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Vocations

Do you feel that God might be calling you to be a priest  …   and if so,

have you dismissed the idea   …   or are you going to do something about it?

 

We continue to hear a lot about the shortage of vocations to the priesthood these days, but might it be more accurate to say a shortage in the response to God’s call? God has not stopped calling men to serve him in the priesthood - rather, the way we live our lives, with its numerous noises and daily distractions has made us less disposed to hear that call.

 

We can suffer from the ‘who me’ syndrome in many areas of our lives, so we have to remember that priests don’t just drop out of the sky or grow in the ground! They come from the world in which we live   …   they are ordinary people, like anyone else   …   they have strengths and weakness, hopes and fears, joys and sorrows. They come from all sorts of family backgrounds   …   they have varying life experiences   …   they answer God’s call at a variety of ages and stages of life. 

 

Every Diocese has a Vocations Director – a priest who helps those who feel that God might be calling them to the priesthood to gently discern whether this is the case or not. The Vocations Director helps to process a man’s application to the Bishop in order to be considered for formation for the priesthood in the Seminary, and he arranges for a selection process, which takes place over a number of days.

 

Today’s success-driven society, along with a need to be in control, may well be another reason why people put a call from God to the back of their minds. Checking out whether God is calling you to the priesthood, and discerning that he may have other plans for you in your life, is not a weakness or a waste of time. So if you feel that God might be calling you to the priesthood, or if you simply want to know a bit more, you owe it to yourself, to the Church and to society to find out! Who me? Yes you!   www.ukpriest.org

Diocesan websites:

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http://www.rcsouthwark.co.uk/

https://www.dabnet.org/

https://www.portsmouthdiocese.org.uk/

https://cliftondiocese.com/

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The National Office of Vocation

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http://www.ukvocation.org/

© 2023 St John’s Seminary CIO
Registered Charity No. 1189834

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