“Anyone who wishes to become a priest must be first and foremost a man of God.”
Pope Benedict XVI
To be precise, a man only “knows” he is called to be a priest when he is ordained! However, there are many positive signs that can point to a vocation, and which can help a man make the decision to enter seminary and continue along the path towards the priesthood.
The Lord does send signs, but we have to be careful! When we use the word ‘sign’ it may make us think of visions and voices. It is true that sometimes something clear and dramatic helps us, but usually God speaks to us in ordinary ways, guiding us through the events and experiences of our daily lives; through the ‘ordinary’ experience of our Christian faith (which of course is not at all ordinary). Deep down, it is not about signs, but about an ever-deepening personal relationship with the Lord – His love and care for me, His call, what He has created me for; and about how I respond to that with the gift of my whole life. But He does use certain signs to call out to us, just as we use words and gestures when we communicate with other people.
Below is a list of some of the initial ‘signs’ that God may be calling you to the priesthood. See if you can relate to any of them.
Jesus speaks through His Church. At a certain point a man must fearlessly leave the world of secret discernment. Becoming a priest involves a relationship between the diocese and the man. It does not happen in a vacuum. A man must work with his local Church’s Vocation Director to see if priesthood is a real possibility and if the seminary is open to him. Be brave.
© Archdiocese of Milwaukee Vocation Office | St. Francis de Sales Seminary | 3257 S. Lake Drive, St. Francis, WI 53235 | 414.747.6437
