What if I don't like my diocese?

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What if I want to be a Priest, but I don’t want to be one for the diocese that I live in right now?
 
What if I want to be a Priest, but I don’t want to be one for the diocese that I live in right now?
Thats fine. If you do not wish to be a priest in your diocese, there are religious orders and Societies of Apostolic Life that you could join, or you could enter the seminary of another diocese.
 
What if I want to be a Priest, but I don’t want to be one for the diocese that I live in right now?
Pray about it. Things can change. A few years ago, the diocese I live in got a new bishop. Search for threads about Bishop Finn and the Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph to read about how things have changed. I am still amazed at how fast things turned around. God sometimes calls us to places we don’t really want to be in. If your diocese isn’t very orthodox, it desperately needs orthodox priests. The best advice anyone can give you is to pray about it.
 
A few years ago, the diocese I live in got a new bishop.
Actually, I don’t really have a problem with the bishop.
If your diocese isn’t very orthodox, it desperately needs orthodox priests.
Haha, how did you guess?
 
like it has been posted, if there are few orthodox priests, why run away from the challenge that desperately needs orthodox priests? Think about the people in your home diocese…their souls are the bottom line.

This is no knock against you but it annoys me so much when “orthodox Catholics” want to associate only with other “Orthodox Catholics.” Why not work for change of minds and hearts in ways that are loving and compassionate amongst “non-Orthodox Catholics”? That always floors me.
 
Actually, I don’t really have a problem with the bishop.
If you have a good bishop, you are already ahead of the game. I suggest an initial meeting with the vocations director. That should give you a good idea of the tone of the seminary. It is likely to give you a more accurate assessment than to judge by the current priests.
 
like it has been posted, if there are few orthodox priests, why run away from the challenge that desperately needs orthodox priests? Think about the people in your home diocese…their souls are the bottom line.

This is no knock against you but it annoys me so much when “orthodox Catholics” want to associate only with other “Orthodox Catholics.” Why not work for change of minds and hearts in ways that are loving and compassionate amongst “non-Orthodox Catholics”? That always floors me.
I don’t recall saying that I think my diocese is non-orthodox, or that is why I don’t like it too much.
 
I don’t recall saying that I think my diocese is non-orthodox, or that is why I don’t like it too much.
Haha, how did you guess? is a bit of a give away. First question to ask is why do you want to be a priest? Is it to get something or to give something? Find a good spiritual director/confessor and explore all the vocations open to you.
 
Haha, how did you guess? is a bit of a give away. First question to ask is why do you want to be a priest? Is it to get something or to give something? Find a good spiritual director/confessor and explore all the vocations open to you.
Well, I didn’t mean it that way, I guess it was misinterpreted. I was just wondering how that person guessed, it was stunning.
 
What if I want to be a Priest, but I don’t want to be one for the diocese that I live in right now?
Any man interested in becoming a priest is free to apply to any diocese he wishes. Any bishop is free to accept seminarians from anywhere he wishes, (that is, if he is authorized to accept seminarians at all.)
 
Welcome in the club of Catholics with a “schismatic mentality”.
Now, now. That is not called for. The OP did not give his reasons for not being interested in the diocese in which he currently resides.
 
Welcome in the club of Catholics with a “schismatic mentality”.
You should be ashamed of yourself to brand a young man discerning the priesthood a schismatic. So, does every man who becomes a religious order priest have a “schismatic mentality”?

He has every right to apply to whatever diocese or order he chooses.

God Bless
 
you’re right hamburglar, you did not name your reason. However, Orthodoxy or lack thereof is an excuse I hear quite frequently by Catholics who deem themselves as Orthodox and brand others as “non-Orthodox”.

If people who considere themselves to be “Orthodox” Catholics find themselves in a situation where there is a group of “non-Orthodox” Catholics, instead of fleeing the situation and fanning it, why not seek to correct those who probably don’t even realize what they are doing could be seen as non-Orthodox?

I’m sorry if I offended you ham, there are plenty of reasons why someone would not consider their home dioceses. Mine for example, would have little campus ministry, which is something I would like to do. Also, there is little to no urban styly living, which is something I also feel called to minister towards.

👍
 
I’m sort of in the same boat, in that my Bishop is a liberal who believes that there is no place for Latin the Church, but it doesn’t really matter, since I’m looking at the FSSP and the Institute of Christ the King.
 
When I was growing up, we had the same priest at our parish all along. When I moved away from home, the priests were always rotated and could not stay at a parish longer than three years. I found out then that it was a diocesan issue of how different bishops run their dioceses. When you are ordained by a bishop, you are agreeing to his way of running things. There are legitimate personal reasons a person might not wish to live under the administrative decisions of a particular bishop which have nothing to do with the bishop’s orthodoxy.

If you feel called to a particular ministry or situation which is not available in your diocese, there is no reason you should not inquire in other areas. If they answer your call by accepting you to their seminary, you can continue your discernment there under their guidance.

Pray and follow God’s will for your life, wherever that takes you.
 
since I’m looking at the FSSP and the Institute of Christ the King.
At one point, I was looking into those, but I think I would instead of being a Priest for purely Tridentine parish, I would rather be a priest for a Bishop and maybe introduce people to the Tridentine Mass by hosting one.

I think it would be nice for the Latin to come to the people. I actually didn’t even know people went to Latin Masses until a couple of years ago. I would have been delighted if a Priest introduced people to it, so I feel maybe I can do that now?

Sorry if nobody understood my rambling 🙂
 
I too would like to introduce the old mass to the people, but without losing touch with the “regulars”. They are great for providing encouragement, and certainly need just as much spiritual ministering as anybody else.

One thing that I would like to do is take time to give lessons on how to say the Tridentine Mass for priests, how to serve it for altar boys, and lessons in Latin for anyone who will come. One thing I’d also like to do is offer the Novus Ordo mass at other Parishes (with the pastor’s permission, of course) in a traditional manner, so as to introduce people to Latin and the Old Mass. I think that a great way to ease people into the 1962 missal is to offer a 1970 mass with incense, several properly vested altar boys, bells, along with the Pennitential Rite and Eucharistic liturgy (Using Eucharistic prayer 1, which seems to be the closest to the 1962 misssal) mostly in Latin, but maintaining vernacular responses (other than Kyrie Eleison), and say the Nicence–not the Apostle’s–Creed. Another thing I’d like to do is re-educate people about confesson. Too few people go these days, and it worries me.

Diocesan, FSSP, or otherwise, most of us will be “in the trenches” educating people about tradition and orthodoxy.
 
I think that a great way to ease people into the 1962 missal is to offer a 1970 mass with incense, several properly vested altar boys, bells
I’ve been to a Benedictine Monastery, and the mass they celebrated was in English, but they had incense and was much more solemn than the masses you see at many parishes today. Is this the Mass you are referring to?
and say the Nicence–not the Apostle’s–Creed.
I’ve never heard the Apostle’s Creed said during Mass. Is it allowed to say the Apostle’s Creed?
Another thing I’d like to do is re-educate people about confesson. Too few people go these days, and it worries me.
The vocation director in my diocese promotes Confession. It’s really nice.
 
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