Father?

[catholicinsd]

[quote name='Veritas' post='1066897' date='Sep 19 2006, 04:38 PM']
As I thought about it I realized, I don't think they would send a man your age without an undergraduate degree to SPS... you need to have to many pre-reqs in philosophy and theology to begin, which you would do at St. Thomas. In all likelihood, they would send you to SJV (accross Campus) and here's what they have to say:

Becoming a Seminarian

1) Contacting Your Vocation Director
If you feel that the Lord is calling you to explore the vocation of priesthood, you should first get in contact with the vocation director of your diocese. Your vocation director will be closely involved with you and your development while you are discerning your vocation. Usually your pastor will be able to help you get in contact the vocation director of your diocese. Otherwise, the vocation director?s contact information is usually listed on a vocations page on the website of your diocese (see Links). The vocations page of your diocesan website is also a great place to learn more about vocations in your diocese in general. (To see what diocese you are in, go to www.diocesenet.com)

2) Learning About Vocations
Once you get in contact with your vocation director, he will be able to give you more information about the priesthood and help you discern what path God is calling you to follow in life. Your vocation director will tell you about any special events in your area sponsored by your diocesan vocations office that are aimed at promoting the vocation to priesthood, and helping men hear the call of the Lord in their lives. Such events may include discernment groups, special dinners with the bishop, vocation retreats, guest speakers, and visits to seminaries. Many dioceses come to St. John Vianney Seminary for our bi-annual Vianney Visits. (If you are a young man of the St. Paul ? Minneapolis area, come to Team Vianney!)

3) Applying to Your Diocese
Once you feel that you are called to enter the seminary, your vocation director will help you begin the process of becoming a seminarian. First, you will usually have to submit an application with some referrals to your diocesan vocation office. Then, your vocation director (and/or others) will try to get a better picture of who you are by interviewing you. Most dioceses require applicants to take a psychological examination sometime during this stage. Again, your vocation director will provide particular information about requirements for becoming a seminarian in your diocese.

After your diocesan vocation office reviews your application, interview, psychological exam, and any other information they may have collected, they will decide whether they feel you are a good candidate for the seminary. If they accept your application and sponsor you, they will forward your application information to the seminary along with a letter of recommendation. To complete this part of the process, you will probably need to fill out a short application to the seminary itself.

4) Applying to the University of St. Thomas
Each diocese decides which seminaries they send their seminarians to, and not all send their seminarians to St. John Vianney. If your diocese does send their college seminarians to St. John Vianney, you will need to apply to become a student at the University of St. Thomas (for more information, go to www.stthomas.edu/admissions/undergraduate/index.cfm).

5) Acceptance
When your diocese and the seminary both accept your application, and when the University of St. Thomas accepts you as a student, you will then have officially become a seminarian for your diocese at St. John Vianney Seminary!

~http://www.vianney.net/content.asp?id=12
[/quote]

Ok, so St John isbasicly an undergrad school? And St. Paul is a grad school?

[Veritas]

[quote name='catholicinsd' post='1067488' date='Sep 19 2006, 09:39 PM']
Ok, so St John isbasicly an undergrad school? And St. Paul is a grad school?
[/quote]

Right. SJV is "minor" aka undergrad and SPS is "major" aka graduate. Since you're coming right out of high school, it seems they'd put you in at SJV. Phatmasser Pio Nino is an SJV graduate, who is at Mundelein Major Seminary now. I'm sure you could pm him. Pmer daf is in the processes of applying to SJV (I think he's up there making a trip with his vd and another guy now actually) and he'd be good to talk with as well.

Best,
V

[catholicinsd]

[quote name='Veritas' post='1067675' date='Sep 20 2006, 12:41 AM']
Right. SJV is "minor" aka undergrad and SPS is "major" aka graduate. Since you're coming right out of high school, it seems they'd put you in at SJV. Phatmasser Pio Nino is an SJV graduate, who is at Mundelein Major Seminary now. I'm sure you could pm him. Pmer daf is in the processes of applying to SJV (I think he's up there making a trip with his vd and another guy now actually) and he'd be good to talk with as well.

