Vocation
How to Discern a Call to the Priesthood
Vocational discernment · 8 steps
Diocesan and religious priesthood: what a priest is, the signs of a call, daily prayer and Mass, contacting the vocation office, discernment groups and retreats, application, the stages of seminary formation, and ordination.
8 steps · About 30 minutes
A priest is a baptised man configured by the sacrament of Holy Orders to Christ the Head and Shepherd, so as to preach the Gospel, celebrate the Eucharist and the other sacraments, and shepherd the People of God. Saint John Paul II's Pastores Dabo Vobis (1992) remains the Church's charter for priestly vocation and formation, and its four dimensions — human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral — shape every seminary today. A diocesan priest serves the parishes of a particular diocese under its bishop; a religious priest belongs to an order and lives its rule as well. Discerning the call is done with the Church, over years, and the Church is glad of every man who asks the question honestly.
What you need
- A regular life of prayer and the sacraments: Sunday and, if possible, daily Mass, regular confession, daily prayer
- Reasonable health, the capacity for study, and the freedom to consider it (an unmarried, baptised and confirmed Catholic man)
- A spiritual director or a priest you trust
- Contact with the diocesan vocation office or a religious community's vocation director
When to pray it
Daily; a weekly holy hour for your own vocation, and Mass as often as you can, are the ordinary prayer of a man discerning priesthood.
Steps
Step 1: Understand what a priest is
Read Pastores Dabo Vobis, especially its chapters on the nature of the priesthood and on formation, and the Catechism on Holy Orders. The priest acts in the person of Christ the Head; his life is the Eucharist, the Word, and the care of souls, lived in celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom and in obedience to his bishop or superior. Learn the difference between diocesan and religious priesthood, and notice which draws you: the parish and the diocese, or a particular community's rule and charism.
Tips
- Feeling unworthy is not a sign against a vocation; every priest has felt it. Feeling that you would be good at it is not a sign for one either. Look for a steady drawing and a peace in prayer.
- The seminary is a place of discernment, not a commitment to ordination; entering it does not mean you must be ordained, and a man who leaves has not failed.
- Converts and men returning to the faith are usually asked to live the faith for a few years before applying; use the time well.
- Talk to priests, several of them, about their lives; the priesthood is best discerned in the company of priests.