]

I was scrolling through looking for my healthy cooking thread I started a while ago (hoping to find something good to make for tomorrow:blush: ), and came across this one–I am sorry I didn’t get back to this. Reading through, I pray for all of you who are discerning the calling to the priesthood, and also for those who have already decided to pursue it…God bless you in your endeavors to serve the Church! :angel1:

Let’s not forget those men who are not going to be priests but are entering religious life as consecrated religious. There are many among us and they don’t often get the recognition and support that they should.

JR

 

[whatevergirl]

Let’s not forget those men who are not going to be priests but are entering religious life as consecrated religious. There are many among us and they don’t often get the recognition and support that they should.

JR

Good point–I didn’t mean to leave anyone out.

 

[Oakleaf]

I apologize in advance for causing any offense to anyone reading. My intention is to mention something I have given much thought and sincerely find to be part of the truth.

An Irish Catholic comedian had a routine in the early 1990’s where he said that in big Irish Catholic families, when one of the sons likes to stay inside more than play rough and tumble games or help around the house instead of playing soldier, the family in olden days might encourage that pensive boy to consider the priesthood as he grew older. This was before the social/sexual revolutions of the 1960’s, and sexuality was not something publicly discussed. Nowadays we consider ourselves much “wiser” (true or not), and expect something a little bit different and “worldly” about boys like that. As a consequence, boys like that grow up and see themselves a bit differently and are “channeled” by society into a different type of path. For better or worse.

I will just put this out there. Take it for what it is worth: Perhaps there is an intrinsic relation between the “homo” personal orientation and the priestly vocation in some cases. Whatever the inner factors driving this are, it is a bit hard not to see when you know what to look for.

Perhaps the official teachings are correct, and there is some kind of “homo” orientation, and are also correct in thinking that the “gay lifestyle” is a modern privation of the human person for homo-oriented men (objectively manifested as male sexual promiscuity and a solitary existence, not seldom accompanied by loneliness, addictions of many kinds, and eventually disease and other damage to the body).

When I read the Gospels, I do not find that Christ’s message emphasizes the aggressive “manly virtues” such as leadership, competition, and so on. If anything, part of his message seems to emphasize the human cost of this behavior. The first shall be last, the last shall be first? Blessed are the poor in spirit? The stone discarded I will make the cornerstone?

Men can be a little “blind” sometimes to the human costs of the “games” that thrill them. Whether that’s playing “smear the queer” in adolescence or destructive corporate or political wars in later adulthood, males have an instinctively fallen nature (as do all humans) that can only be checked by social influence with other human beings. Women know this, and so do the males who always seem to be so kindly labeled as sissies. Perhaps these sissy boys do have spiritual gifts to contribute, and in some cases are making use of them already.

Perhaps this calling for these men is being diminished by emergence of the openly anti-religious “gay agenda” and the anti-gay counter-reaction among religious people. The problem is those who know this are not welcome with either party to the controversy.

 

[NTOT]

If I became a priest, the Church would force me to compromise on my traditional Catholicism and I would be under clerical obedience.

When one looks at biblical history, it is found that one of the sins most despised by God was that of disobedience and that for which He punished with the greatest vengeance.

As a Catholic trad I love the Latin Mass and in my conscience, as a priest I could never celebrate the New Mass. I believe it is bad liturgy. I would be forced to learn the New Mass and I would have to celebrate it.

I am sure it offends God deeply anytime someone says that Mass is bad. Those who truly love the liturgical beauty of the TLM as faithful Catholics do don’t show disdain for other variations to the liturgy. Even God Himself does not refuse to offer Himself as the Perfect Sacrifice.

 

[Bro_Joshua]

Let’s not forget those men who are not going to be priests but are entering religious life as consecrated religious. There are many among us and they don’t often get the recognition and support that they should.

JR

Thanks for mentioning the Religious Lay Brothers. I am a Brother in the Society of St. Paul (media apostolate). I think all Brothers should have a special love of the Priesthood, and yet recognize this rather unique vocation of Brotherhood. SSP (Society of St. Paul) has a unique case here in the USA in that the majority of our membership are Brothers - though we also have some Priests. Our founder, Blessed James alberione designed SSP to be a majority of Brothers, but that reality is found only here in the USA where we take Brotherhood more serious than in most other countries. Its a good and fulfilling life.

