Diocesan Priesthood
Catholic Priests take a vow of celibacy and obedience to their bishop. Meaning they vow not to marry and to follow their bishops wishes. They often serve as pastors in parishes and are the boots on the ground ministers of the Catholic Church.
Below is a video vlog by David Michael Moses, a Diocesan Priest from the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston showing a day in his life.
Who are priests?
Priests are normal men, who live in the secular world, but they are not of the world. They live their lives dedicated to Christ.
Sacraments
Priests are permitted to preform the following sacraments. Baptism, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, and Marriage.
Roles
Priests serve many roles in the Catholic Church. They are spiritual leaders, they administer sacraments, and they minster to those from the start of their lives, to the end.
What is the process of becoming a priest?
Priests go to school typically for a total of eight years; four years at a college seminary, and four years at a major seminary. However this can be longer depending if a seminarian needs more time to complete their formation goals. In the final stage before priesthood, the seminarian is ordained a Transitional Deacon, and will be a deacon for six to twelve months depending on the dioceses. After this stage, the seminarian is ordained a Diocesan Priest.
The reason why this process is so long is so that seminarians have ample time to discern if they are called to the priesthood, and if they are called to the priesthood, because of this long process of formation, they will be well prepared for their ministry.
Priests graduate with a bachelors in philosophy and a masters in divinity.
What is seminary like?
A seminary is a specialized college, where seminarians live in community, pray together, and learn how to be priests through their formation process. Seminaries have four dimensions of formation; Human, Spiritual, Intellectual, and Pastoral.
Watch Trevor’s video on a day in the life of a seminarian to learn more about the daily rhythm of a Catholic seminary.
Do you feel calleD?
Do you feel that you may be called to be a diocesan priest? Your first step is to contact a priest to see if they would be willing to be your spiritual director. Spiritual directors are an essential part of ones discernment as they walk along side you as you navigate your discernment. Contact your local pastor to see if he would recommend anyone in your diocese to be your spiritual director.
Another good first step is to contact your diocese Vocation Director. A Vocation Director is the priest in charge of helping men in their dioceses discern the priesthood. They have access to many good resources, including book recommendations, discernment retreats, and much more. Click the button below to find your diocese website to contact your local Vocations Director.