This file contains the answers to some common questions that people ask with regard to vocations in the Catholic Church.
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Fr. John Regan
What
a priest, brother or sister does with his or her day is
so varied and complex that only a sampling can be given
here. Prayer, work and leisure are all necessary for a
healthy life. We try to make sure we have a balance of
all these, but we don't always succeed.
In the area of work or ministry, many of us have one main
occupation, such as teaching, parish ministry, social
work, or hospital work, all of which have somewhat
regular hours and predictable demands.
The unpredictables are also interesting and challenging.
They center around meeting the needs of people: the sick,
old, angry, hurt, hungry, imprisoned, excited, happy. We
share with them our understanding, encouragement and
support. We rejoice, cry, feel with them.
Those of us who are contemplatives spend our day at
prayer and some kind of labor to sustain us.
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Because we have chosen a way of life which
says by its very nature that God is most important,
prayer has a central role in our lives. Prayer is
communication with the Lord whom we love and is as
necessary for us as communication is for any two persons
who expect their relationship to continue. Can you
imagine having a best friend (or husband or wife) to whom
you never spoke?
Since prayer is so important, most priests and religious
spend approximately two hours a day in prayer; part of
that time with others, at Mass and in common oral prayer;
part alone, in reading and quiet attentiveness. Probably
the main benefit of prayer is that it makes us more
sensitive to God's activity in the people, events and
circumstances of daily life.
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Definitely
not! There are lots of times when we don't feel like
doing other things that are basically important to us;
for example, the athlete doesn't always feel like
practicing, a student doesn't always feel like studying,
the wage earner doesn't always feel like working, etc.
However, in all the cases mentioned,because the activity
in which we participate is important, we act on motives
deeper than feelings, and do what we know needs to be
done.
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We have approximately the
same amount of leisure time as most adults. In this time,
we are free to do whatever is legal, moral and reasonable
for adults in our situation. Obviously, because priests,
brothers and sisters are unique individuals, we won't all
choose the same types of recreation, and none of us
chooses the same activity every time. Some of the more
common choices are sports, movies, TV, reading, sharing
with friends and enjoying the outdoors.
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A
diocesan priest ordinarily serves the church within a
well-defined area (a diocese). He serves the people as a
parish priest, but may also be involved in other forms of
ministry: teaching, chaplain in hospitals, prisons,
campus ministry, etc. A religious priest, on the other
hand, is a member of a community which goes beyond the
geographical limits of any diocese.
A religious priest seeks to live a vowed life within a
community of men for mutual support and accomplishment of
some work. There is an emphasis in the community on
shared ideals, prayer and commitment to Christ. Religious
priests work in a wide variety of ministries.
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The choice of ministry for the woman
religious arises from the founding purpose of the
community, a prayerful discernment of her own gifts, and
an assessment within her community of the signs of the
times. A woman religious and her community together look
at the needs of the church and society to determine where
best to place their energies.
The way a particular sister spends her day depends on the
kind of community to which she belongs. Contemplative
nuns often do work to sustain their community in food and
shelter such as gardening, baking, and handiwork. Active
communities are involved in a myriad of ministries,
usually with an emphasis on service such as education,
social work, parish pastoral work, etc.
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Most groups of religious
were founded at a time in history when travel and
communication were very limited. Many congregations were
founded at the same time for the same purpose, but at
different places by people who didn't know each other.
Founders had a specific spirit or charism they wanted to
develop in their community (such as hospitality,
simplicity or unity). The charism, the specific
ministries of the community, and a varying emphasis on
prayer and community life are the basic differences among
religious communities. All are alike in that their
primary concern is to spread the Gospel message of Jesus.
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Those who maintain habits or clerical garb
today do so for various reasons. One of the primary
reasons is that religious dress is a sign. The garb is an
instantly recognized symbol of faith in God and
commitment to Christianity.
Another frequent rationale for religious garb is that it
is simple dress and therefore a way to live out the vow
of poverty. A sister, brother, or priest who wears
religious garb can own just two or three changes of dress
and be free of the expense that may be involved in a more
extensive contemporary wardrobe. Other communities say
the habit is an important sign of penitence for them.
Some communities have opted to wear street clothes,
saying that the most valid sign of Christian faith is
lifestyle, rather than garb. They contend that religious
dress creates an undesirable barrier between them and
laity with whom they work. Some Catholics and
non-Catholics distance themselves from people in
traditional religious dress.
Furthermore, those who have discontinued wearing habits
often say the original reason for it was to wear the
dress of the common people; therefore street clothes are
the common people's clothes nowadays.
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"Home
missions" refers to territory within the United
States with a very minimal Catholic presence. For
example, the state of Alaska and areas of the rural South
are often considered home mission territory. The Catholic
Extension Society and some religious communities (such as
Glenmary Home Missioners) are dedicated to serving in
home missions.
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A brother is a layman who
commits himself to Christ by the vows of poverty,
celibacy, and obedience, who lives in religious
community, and who works in nearly any job: teacher,
cook, lawyer, etc. Brothers are not sacramental
ministers.
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It takes four years after college
or eight years after high school, the same as for many
professions.
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There is no certain age to
start preparing for the priesthood. Some people go to
high school seminaries, others enter the seminary after
high school, after college, or after they have been
working for years.
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The formation program
involves several stages. While these vary from community
to community in name, length of time, and format, the
following outline gives a general view of formation
programs.
Contact: A person of high school or college age or older
who is interested in religious life but still searching
for the answer to the question, "What does God want
of me?" could join a program of "contact"
with a religious community. This is usually a very
flexible program whereby the person meets with a priest,
brother or sister on a monthly basis and shares in
experiences of prayer and community life with the
congregation in which he or she is interested.
Candidate: A more formal relationship with the community
occurs when a person becomes a candidate. At this time
they live with the community while continuing their
education or work experience.
This period enables the candidate to observe and
participate in religious life from the inside. It also
gives the community an opportunity to see if the
candidate shows promise of living the life of the
community. A person may be a candidate for one or two
years.
Novice: The novitiate is the next stage of formation.
This is a special one-to-two-year period which marks the
person's official entrance into the community. Novices
spend time in study and prayer, learning more about
themselves, the community, and their relationship with
the Lord. At the end of the novitiate, they prepare for
temporary promises or vows.
Vows: Promises of poverty, celibacy and obedience may be
taken for one, two, or three years, depending upon the
decision of the individual person. These promises are
renewable up to nine years. Final vows could be made
after three years of temporary promises.
A man studying for religious priesthood also has seminary
training, where his time is spent studying theology, the
Bible, the teachings of the church, and the skills he
will need to be a priest.
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Religious orders and dioceses are
seeking people who have a strong sense of self as a man
or woman and understand one's own emotional needs.
Candidates to religious life or the priesthood should
also have the gifts and talents to live celibately. They
should understand what are appropriate expressions of
love in a celibate context. Living a celibate life
requires abstinence from sexual activity.
Dioceses and religious communities, in working with
candidates, look for behavioral evidence that celibacy is
a possible lifestyle for a person.
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A
vow is a solemn promise made freely as an individual
gives his or her life to God. Many communities make vows
of poverty, celibacy and obedience, but other communities
have other vows.
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Diocesan priests make no vows. For
ordination, they freely make promises of celibacy and
obedience to their bishop.
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Adapted from materials published by The
National Coalition for Church Vocations and National Religious
Vocation Conference, 15420 S Cornell Ave., #105, Chicago, IL
60615-5604.