I am an author of 2 Catholic Novels, (Hawk Dancer & Cloudburst), was the editor of a Pastoral monthly magazine, and also work in Spanish language and English Language books, and I present Catholic books and religious goods at various parishes on the weekends in the NYC and NJ region. Our brothers in the Detroit area also presennt Parsih book exhibits on the weekends.

The research required for my novels brought me in contact with many people across North America with similar pastoral concerns on Inculturation issues. Being a Brother as opposed to being a Priest gives me the time and tools needed to minister in these ways that are supportive of the Church and Christ’s Priesthood that would not be as readily available had I been a priest. My profile information on Catholic Answers Forum has more info about linking to my novels.

 

[keepitreal]

In reading through various threads, and over the years hearing it while sitting at mass, or in the newspapers, we all can see that there is a priest shortage. In talking to my MIL recently, who is soon to be 86 bless her heart, and a devout Catholic all her life–she made an interesting comment…“Man has the same tempations that he had back in my day, but we turned out more priests. What’s changed?” (She has 9 kids, 5 boys–none became priests…how can that be when they all attended Catholic school, and some were altar boys? Reasons ranged from ‘want to get married,’ to ‘went to fight in the Vietnam war,’ to ‘not feeling called,’ etc…)

It got me thinking, especially after reading that many on here feel that with women becoming lectors and altar servers over the years, that this has been an indirect catalyst of why we are seeing a decline in the priesthood.

***This thread is not for us to discuss why we feel the priesthood is declining. *** I’m more interested in surveying the men on here, if you are married or not, as to if you ever gave becoming a priest serious thought, and if not, why? I’m particularly interested in hearing from those who grew up in a devout Catholic home–although converts, please feel free to chime in!

We do a lot of finger pointing in the Church…I have discussed the priesthood with my son, but he told me…‘if they could marry, I would.’ At least he was honest…and I wonder if that is what many men feel or what the other reasons might be? I think it’s easy to think to one’s self…‘yep, there’s a priest shortage, but not my problem.’ It really is not going to change, if we don’t have discussions with our sons and at least nurture the thought of becoming priests. Some are truly not called, but what are/were your reasons for not considering it, yourself?

There’s no right or wrong answers …I just want to see the reasons behind our priest shortage, from men who didn’t become priests themselves, who grew up Catholic. I mean, there has to be a reason or set of reasons behind it. I just think that we come up with our own assumptions, but why not ask the question to some Catholic men? And why don’t we apply those same reasons when we think about the priest shortage? And if you didn’t feel called, etc…do you discuss it with your sons, and encourage it? If not, why? Look forward to your replies.

Becuae in our "Springtime "post VII Church, men who actually believe what the Church teaches are rejected. If you don’t favor homosexuality & women priests, and favor the Traditional Mass (to mention a few) you have a “snowball’s chance” to get past the feminist seminary admissions person.

 

[Bro_Joshua]

Becuae in our "Springtime "post VII Church, men who actually believe what the Church teaches are rejected. If you don’t favor homosexuality & women priests, and favor the Traditional Mass (to mention a few) you have a “snowball’s chance” to get past the feminist seminary admissions person.

I’ve heard some interesting horror stories that can make it truly difficult on applicants and seminarians who are traditionals. However, I think the title “feminist Seminary admissions person” has more shock effect and hype than reality. The majority of vocation officials I have met do not process applicants who favor flagrant oppossition to Church teachings.

Again, I do agree that here and there we can find candidates with outspoken traditional leanings who have have been squeezed out or tossed out of a number of seminaries or Orders - though this is not always the case. A few (not the majority) of traditionaly minded candidates have likewise been known to become very disruptive of solid Catholic formation centers just because that seminary or order does not tip toe to the candidate’s every whim of how he thinks things should be. There are some concervatives that can be just as radical right (and thus wrong) as we may find some ultra liberals misleading.

Talk of “feminist seminary admission officials” especially if over stated - can turn off young vocations who can be easily influenced into thinking there is no hope for the church if such was the norm as stated.

