A vocation to married life enables us to love more deeply than we can by our own power. It transforms a contract between two people into a way of discipleship and conversion.
The USCCB tells us that vocations must be talked about regularly if a "vocation culture" is to take root in parishes and families.
Religious life for men
Men religious are an integral part of the Archdiocese of Seattle. These orders work in many areas, including parishes, outreach, education, care for the poor and more. They live the evangelical councils of chastity, poverty and obedience as a sign of their radical availability and fruitfulness for God, the Church and the world.
The following religious orders serve in the Archdiocese of Seattle, listed in alphabetical order. Browse through the listings to explore their diversity and visit their websites. Feel free to reach out directly to the communities for more information, to speak about discernment and/or schedule a time to visit!
The Benedictine Abbey of Saint Martin's was founded in Lacey, Washington, in 1895 as a monastery of the American Cassinese Congregation. The abbey is a community of Roman Catholic men dedicated to providing Christian witness in the Pacific Northwest through its monastic life of prayer and work, education and service to the Church.
Saint Martin's Abbey fulfills its mission through liturgical prayer and worship, its support of Saint Martin's University and its pastoral service to the local Church.
The basic principles and beliefs that guide its communal life are:
- Prayer
- Hospitality
- Listening to others
- Service to others, particularly through education
Father Paul Weckert, OSB
St. Martin's Abbey
5000 Abbey Way SE
Lacey, WA 98503-7500
Phone: 360-491-4700
Email: vocations@stmartin.edu
Website: http://www.saintmartinsabbey.org/
For eight centuries, men have answered the call to Carmel. Whether it was the 12th century crusaders who established a contemplative community on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land or the thousands of men all over the world today who have followed in their footsteps, Carmel has become much more than a geographic place, it is a spiritual home. Since those first Carmelites, Carmel has become home to both men and women all around the globe as well as some of the most important and beloved saints in history.
Still, the call to Carmel is as unique as each soul who makes the journey. The common denominator that links us is the deep desire to find a way to marry both contemplation and action in the world. As we strive for union with Christ we draw others closer to Him. In this life, we draw ever closer to one another in Christ.
We invite you to join us on the path up Mount Carmel. Walking in the footsteps of Jesus with Elijah and Mary is a wonderful, deeply satisfying life.
The Carmelite Community serves at St. Cecilia Parish in Stanwood.
St. Cecilia Parish
26900 78th Ave NW
Stanwood, WA 98292
Phone: (360) 629-3737
Email: vocationcarmelite@gmail.com
Website: discalcedcarmelitefriars.com
For 800 years the mission of the Order of Preachers has been to proclaim the Gospel to every corner of the world. We do this for one simple reason: that every soul may come to know and love Jesus Christ.
It was for this reason that St. Dominic de Guzman founded the Order of Preachers in 1216. Traveling through Spain and southern France with the Bishop of Osma, he encountered many confused people who believed that the physical world was evil, and created by an evil god. Dominic saw the need for good preachers who could explain the truth of the Catholic faith and reconcile those who had fallen away.
As members of the Order of Preachers, we are called to follow in Dominic’s footsteps, imitating his mercy and preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ in and out of season. Our life in common, along with our time in study and at prayer, allows us to share the fruits of our contemplation and proclaim the good news to every land and nation.
The Dominicans serve at Blessed Sacrament parish in Seattle and the Newman Center at the University of Washington.
Fr. Stephen Maria Lopez, OP
Vocation Director
Phone: 510-658-8722
Email: vocations@opwest.org
Website: www.opwest.org
Founded in 1630 by Jesuit missionary Alexander de Rhodes, Domus Dei has a long history of evangelization. After 1954, when Vietnam was divided in two, many Catholics moved from the Communist North to the South where they could freely practice their religion. During this time, Domus Dei members helped immigrants adapt to the culture and environment in their new land. That ended in 1975, when the communists overtook the South as well. Many Domus Dei religious fled the country to the United States, where the mission has continued.
The Domus Dei Fathers serve the Vietnamese Catholic communities at Holy Family Parish, Auburn; Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Seattle; St. Thomas Parish, Tukwila; and the Proto-Cathedral of St. James the Greater, Vancouver.
462 Hudson Road
Washougal, WA 98671
Email: danghaivu@yahoo.com
Website: www.nhachua.net
Heralds of Good News is a Clerical Missionary Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical Right, first founded in India in 1984. The Society has a charism that is unique to itself, of training and supplying zealous and saintly priests wherever there is need in the universal Church, especially due to the shortage of local vocations. The Society's patrons are Mary Queen of Apostles and St. Joseph the Worker.
Heralds of Good News serve at St. Mary Parish, Aberdeen; St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, Camas; St. Mary Magdalen Parish, Everett; St. Francis Parish, Friday Harbor; Our Lady of the Rock Priory and Sisters of Mercy of Alma on Shaw Island; St. Rose de Viterbo Parish, Longview; St. Anthony Parish, Renton; and St. Mary Parish, Seaview.
Website: heraldsofgoodnews.com/index.html
Maryknollers live out their missionary vocation to spread the love of God to those in need throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America. Firmly grounded in the Gospels and in Catholic social teaching, they live and serve in 20 countries around the world.
Compassion is at the heart of all the ministries of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers. Whether providing life-giving medicines, nutritious food, blankets or something as simple as a glass of clean water...it is compassion at work.
