What does a diocese look for in a man who wants to become a priest? What are red flags? What evaluations occur? What about the cost of education and what exactly do seminarians learn? Becoming a priest is a lot more than an application and going to school. Dive Deep sits down with Fr. Brian Alford, Director of the Office for Vocations for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.
High School
High school is a great time to grow in relationship with Christ and
His Church as a faithful disciple.
If you are in high school and begin to think the Lord is calling you to Priesthood, regularly attending Mass and being involved in the liturgy is an essential first discernment step. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our lives and gives us the daily strength we need to follow the Lord and discern His will for our lives. When we are close to the Eucharist, we can hear Jesus’s voice better. He will teach you how He wants you to serve Him — whether through holy marriage, religious life, or the priesthood.
You may also want to talk to your pastor about serving Mass. Becoming familiar with the flow of the liturgy will help you become more comfortable around the sanctuary and will help you to discern if the Lord is calling you to serve the Church in this way. This experience will also help you get to know your pastor and other priests better.
College
College is exciting and challenging,
and the perfect time to make intentional discernment steps.
College is a period of personal discovery. It is often when men begin to seriously consider what vocation the Lord is calling them to. For many, this is when the first discover that the Lord might be calling them to priesthood. They often desire to take concrete discernment steps. If this is you, you are not alone.
Join a small group bible study, speak to a trusted priest, go on a discernment retreat, perhaps even visit a seminary. Take concrete steps to see if the Lord is calling you to live your life as His priest.
Young Adult & Beyond
Just as Peter and Andrew were invited to set their nets aside, Christ might be calling you in the middle of your careers to go be “fishers of men.”
If you’re a young man reading this page, you very likely already have the first quality needed for discernment – an openness to God’s plan for your life.
Frequently, God calls men to the priesthood after they have finished college and/or have had the chance to live in the world for several years. As a young adult, discerning and pursuing a vocation to the priesthood can come with its own unique challenges, but the process is basically the same as at any other age.