 

[keepitreal]

I’ve heard some interesting horror stories that can make it truly difficult on applicants and seminarians who are traditionals. However, I think the title “feminist Seminary admissions person” has more shock effect and hype than reality. The majority of vocation officials I have met do not process applicants who favor flagrant oppossition to Church teachings.

Again, I do agree that here and there we can find candidates with outspoken traditional leanings who have have been squeezed out or tossed out of a number of seminaries or Orders - though this is not always the case. A few (not the majority) of traditionaly minded candidates have likewise been known to become very disruptive of solid Catholic formation centers just because that seminary or order does not tip toe to the candidate’s every whim of how he thinks things should be. There are some concervatives that can be just as radical right (and thus wrong) as we may find some ultra liberals misleading.

Talk of “feminist seminary admission officials” especially if over stated - can turn off young vocations who can be easily influenced into thinking there is no hope for the church if such was the norm as stated.

Can you give me a few examples of what a “radical right” person would do during the admissions process? Thanks

 

[Bro_Joshua]

Can you give me a few examples of what a “radical right” person would do during the admissions process? Thanks

Examples: These reflect a minority of conservatives, certainly not the majority. I consider myself conservative and philosophically or theologically traditional.

Not be upfront about the fact that they totaly disagree with the particular seminary or religious congregation from day one. Spread malicious rumors aimed at destroying the reputation of honest teachers and clergy who happen to favor a different view point. We do have real problem people in all levels of the Church – no sense if manufacturing problems that are not there.

Some candidates may hunt around for the programe promising or demonstrating obedience and a conservative program. That part is fine. However some of these candidates have an agenda of reform back to good old days that what the particular seminary, order and diocese offers. They apply anyway. Twelve years of “faking it” untill ordination day when the true self will surface is a prison sentence few people can self impose and live out.

These few that I speak of, begin stories of what seminary priest professor might be gay, or consecrated jelly donuts. I’ve heard of several dozen priests being falsly accused of the jelly donut story. I think its a religious form of an urban myth. I asked a small handful of professors accussed of favoring femal ordinations. I got a variety of responces. Most symply wanted to discuss the issue, learn more, or find ways of defending the Church’s possition when the topic comes up. A few teachers admitted they thought women should have this 'right" but it was never a class room discussion unless a student raised the issue, and was never a part of a test.

I have some empathetic feelings for his particular group of conservative because untill very recently, they could not become an ordained Priest of the Roman Catholic Church if they secretly harbored the desire and spirituality of the old Church. Their only other choice would be to find a Bishop of a conservative Independant Catholic line. The option of the Fraternity of St. Peter in line with Rome, but keeping to the Trinitine way, is not for every candidate.

Some of the disputes arise from young, inexperienced minds who are a bit shocked when they begin to study theology and Church teaching that their neat and orderly childhood church is full of legitimate challenges to work through.

The recent documents put out by Pope Benedict XVI, I think, will take some work, but it is obvious that those seminaries blocking traditionals will have to see that they are opposing the Pope. This creates an unfair situations for those washed out in the earlier years.

We will face the same problems as we adjust to the fact that what has been dubbed the Tridetine Mass, in now once again permitted pretty much on par with the so called New Order of Mass.

Some wild things happened in the late 60’s to more recent years. A number of those pushing unwarranted changes are today’s professors. So you are onto something – but gross exaggerations will not win converts. Conrary, they may drive away some excellent candidates from even investigating the possibilty of their calling to priesthood. The good name of some very straight, loyal and conservative priests have been serious ruined by the few ultra conservative candidates I speak of. The dismissal of such a trouble maker does not erase the image innocent Catholics have who were told the falsehoods spread about some good preists and good and holy formation directors, who just happend to be conservative or traditionl, just not enough so for an angry and vindictive candidate who himself might have some personality problems that need work on (not the right or left view, but the inner workings and mind of the candidate).

 

[Lady_James]

So, thirty years of marriage and two sons later, here I am. I try to serve HMC as I am able. .

I have to ask - what is HMC? I just don’t get acronyms and abbreviations most of the time.

 

[eelpis]

I have to ask - what is HMC? I just don’t get acronyms and abbreviations most of the time.

Holy Mother Church-we should use that more often