As representatives of the Catholic Church in overseas lands, Maryknoll Priests and Brothers are committed to evangelization and actively employ the six elements of mission in their ministry:
- Proclamation and witness to Jesus Christ
- Liturgy, prayer and contemplation
- Inculturation
- Justice and the care of creation
- Interreligious dialogue
- Reconciliation
Maryknoll Mission Promotion House
958 16th Ave E
Seattle, WA 98112-3918
Email: seattle@maryknoll.org
Website: www.maryknoll.org
We are a religious order of men consecrated to God for the service of the Church. We live our consecration to God in a community of brothers, supporting one another in our vocation and ministry. We profess the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. We are a total 354 members with communities in the Mexico, U.S., Costa Rica, Chile, Spain, Italy and Columbia. Our order is divided into three provinces: Province of Mexico, Province of Felix de Jesus and Christ the Priest Province, the province here in the United States to which we belong. Its members are distributed among 57 communities, 40 of which are in Mexico.
The Missionaries of the Holy Spirit serve at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Bothell.
Fr. Jose de Jesus Sanchez
Phone: 805-758-1810
Email: pjosedejesus@yahoo.com
Website: www.mspsvocation.com
The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter is a Clerical Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical right, that is, a community of Roman Catholic priests who do not take religious vows, but who work together for a common mission in the world. The mission of the Fraternity is two-fold: first, the formation and sanctification of priests in the cadre of the traditional liturgy of the Roman rite, and secondly, the pastoral deployment of the priests in the service of the Church.
The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter serves at North American Martyrs parish in Edmonds.
Rev. Joseph Heffernan, FSSP
12546-B 5th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98125
Phone: 206-641-6504
Website: www.fssp.org
Redemptorist Missionaries continue the charism of Alphonsus in the Church and in society. “Strong in faith, rejoicing in hope, burning with charity, on fire with zeal, in humility of heart and persevering in prayer, Redemptorists as apostolic men and genuine disciples of Saint Alphonsus follow Christ the Redeemer with hearts full of joy; denying themselves and always ready to undertake what is demanding and challenging, they share in the mystery of Christ and proclaim it in Gospel simplicity of life and language, that they may bring to people plentiful redemption” (Redemptorist Constitutions, No. 20).
Redemptorists live in missionary communities, always welcoming and prayerful, like Mary of Nazareth. By means of missions, retreats, parish ministry, ecumenical apostolates, the ministry of reconciliation and the teaching of moral theology, they proclaim the love of God our Father which in Jesus “dwelt amongst us” so as to become profound mercy and the Word of Life which nourishes the human heart and gives life meaning so as to live it to the fullest in freedom and solidarity with others. And, like Alphonsus, Redemptorists make a very clear option for the poor, affirming their dignity and greatness before God and believing that the good news of our Lord is meant in a special way for them.
There are over 5,500 Redemptorists; they work in 82 countries on all five continents, helped by many men and women who collaborate in their mission and together form the Redemptorist family. “Our Lady of Perpetual Help” is the missionary icon of the congregation.
In the Archdiocese of Seattle the Redemptorist Fathers and Brothers serve at Sacred Heart Parish in Seattle.
Sacred Heart of Jesus
205 2nd Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109-4817
Phone: 206-284-4860
Email: info@sacredheartseattle.org
Website: sacredheartseattle.org
In the Society of Jesus, we have one mission, but many ministries. The mission is summed up in a phrase long associated with our order, Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam ("For the Greater Glory of God"), often abbreviated as AMDG. Our ministries extend across a world of human need and striving — from parishes to prisons, from retreat centers to refugee resettlements, from schools to hospitals.
And when we speak of "our" ministries, we speak not only of those with the "SJ" after their names, the vowed members of the Society of Jesus. Growing numbers of lay people are also taking part in our works, helping to steer our institutions, as partners in mission. This is not simply a pragmatic response to fewer religious vocations. It is grounded in a renewed theological vision of mutuality and partnership with the people of God.
For all those animated by the Jesuit vision, ministry is an adventure. Our founder, Ignatius Loyola, captured this spirit when he sent his good friend, Francis Xavier, on a mission to the Far East. Ignatius told him — "Go, set the world on fire!"
The Jesuits serve at Seattle University, Seattle Preparatory School, Seattle Nativity School and St. Joseph Parish in Seattle. They also serve at Bellarmine Preparatory School, St. Leo the Great, St. Patrick and St. Rita of Cascia in Tacoma; and at Providence Medical Center, Everett; and Franciscan Health Care, Tacoma.
Fr. Andrew Laguna, SJ
Email: uwevocations@jesuits.org
Website: www.beajesuit.org
Video: Stages of Jesuit Formation
The fundamental purpose of the Society of Christ for the Polish Diaspora is to worship God and to sanctify himself by imitating Jesus Christ. In particular, members of the Society join in the apostolate for their compatriots outside the Polish state. Cardinal A. Hlond, as guardian of the Polish emigre, after consulting with the Apostolic See and explicitly commissioned by Pope Pius XI, decided to set up a new religious congregation for the pastoral care of Poles scattered throughout the world. This idea was commissioned by Father Ignatius of the Church, who is considered a co-founder of the Society of Christ.
The Society of Christ serves at St. Margaret of Scotland Parish in Seattle, and at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Tacoma.
Rev. Andrzej Galan, SCh
3221 14th Ave W
Seattle, WA 98119-1726
Email: pastor@st-margaret-church.org
Website: http://tchr.us/
Cover video clip from Abbey of Gethsemani Novices