Becoming a Catholic priest is a serious decision. If you feel God's call and believe that a life of celibacy and devotion to God is right for you, this may be a serious decision you should make. Living as a Catholic priest is a call to serve God as well as those in need around you.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Preparation
Step 1. Meet the basic requirements
In the Roman Catholic Church, the priest must be male and unmarried. The Eastern Catholic Church can ordain married men to priests, but generally in their country of origin.
- Widowers can also be accepted on the path to becoming a Father. However, she had to swear to never marry again.
- Only a few men who have been married can successfully become Fathers. This is a kind of “guidance” that “can” happen, but usually doesn't.
- The church must consider the hidden homosexual tendencies of each individual.
Step 2. Get actively involved in your parish
Before you even start thinking about college or seminary, it's a good idea to start helping out in your parish. The priest candidate must be a Catholic of good character for at least 5 years and actively involved in his parish for at least 2 years. But apart from being a requirement, it would be helpful if you could understand mass procedures, special services, and outside activities through your active involvement in the Church.
- Connect with your favorite Father. Tell him about your interest in joining seminary and ask if you can help him with services or when he goes to see sick church members or participate in parish activities.
- In addition to altar services, help with singing and reading. Getting a thorough knowledge of the church books and hymns will make things a lot easier going forward.
Step 3. Check your faith
Becoming a priest is not a decision that can be taken lightly -- it is a path that takes years to complete and not a path for those with weak hearts or faith. If you can imagine yourself doing other things in the future, Father's life may not be for you.
Pray for God's help in understanding your situation. Regularly participate in mass, connect with your parish priest and find out in advance what life as a priest is like. Seek advice from the vocational director or any mentor at a church you trust
Step 4. Consider your options
Apart from being a priest, there are other positions in the church that you can choose to keep in touch with God. In addition to deacons and monks, consider the Missionary Father as well. Father Missionaries tend to focus on intercultural missions where you can later live with the poor and needy.
Again, it's a good idea to ask someone who is an expert in this area for the opinion. If you are already as involved as you want to be in church, you will know a number of people who can lead you on the right path. Research and seek out potential connections in your diocese
Method 2 of 3: Education
Step 1. Lecture
For those who have a bachelor's degree, the study period at the seminary is reduced to 4 years. Either way, the total remains 8 years; the decision is up to you. If you choose to go to college (public or private), it's best to choose an appropriate major, such as philosophy, theology, or even history.
While in college, get involved in campus ministry. Use this time to take part in retreats, help other students, and connect with your new parish or diocese. Going to university is by no means an escape route -- it's an opportunity for you to learn a variety of skills in life and a very practical way to start your career
Step 2. Sign up for seminary
Follow the seminary registration process through your parish or through a religious order. This process usually includes some questions about yourself and your desire to become a priest. Ask your parish priest how to get started.
- This step can be done after college or high school. If done after college, education at the seminary will be completed within 4 years. If done after high school, education at the seminary will be completed in about 8 years. With an 8-year program, you will take classes simultaneously and earn a similar degree. In Europe and the United States, you will graduate from seminary with a Master of Divinity.
- Each school has a different registration process. You may need letters of reference, proof of church involvement, a certain GPA, and a statement of interest, which are general requirements.
Step 3. Study hard in seminary school
At seminary, over the years you will study philosophy, Latin, Greek, Gregorian hymn, dogmatic and moral theology, Canon Law, and church history, which is just what you need to get started. You'll also spend a year concentrating on “spiritual learning” -- so it's not all rote lessons from books!
You will also attend retreats, conferences and workshops as part of your regular training. You will be guided in meditation and solitude and given sufficient time to hone your public speaking skills
Method 3 of 3: After Seminary
Step 1. Ordination
The final “test” of whether you have a vocation to be a priest or not is the calling of the bishop. If the Bishop doesn't call you to join the Holy Order, you don't have a calling to become a priest. As long as you don't give the Bishop an excuse for not being a priest, you should get the call. Take your vows and you've made it to the Father!
Step 2. Live a pastoral period
In Indonesia, if you have completed 8 years of seminary education, you will undergo a Year of Pastoral Orientation for the last 1 or 2 years before you are ordained a priest. Go through this, and you can already be said to have succeeded in becoming a Father.
- The bishop's decision to call you a priest is definitive. If you are not selected to be a priest or you leave seminary before you finish, you may or may not be responsible for the costs of your seminary education. Prospective priests who leave seminary may request a waiver of their tuition fees depending on their financial condition.
- Due to the recent scandals, background checks are becoming more and more stringent. Your criminal record will be checked, with an emphasis on criminal sexual acts.
Step 3. Your placement as a priest in a particular parish
After the bishop ordains you to a priest, your diocese will assign you somewhere to begin with. In certain cases, you may be asked to move. They will try to help with your move as much as possible.
Once you have successfully gone through the process of becoming a priest, all you need to do is remain celibate and obey God. This may not be financially rewarding, but you will find immeasurable spiritual happiness
Tips
- Prayer is needed in the process of understanding. Daily Mass and regular confessions, as well as spiritual reading and choosing a favorite saint to help you along the path of life are very important.
- Even if you are not a Catholic, you may think that you may be called to be a priest. It is very common that people realize their vocation as they realize that they want to become Catholic.
- Various things, including celibacy or sexual assault scandals, may make you hesitate to contemplate your calling to be a priest. Understand that these fears are shared by many men who are already in the process of becoming a priest, and that these fears can be overcome with a lot of prayer. Also understand that sexual violence represents the actions of a few within the Church, and that such a few do not at all represent the Church as a whole, or even the majority of the Fr.
- Remember that enrolling in seminary is not the same as becoming a priest. Many people join a seminary or enter a religious novitiate congregation and then understand that they have no vocation to be a priest. So even if you are not completely convinced of your calling (actually very few people are), you can still enter the seminary or novitiate.
- Visit www.gopriest.com and get the free book 'To Save a Thousand Souls' by Fr. Brett A. Brannen. This is arguably one of the best books on diligent vocational understanding, and it's also completely free!
- Remember the two vows of the Catholic Father: Obedience and Celibacy. (Both of these oaths are taken by the Diocesan (secular) priest to the bishop. Religious priests - those who join an order - make the oaths of Obedience, Chastity, and Poverty.)
- The terms “vocation” and “understanding” may be necessary: “vocation”, according to the Church, is a calling. Everyone has a universal calling to be holy, but everyone does it in different ways--vocations include religious life, the priesthood, unmarried life, and marriage. “Understanding” is a lifelong process of understanding God's will through prayer and spiritual direction. Understanding requires a lot of patience.
- The Program for Priesthood Establishment may benefit you. The program can be found here.