Best,
V
[/quote]

thanks

[catholicinsd]

I'm trying get the nerve to email the diocese's VD

[shortnun]

[quote name='catholicinsd' post='1070013' date='Sep 22 2006, 12:33 AM']
I'm trying get the nerve to email the diocese's VD
[/quote]

[Veritas]

[quote name='shortnun' post='1071165' date='Sep 22 2006, 06:19 AM']

[/quote]

+

Honestly, there's nothing to fear. He's (vd) all about helping --no committment!



You can do it!

[catholicinsd]

[quote name='Veritas' post='1072331' date='Sep 23 2006, 12:14 AM']
+

Honestly, there's nothing to fear. He's (vd) all about helping --no committment!

[/quote]

I don't if I can or not. I'm much to shy.

[LouisvilleFan]

I just became Catholic this past Easter Vigil. Through the RCIA process, I became increasingly serious about the priesthood, although the only step I made was expressing interest with the Conventual Franciscians at my parish. Then back in April I met this girl and we dated for three months, so naturally the priesthood slipped farther and farther back in my mind during that time. Even though we're no longer dating, I'm pretty torn between marriage and priesthood, but I feel the calling towards the latter is strong enough that I'm going to get in touch with my diocese's vocations office about discernment (along with looking into the Franciscans). More than anything, they should help me be more sure about whatever decision I make.

[puellapaschalis]

[quote name='catholicinsd' post='1075540' date='Sep 26 2006, 06:16 PM']
I don't if I can or not. I'm much to shy.
[/quote]

Some of the best priests I know are very, very shy and still battle with it years after ordination. They see their shyness as something they have to live with but not be afraid of.

If you really believe the Spirit wants you to contact him - despite your nerves - then take courage and jump. Chances are you'll look back and realise the fall was hardly anything to worry about, and there was no chance of being hurt when you got to the bottom.

Love and prayers,

PP

[Maria]

catholicinsd, are there diocesan events you can go to (without too much difficulty) to get to know the people who work for your diocese and your diocesan seminarians? I read that in some diocese the bishop was having the children in the Catholic schools be pen-pals with the seminarians. It's a cool idea, and you might want to consider it. It's never fun to try to contact people you don't know.

I live in a city (I don't know if you do), and ever since I joined my diocesan-wide youth group and went to WYD 2002, I've really started to go to diocesan events and know the people involved in the diocese.

As for your being shy, you might want to consider becoming a catechist. When we started a catechetical program in my parish, we needed catechists, so I got drafted (my aunt and my mom were the other ones that first year). It really helped with my shyness and with my ability to express myself. It would give a bunch of other skills that would be useful as a priest. I started teaching when I was 17, and one of my sisters started some years later, when she was 15, although she had been a helper from the beginning. If you don't feel you're ready to teach, you can start by helping, which is a good way to get into it in any case.

Anyway, those are just some suggestions of what you can do right now:
-get involved in your parish,
-get involved in your diocese,
-get to know the other people who are involved, including priests and seminarians.

Oh, and of course, pray everyday (say a Hail Mary everyday for your vocation, or something).

[catholicinsd]

I'm proabably not going to. This whole thing with Cathurain has very upset. If I were truly called I could have brought Ashley home a long time ago.

[Veritas]

[quote name='catholicinsd' post='1078691' date='Sep 28 2006, 09:42 PM']
I'm proabably not going to. This whole thing with Cathurain has very upset. If I were truly called I could have brought Ashley home a long time ago.
[/quote]

+

I don't know about Ashley or Carthurian, but your logic and theology here is faulty --just another reason to got to the seminary (study both)!

NO ONE, brings anyone else home!!!!!!! It is GOD's GRACE A L O N E !!! We might like to think that we do, but NONE of us have that power! ONLY GOD CAN DO THAT.

