St. Paul Parish at 501 West Short Street, Lexington, KY 40507-1254 US - Common Vocation Questions
Common Vocation Questions
Questions & Answers about Catholic Vocations
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Answers to FAQs
- What do you do all day?
- What a priest, brother or sister does with his or her day is so varied and complex that only a sampling
can be given here. Prayer, work and leisure are all necessary for a healthy life. We try to make sure
we have a balance of all these, but we don't always succeed.
- In the area of work or ministry, many of us have one main occupation, such as teaching, parish
ministry, social work, or hospital work, all of which have somewhat regular hours and predictable
demands.
- The unpredictables are also interesting and challenging. They center around meeting the needs of
people; the sick, old, angry, hurt, hungry, imprisoned, excited, happy. We share with them our
understanding, encouragement and support. We rejoice, cry, feel with them.
- Those of us who are comtemplatives spend our day at prayer and some kind of labor to sustain us.
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- How important is prayer in your life?
- Because we have chosen a way of life which says by its very nature that God is most important,
prayer has a central role in our lives. Prayer is communication with the Lord whom we love and is as
necessary for us as communication is for any two persons who expect their relationship to continue.
Can you imagine having a best friend (or husband or wife) to whom you never spoke?
- Since prayer is so important, most priests and religious spend approximately two hours a day in
prayer; part of that time with others, at Mass and in common oral prayer; part alone, in reading and
quiet attentiveness. Probably the main benefit of prayer is that it makes us more sensitive to God's
activity in the people, events and circumstances of daily life. Back to Top
- Is prayer always easy for you?
- Definitely not! There are lots of times when we don't feel like doing other things that are basically
important to us; for example, the athlete doesn't always feel like practicing, a student doesn't always
feel like studying, the wage earner doesn't always feel like working, etc. However, in all the cases
mentioned, because the activity in which we participate is important, we act on motives deeper than
feelings, and do what we know needs to be done.
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- Do you get time off, and what do you do in that time?
- We have approximately the same amount of leisure time as most adults. In this time, we are free
to do whatever is legal, moral and reasonable for adults in our situation. Obviously, because priests,
brothers and sisters are unique individuals, we won't all choose the same types of recreation, and none
of us chooses the same activity every time. Some of the more common choices are sports, movies,
TV, reading, sharing with friends and enjoying the outdoors. Back to Top
- What is the difference between a diocesan priest and a religious priest?
- A diocesan priest ordinarily serves the church within a well-defined area (a diocese). He serves
the people as a parish priest, but may also be involved in other forms of ministry: teaching, chaplain
in hospitals, prisons, campus ministry, etc. A religious priest, on the other hand, is a member of a
community which goes beyond the geographical limits of any diocese.
- A religious priest seeks to live a vowed life within a community of men for mutual support and
accomplishment of some work. There is an emphasis in the community on shared ideals, prayer and
commitment to Christ. Religious priests work in a wide variety of ministries. Back to Top
- What kinds of ministry do sisters do?
- The choice of ministry for the woman religious arises from the founding purpose of the
community, a prayerful discernment of her own gifts, and an assessment within her community of the
signs of the times. A woman religious and her community together look at the needs of the church
and society to determine where best to place their energies.
- The way a particular sister spends her day depends on the kind of community to which she belongs.
Contemplative nuns often do work to sustain their community in food and shelter such as gardening,
baking, and handiwork. Active communities are involved in a myriad of ministries, usually with an
emphasis on service such as education, social work, parish pastoral work, etc. Back to Top
- How do congregations or orders differ from one another?
- Most groups of religious were founded at a time in history when travel and communication were
very limited. Many congregations were founded at the same time for the same purpose, but at
different places by people who didn't know each other.
- Founders had a specific spirit or charism they wanted to develop in their community (such as
hospitality, simplicity or unity). The charism, the specific ministries of the community, and a varying
emphasis on prayer and community life are the basic differences among religious communities. All
are alike in that their primary concern is to spread the Gospel message of Jesus. Back to Top
- Why do some priests and religious dress in clerical garb or habits and others don't?
- Those who maintain habits or clerical garb today do so for various reasons. One of the primary
reasons is that religious dress is a sign. The garb is an instantly recognized symbol of faith in God and
commitment to Christianity.
- Another frequent rationale for religious garb is that it is simple dress and therefore a way to live out
the vow of poverty. A sister, brother, or priest who wears religious garb can own just two or three
changes of dress and be free of the expense that may be involved in a more extensive contemporary
wardrobe. Other communities say the habit is an important sign of penitence for them.
- Some communities have opted to wear street clothes, saying that the most valid sign of Christian faith
is lifestyle, rather than garb. they contend that religious dress creates an undesirable barrier between
them and the laity with whom they work. Some Catholics and non-Catholic distance themselves from
people in traditional religious dress.
- Furthermore, those who have discontinued wearing habits often say the original reason for it was to
wear the dress of the common people; therefore street clothes are the common people's clothes
nowadays. Back to Top
- Some religious say they serve "home missions." What does this mean?
- "Home missions" refers to territory within the United States with a very minimal Catholic
presence. For example, the state of Alaska and areas of the rural South are often considered home
mission territory. The Catholic Extension Society and some religious communities (such as
Glenmary Home Missioners) are dedicated to serving in home missions. Back to Top
- What is the difference between a brother and a priest?
- A brother is a layman who commits himself to Christ by the vows of poverty, celibacy, and
obedience, who lives in religious community, and who works in nearly any job: teacher, cook, lawyer,
etc. Brothers are not sacramental ministers. Back to Top
- How long does it take to become a diocesan priest?
