Priesthood

A priest is intended to serve as a bridge between human beings and God. In daily life, a priest will carry out his ministry in all sorts of ways: preaching the Bible, celebrating Mass, administering the sacraments, caring for people as they face their everyday challenges, and so much more.

First off, you must love God and the Church! You should go to Mass regularly, often spend time in prayer, and wish to grow in holiness. And it goes without saying, you should be a single, Catholic man who is willing to live as a celibate. You should also be physically, emotionally, and mentally healthy - being a priest is hard work!

Holiness, which is living a life free of sin which models the life of Jesus Christ, can only be accomplished through the grace of God. As long as you desire to grow in holiness, then you can be a priest.

The Lord said, "Some [do not marry] because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of Heaven." (Matt. 19:12)

Additionally, Jesus later said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” (Matt. 6:24)

Priestly celibacy is a sign of the union between Christ and His Church, in which Christ is considered the Bridegroom of the Church and the Church is considered His Bride.

If you have discerned through prayer and growing in your relationship with God that the priesthood might be your Vocation, then your next step is to contact a Vocations director using the contact information below this page. You will then go through the application process for either diocesan priesthood or religious priesthood, depending on which type of priesthood you have discerned is your specific Vocation. 

If you are accepted as a candidate for the priesthood, you will then have a physiological evaluation and an interview with the seminary. Once you have been accepted into seminary, you are officially a seminarian!

Many Vocation directors agree that the only way to know if you have a Vocation to the priesthood is to attend seminary. Being in an environment with others going through the same process of discernment is likely to make it more clear to you what your Vocation is. 

The total time you spend in seminary will depend on your level of education. It can take between five to nine years to complete seminary and become a priest!

A religious priest is different than a diocesan priest in primarily three ways:

Location: Priests from religious orders are not based in a particular diocese. Instead, a religious priest is assigned where he will live and carry out his ministry, which could be in the U.S. or another country. The life of the religious priest is largely dependent upon what his talents are and where his superior sends him.

Mission: The mission of a diocesan priest is to serve the daily sacramental and pastoral needs of his parish. The mission of a religious priest is to serve the Church in the ministry areas of teaching, preaching, outreach to the poor, and other special areas of need. 

Vows: Both diocesan and religious priests take vows of obedience and celibacy. But, in addition to this, religious priests also take the vow of poverty, which is a renunciation of any personal property or salary.

As explained in the answer to the previous question, these two types of priesthood look pretty different in terms of daily life. Diocesan priests are called to serve at a particular parish, and while they may live in community, they do not live within a communal Rule of Life. Consecrated religious priests serve within their order's charism, live in community, and follow a communal Rule of Life. 

To discern which type of priesthood is for you, consider: is God drawing you toward parish life or is there a religious community that you think feels like home? Prayer, time with the Lord, talking with diocesan Vocations Director, and feedback from your loved ones (where do they see you most at peace?) are all helpful towards answering this question! VocationMatch may also help you discern between characteristics of the various orders.

Loneliness is a universal human condition, but the heart in union with God is the heart that is never lonely. Priests experience a great deal of fellowship in priest groups and inside the parish community, where a priest has many spiritual children to keep him company.

Most diocesan priests serve as parish priests, so you would serve at a local parish within the Diocese of Tucson. In many cases, this is the parish you attended before entering the seminary. However, some diocesan priests do serve in other roles, such as high school chaplain, hospital chaplain, or in a Diocesan office.

Priests are provided with room and board by the Church for which they work. Given that priests do not have a family and live simply, expenses in the life of a priest are minimal. That said, priests do receive enough money to buy their necessities and enjoy some normal recreational activities.