When we hear that someone has “a calling” for a particular profession, we usually mean that they demonstrate the traits, talents, skill sets and interests that it takes to do the job. Someone who is good at math may be “called” to be an accountant. A compassionate person may have found their “calling” as a nurse. My mom says she knew I was going to be a teacher when I was in second grade and set up a neighborhood school in our playroom. I even held parent-teacher conferences! I became a Catholic school educator because I heard God’s call.
Like us, priests are “called” to their professions. They demonstrate the characteristics one would expect to see in a priest, such as patience, compassion, and piety, but the call priests hear is a bit different than the ones heard by accountants and nurses and teachers. The call to vocation that is heard by priests is a spiritual call. It’s God telling them that the fulfilment of their lives lies within the Church.
The call can be heard by Catholic school students.
Sometimes being a Catholic school student can lead a young person to the religious life. Conventual Franciscan Father Donald Grzymski, of the Archbishop Curley High School Class of 1970, who is currently the president of his alma mater, considered pursuing engineering, but found himself drawn to teaching, a profession closely tied with men and women who are ministering as priests, deacons, nuns, brothers and other religious. It took him some time to make the final decision of becoming a priest because it involves following a prescribed process, but the spark was ignited for Father Donald at Archbishop Curley.
The call can be heard by college students.
Conventual Franciscan Brother Emmanuel “Manny” Wenke, a seminarian in Toronto, says when he started college he “began to seriously explore other options for religious life and priesthood, ultimately deciding to join the Conventual Franciscan Friars.” Brother Manny says the call was incremental for him and that “a series of short term commitments” along with “guidance and evaluation” from directors led him to the journey toward priesthood.
The call can lead to a career change.
Like Brother Manny, Conventual Franciscan Father Bryan Hajovsky took his time before fully committing to becoming a priest. He studied Wildlife and Fisheries Science at Texas A&M with the mission of becoming a park ranger. He heard the call to priesthood three years later.
There is no deadline for the call.
Father Willie Franken, an archdiocesan priest and pastor of St. Joan of Arc heard the call on a “directed retreat” when he was in his 30s and a bit more advanced in his religious ministry as a religious brother who taught in a Catholic high school. He was spending time in chapel when he came to the realization that he wanted to grow closer to God by taking on the vocation of priesthood.
The call, overall:
The call can happen to a teenager, to a young adult, or to someone more advanced in age. The call can happen in a moment of quiet reflection or as a series of signs pointing in the direction of a vocation. Most of the time, recognizing and responding to the call takes time and that’s okay.
“Here I am, Lord.”
I often think of the song “Here I am Lord” when I am trying to figure out where God wants me and what he wants me to do. Even after we choose our professions (or they choose us), God continues to call us to work for him in new ways, such as in a new role or at a new location. Priests are often called by their Archdiocese or by a spiritual mission to serve where they are most needed.
Join me next time while we look at each man’s journey to the priesthood, including the process outlined by Father Donald.
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