Discernment: Diocesan priesthood

A call to the priesthood in the Church is much more than just an individual, personal desire to serve and lead. While the call comes from God, it is mediated through the Church. With input from the whole Church and assistance from professionals in the areas of discernment and formation, bishops or religious superiors are entrusted with the responsibility of determining whether or not a candidate’s sense of being called is genuine. That determination is largely based on these factors:

1. Does the candidate desire to give himself wholeheartedly as a disciple of Jesus Christ in the Catholic Church? Has he undertaken a life of conversion, and does his way of life reflect the moral teachings of the Church?
2. Does the candidate believe that God wants him to become a priest? Is this belief rooted in a solid, fruitful prayer life? Has it been tested in conversations with a spiritual director?
3. Does the candidate have some or all of the gifts and talents that other members of the community of faith can recognize as the sort of gifts that could make him effective as a priest? Have any others in the Church pointed this out and suggested that he consider the priesthood as a vocation?
4. Does the candidate possess the ability to live a life of chaste celibacy?
5. Has the candidate demonstrated the ability to complete a course of studies in preparation for the priesthood? Are his skills for ministry strengthening and deepening with experience? Is he growing in love for the Church, that is, for the people he may be called to serve?
6. Does he have the desire to assent to the teachings of the Church and be faithful to them throughout his life?

1. Develop a deep friendship with the Risen Christ.
2. Attend daily Mass.
3. Regularly go to confession and strive for virtue.
4. Pray daily with such practices as eucharistic adoration and spiritual reading.
5. Talk to your pastor about your discernment.
6. Read the Scriptures, especially the Gospels.
7. Devote your discernment to Mary, the Mother of God.
8. Get involved in parish ministries.
9. Attend a discernment event.
10. Contact the director of vocations, Father Justin Ryan.

1. Discuss your possible vocation with family and friends.
2. Discuss the possibility with your pastor or another priest you know.
3. Work to make prayer an important part of your everyday life, especially regular attendance at Mass and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. If not already confirmed, it is required that you participate in the confirmation program in your parish and receive the sacrament of confirmation before you consider applying.
4. Participate in the ministry of the Church as appropriate in your parish.
5. If you are a high school junior or senior and are planning to look at priesthood more seriously, contact the director of vocations, Father Justin Ryan.

1. Discuss the possibility of priesthood with your pastor or another priest.
2. Be involved in your parish as appropriate: Socialize with other Catholics and join various ministries within the parish.
3. Inform the director of vocations, Father Justin Ryan, of your serious interest.
4. Work to make prayer an important part of your everyday life, especially regular attendance at Mass and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. It is important that you participate in the confirmation program in your parish and receive the sacrament of confirmation before you consider applying.
5. Be prepared to participate in monthly discernment meetings with others looking seriously at priesthood.
6. Participate in an annual retreat.

To Save a Thousand Souls
A Guide for Discerning a Vocation to Diocesan Priesthood
By Father Brett Brannen
Essential reading for young men discerning diocesan priesthood, and anyone seeking to learn more about it. Father Brannen walks readers through stages of discernment, as well as common challenges and doubts. He also details what seminary life is like and an overview of ways diocesan priests serve the Church.

The Priest Is Not His Own
By Venerable Fulton Sheen
Classic text on priesthood in which Fulton Sheen connects the priest, who acts in the person of Christ, to Jesus Christ the high priest. Sheen slowly unveils that just as Jesus laid down his life as a sacrifice for all, so too is the priest called to serve others, laying down his life.

Priests for the Third Millennium
By Cardinal Timothy Dolan
A collection of talks that Cardinal Dolan gave to seminarians while rector at the North American College in Rome. The book covers a range of topics illustrating the joys and challenges of priestly and seminary life.

The Joy of Priesthood
By Father Stephen Rossetti
Father Rossetti did extensive research on the priesthood in the 2000s, yielding evidence that priests are among the happiest of any profession or vocation.

Born of the Eucharist: A Spirituality for Priests
Edited by Father Stephen Rossetti
Collection of essays by priests and bishops on their experiences and theology of the Eucharist as it relates to priesthood. The essays reveal how interconnected the priesthood and the Eucharist are, and how the priest both hungers for, and is nourished by, Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

Why Priests Are Happy
By Father Stephen Rossetti
Father Rossetti shares the findings of his studies on the priesthood in the United States. He offers a number of statistics related to questions on the spiritual lives, health, wellness and happiness of priests. He also offers some reasons why priests consistently report being among the happiest and satisfied of any profession.