Many Catholic men are called, yet few are chosen to a life of celibacy, love, and sacrifice. Sebastian O'Brien an All-American state champion swimmer answered his call after graduating from high school by joining seminary in order to become a Cathol...
If you are not Catholic or Christian for that matter the notion of a priest might be foreign to you. Perhaps the ideas of a preacher waving his bible from the pulpit come to minds, or that of old frail men in pointy hats. Although catholic priests are preachers like those of other churches, Catholicism picks and makes their pastors in a unique way.
To believers the call to the priesthood is a great mystery, which comes directly from God himself and is planted in the heart and soul of the one called. Peter, the first pope of the Catholic Church is claimed to have received his calling from Jesus himself, Peter felt unworthy of such an honor "for I am a sinful man" he said, and certainly he was since he denied his own lord three times according to the gospels.
Regardless he went on to become the central figure of Christendom after the death of Jesus, and today the largest church in the world is built on his honor; St. Peters Basilica in Rome, which is today the spiritual heart of over one billion Catholics worldwide.
The call to the priesthood today is no different than in those days. Catholics believe that a person's greatest happiness will always be found in surrendering to God's will and desires. Catholics believe that everyone is called to a specific vocation: priesthood, religious orders (monks, nuns, women religious), marriage and lay life.
The priesthood in particularly is the most notable and the most misunderstood. Priest in the Catholic church serve a central function in the life of the congregation by preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, celebrating the holy sacrifice of the mass, and administering the sacraments of which there are seven: baptism, first communion, confirmation, marriage, holy orders, anointing of sick, and confession.
When a man receives the calling to the priesthood it can often be a time of great spiritual and emotional growth accompanied with fear. There is a saying among priest "a vocation is like a fruit, if it stays too long on the tree it will rot, if you pick it too soon, it is not ready".
Most men who actually have the courage to talk to their local pastor often are encouraged to join discernment groups, where socials of other like-minded men take place. After months, sometimes years of inner prayers and discernment the young man may decide to finally join seminary.
The first step is to contact a Vocation Director, typically a priest who guides and screens men on their journey which may take anything between 8-10 years of study. Most diocese will have candidates undergo a rigorous application process, which include application packets with an autobiography, psychological, medical and spiritual evaluations, alongside a series of interviews.
If the candidate passes all test and all three of his interviews the man is then sponsored by the diocese to attend a college seminary or a theological seminary depending where the candidate stands in his educational life.
In order to become a priest in the United States you need a Master Degree in Theology, so if you think prayer alone will get you through seminary you are in the wrong. Once in seminary men study everything from philosophy, English, public speaking, etiquette, church history and many more.
College seminaries are just like any other college to be honest, there the focus of study is philosophy, once the man obtains a Bachelor's Degree he will move on to Theological Seminary, where he will work to obtain his maters and spent a yearlong internship at a local church.
Typically, upon returning from his internship and to his last year of studies the man will be ordained into holy orders, as a transitional deacon. At this point the man is a fully ordain minster of the Church, but not yet a priest. Upon graduating from graduate school the candidate is then ordained by his local bishop in a ceremony called ordination and becomes a priest, who promises to obey their local bishop and his successors.
That's it. No vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience as commonly believed. Priest are not held by these Evangelical Counsels, they are only called to holiness and promise to be celibate or in other words not to marry. Once a priest the man will always be a priest, that is when many priest claim their best and worst memories begin.
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For more information regarding the Roman Catholic Church, its beliefs and teachings or general information regarding the priesthood please visit the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website