- It takes four years after college if one took the requried amount of philosophy and theology or
eight years after high school, the same as for many professions. Back to Top
- How does one become a member of a religious community?
- The formation program involves several stages. While these vary from community to community
in name, length of time, and format, the following outline gives a general view of formation
programs.
- Contact: A person of high school or college age or older who is interested in religious life but still
searching for the answer to the question, "What does God want of me?" could join a program of
"contact" with a religious community. This is usually a very flexible program whereby the person
meets with a priest, brother or sister on a monthly basis and shares in experiences of prayer and
community life with the congregation in which he or she is interested.
- Candidate: A more formal relationship with the community occurs when a person becomes a
candidate. At this time they live with the community while continuing their education or work
experience.
- This period enables the candidate to observe and participate in religious life from the inside. It also
gives the community an opportunity to see if the candidate shows promise of living the life of the
community. A person may be a candidate for one or two years.
- Novice: The novitiate is the next stage of formation. This is a special one-to-two-year period which
marks the person's official entrance into the community. Novices spend time in study and prayer,
learning more about themselves, the community, and their relationship with the Lord. At the end of
the novitiate, they prepare for temporary promises or vows.
- Vows: Promises of poverty, celibacy and obedience may be taken for one, two, or three years,
depending upon the decision of the individual person. These promises are renewable up to nine years.
Final vows could be made after three years of temporary promises.
- A man studying for religious priesthood also has seminary training, where his time is spent studying
theology, the Bible, the teachings of the church, and the skills he will need to be a priest. Back to Top
- What impact does one's sexual orientation or lifestyle have on becoming a priest or religious?
- Religious orders and dioceses are seeking people who are sexually integrated, regardless of
whether they are homosexuals or heterosexuals. Being sexually integrated means having a strong
sense of self and understanding one's own affective needs. Candidates to religious life or the
priesthood should also have the gifts and talents to live celibately. They should understand what are
appropriate expressions of love in a celibate context.
- Dioceses and religious communities, in working with candidates, look for "behavioral evidence" that
celibacy is a possible lifestyle for a person. Back to Top
- What is a religious vow?
- A vow is a solemn promise made freely as an individual gives his or her life to God. Many
communities make vows of poverty, celibacy and obedience, but other communities have other vows. Back to Top
- What vows do diocesan priests make?
- Diocesan priests do not make vows. For ordination, they freely make promises of celibacy and
obedience to their bishop and all his successors. Back to Top
- How do I know God is calling me to be a priest?
- God can use a direct approach, by touching your life and letting you know that He wants you to
give your life entirely in His service as a priest. Most people hear statements from others encouraging
them to consider the priesthood. In essence, God uses other people to begin to water the seed of a
priestly vocation in a man's heart. If you find peace in your heart when you picture yourself as a priest,
consider that a direct call from God. Peace is a gift of the Holy Spirit and, as Saint Ignatius of Loyola
was fond of saying, points out "God's Will for us." Back to Top
- Is the priesthood boring?
- Many people wrongly believe the priesthood can be a boring life. The poor, the sick, the elderly,
the young, married people, drug and alcohol abusers, rich people, people in solid marriages and
difficult marriages all look to their priests at some point in their lives to find deeper meaning for their
existence. Priests are called everyday to respond to the challenges people face, to see Jesus in the gift
of others, even those who are hostile or antagonistic to the faith and proclaim Christ's message of
salvation, in season and out of season. Only the priest, through the Grace of the Holy Spirit, can bring
the gift of Jesus in the Eucharist to a worshipping community at Mass. Only the priest through the
Divine Mercy of God has the power to forgive sins in the sacrament of reconciliation and allow people
to truly feel the healing presence of Jesus Christ. Priesthood is not a job but a vocation which is
active and ever growing through the Grace of the Holy Spirit.
- Priests constantly proclaim hope to a world that forgets who God is...which is never a boring task. Back to Top
- Can you explain what "promises" mean?
- Diocesan priests make lifetime "promises" of obedience and celibacy at the time of ordination.
Obedience is to follow what the local Bishop asks a priest to do. Ignatius of Antioch stated that
"priests are called to be an extension of the Bishop's teaching" and when a priest makes a promise of
obedience he embraces this belief. The promise of celibacy is a lifetime commitment to lead a chaste
unmarried life, excluding all dating for the love of Jesus and the sake of proclaiming the Kingdom of
God. It is a gift from God for men called to serve as priests and it is not the rejection of love, but the
recognition of God's love for the priest, as well as, the ability to share that love to all the people he
serves and comes in contact with by calling them to be faithful to the life-giving Gospel of Jesus
Christ and the teachings of his Church. Back to Top
- Am I expected to pay for my education if I feel God is calling me to serve in the priesthood?
- No one is denied acceptance to study for the priesthood due to finances. The Diocese of Lexington
asks collegians to pay their own tuition if possible and to submit their name for government
scholarships. In Theology, The Diocese of Lexington covers room, board, tuition, books, basic health
insurance and seeks help from the Knights of Columbus and Serrans for the individual financial needs
of a seminarian. Back to Top
- Is there an age limit for becoming a priest?
- Each diocese and religious order sets different requirements as far as age. Most start at age 18 and
set a limit between 40-50 years of age. The Diocese of Lexington does not have an age limit. An
exceptional candidate is never rejected due to age since God can call a man to service at any time in
his life but the focus is to attract younger candidates. When looking at "second career" men the
Diocese of Lexington considers the man's attitude, health, prayerfulness, academic background and
pastoral sensitivity. Back To Top
Adapted from materials published by the National Coalition for Church Vocations and National
Religious Vocation Conference, 1603 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 400, Chicago, IL 60616
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