Vocations

A vocation is a call from God. Through the Sacrament of Baptism, we all have one calling in our lives: holiness. This means following Jesus to the best of our abilities. However, holiness will look different depending on one’s specific vocation. It’s important to listen and recognize the signs that determine how one answers and finds a place in life.

There are four primary vocations in the Catholic Church:

• Religious Life — Commitment in life to live as Christ lived through vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

• Priesthood — Conformed to Jesus Christ through the Sacrament of Holy Orders, priests are called to be chosen instruments in the world.

• Married Life — Faithful commitment to each other consecrated by the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, they strive to please God through their devotion to each other and building a faith driven family. 

• Single Life — Commit their lives to serve others in their work and prayer. 

Discernment is the art of inviting God to influence your decisions. Especially ones that will impact your life in a big way. This can be done in many ways: Reading through scripture passages, talking to a spiritual director, watching videos or reading articles on the topic at hand through the Catholic perspective, or just sitting in Adoration. Practicing Catholics seek to follow God's will, God's will for our life is revealed through our communication in relationship with Him. 

“Draw near to God and he will draw near to you” - James 4:8

The first step is to bring it to prayer. Ask the Lord why that thought has begun to cross your mind. Read up on the matter. There are so many religious groups out there with information on what their charisms are and what their daily life looks like; there are also resources below for some suggested convents and monasteries. You can also bring it up to a trusted Catholic mentor, priest, or spiritual director. They are there to help guide you in your discernment. Lastly, if you have exhausted your research, spoken to someone, brought it to prayer, and its still fresh on your mind; look into applying somewhere. Both Seminary and religious organizations have discernment processes - you are not committing to become a nun or brother or priest if you apply.

No! The seal of confession is a very serious thing and a priest will never repeat anything that's said in the confessional. Even in the case of a crime or legal matter a priest will not and cannot be compelled to speak about something from the confessional. Priests also cannot use knowledge they've gained from the confessional in any way (Catechism 1467). If a priest were to break the seal of the confessional they would be excommunicated from the Church. The secrecy of confessions is a very sacred thing that is taken very seriously. 

No. A seminarian is not committed to being a priest, but rather to exploring the possibility of priesthood as a life choice. When a man asks to become a seminarian for the Diocese of Peoria, he is asked to commit to giving seminary a try for at least two years. It is common to feel uneasy at first. After two years, if you have come to the mature decision that God is not calling you to the priesthood, you are free to leave. A seminarian who leaves the formation program at any stage may transfer to any college or university program and has lost nothing except for his uncertainty about being a priest. In the process, he has probably gained a better sense of his own calling to serve the Church in some way besides priesthood.

Many religious orders host "Come and See" retreats. This is a retreat designed for someone in your exact situation: someone wondering what religious life is, how it works, and what it means to be "a sister" or "a brother" or "a friar". Each religious order has a particular charism. Start by deciphering what kind of order you are interested in knowing more about; some focus on teaching or nursing, some work with the pro-life movement or persons who are homeless, and others are cloistered and focus on intercessory prayer. There are numerous orders with all sorts of gifts and talents! 

Absolutely not. St. Catherine of Siena said "Be who you were meant to be and you will set the world on fire". We can serve and worship God by being who we are called to be. This means embracing our daily life with joy and gratitude, treating all people with mercy and love, and drawing near to God. You can serve God in your job, your classes, and in your families. Think about joining a missionary program for a summer or a gap year. Volunteer at your local church or food pantry. These are all great ways to serve!