So, don't fall prey to Satan --the last thing he wants you to be is a priest and he would love for you to think because you aren't something you could never be (God) you can't be a priest! Now, this doesn't mean you ARE , but what you mentioned is NOT an indication that you aren't!! If it was, no man would be "truly called"!

(Forgive all the caps and exclamations --but this is REALLY important!)

Fight the good fight!

Edited September 29, 2006 by Veritas

[tojo]

I have friends at SJV. The Diocese of Lansing (MI) sends them all the way out there.

[Maria]

Dude,
Whether or not you feel that you're going to become a priest, you still should get involved in your local Catholic community. The stuff I suggested is just good ideas for growing in your faith and as a person, and to help you (and the Church, to some extent) discern whether God is calling you to the priesthood. Getting depressed because you're not a Super-Catholic isn't going to get you very far.
You know, God cares more that you do what He calls you to do than that you get the results you think you're supposed to get.

[Maria]

Besides, do you remember when Didacus started a thread for a priest he knew, asking us why we are Catholic? The answers all had something to do with God being so important in our lives. In fact, if I remember correctly, the lack of arguments was so overwhelming that the priest commented on it. It’s not that we don’t have arguments (obviously); rather it’s that, while arguments can convince minds, they don’t convince persons. And they cannot remove fear. Only grace can do that. We are called to evangelize. We should know our arguments. Of course, we should pray. But after we have done all that we can do, we shouldn’t worry too much about it. The result is not in our hands.

[catholicinsd]

I'm active in a number of things throughout my church and school. But it seems the more I do the more confused I get.

And I'd really like attend St. Thomas, even if not for Semenairy, but the annuall cost is about 25,000- way too much for me & my family.

[PadrePioOfPietrelcino]

Call your Vocations Director. A Vocations Director is NOT just about finding priest. Their job is to help discern which vocation you are called to and sometimes even the Vocation within the Vocation. If you are not willing to do that then at least ask your priest about helping you find a Spiritual Director, and grow in that way. Spiritiual Direction is very key to discerning a vocation. I used to go once every three weeks I had to stop while I'm going through military training)

Fear is a natural part of accepting a Vocation. God does not call the qualified, he will qualifies those who he calls. Again depending on the Dioces, some pay for ALL, or Half of college costs if you are in the minor Seminary even. If you feel God calling you to the seminary at least talk to someone n your dioces who can answer your questions.

peace be with you

[Maria]

Does you diocese have a group for men considering the priesthood (not already in the seminary) that meets every so often with the vocations director to support each other and help discern? I think we have something like that here... not that I've ever really checked.

What are you confused about? Why do you want to become a priest, and why don't you want to? etc.

[catholicinsd]

[quote name='Maria' post='1081282' date='Oct 1 2006, 10:06 PM']
Does you diocese have a group for men considering the priesthood (not already in the seminary) that meets every so often with the vocations director to support each other and help discern? I think we have something like that here... not that I've ever really checked.


[/quote]

I don't know if they do or not.

[quote]What are you confused about? [/quote]

Everything pretty much

[quote]Why do you want to become a priest, and why don't you want to? [/quote]

Because I know there is a need. And when considering the future the priesthood is the only thing that pops at me. But it seems too hard for me.

Edited October 2, 2006 by catholicinsd

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='catholicinsd' post='1081307' date='Oct 1 2006, 11:37 PM']
Because I know there is a need. And when considering the future the priesthood is the only thing that pops at me. But it seems too hard for me.
[/quote]

I can related to the need for priests being part of your motivation (I feel the same way), but it really isn't a good reason for becoming a priest. The only reason for following a vocation is because God called you. Of course, it's not usually clear, but it's good to have doubts now because when they are finally resolved, you'll know for sure that you're doing the right thing. The thought goes through my head that I'll be disappointing people if I end up getting married, but the bottom line is we can't go wrong by honestly following God. Christ will ensure that we have enough priests.

Besides, numbers aren't what matters. We had plenty of priests and religious back in the 50's, but they sure weren't the most loyal bunch judging by the mass exodus during the following couple of decades (pun intended ).