Holy Orders: Ordained Priesthood
Frequently Asked Questions regarding the Ordained Priesthood
Q. How important is prayer in the life of a priest?
A. Prayer is our means of union with God. It is through God that we receive direction in our lives and are able to be fruitful in ministry. It is extremely important for a man of God to be close to Him through prayer.
Q. How old do I have to be in order to become a priest?
A. When a man is ordained, he has to be at least 25 years old. A person is never too young to begin to pray to learn God's will, and to be open to following it. Contact with a spiritual director and a vocations director can be very helpful in this discernment.
Q. Can an only child or an only son enter the priesthood?
A. Definitely! Jesus was an only Child, and God calls people from families of all sizes to become priests.
Q. Can you date when you are thinking about being a priest?
A. When you start to think about becoming a priest, you want to pray about your vocation and try to see what God may be calling you to do.
One question to ask yourself is whether God is calling me to date now.
This is also a good question to bring up with your spiritual director
or to discuss with a vocations director.
Q. What do you do all day?
A. Priests do many things in the service of God. They say Mass and give the faithful access to the sacraments. They often do counseling,
visit the sick, and take care of parishes. Some do prison ministry,
others help the bishop with administration. There are a variety of
ways in which a priest may be called upon to serve God and His people.
In their personal life, priests have to take time to nourish themselves with the sacraments, pray the Liturgy of the Hours, and strive for holiness. Like most people, they run their own errands and look forward to their days off. Many priests have personal hobbies and some like to be involved with sports. A priest is always a priest, though, and many a meal or "vacation" has been cut short with emergencies.
Q. I am a new convert. Can I be a priest?
A. Welcome! We are happy to have you in the Church. Many of the great
saints and priests were converts. Being a convert does not bar you from the priesthood. However, most dioceses have waiting periods for
new converts to grow in their faith life before joining a seminary. In
the Diocese of Sioux Falls, we have had many converts become priests.
In fact, our Bishop is a convert to the Faith.
Q. How do you become a priest?
A. Men who are wondering if God might be calling them to be a priest can go to a special school called a "seminary". A seminary is a place where men study and pray about becoming a priest. Most seminaries have less than 200 students who are trying to decide if God is calling them to be a priest. The men are formed to be men of Christ, men of the Church, men for others.
Q. What is the difference between the diocesan priests and religious priests?
A. A diocesan priest is an extension of the bishop of the territory he
lives in. At ordination he promises to be celibate and he promises
obedience to his bishop. Since diocesan priests do not take a vow of
poverty, they can own property. However, they are encouraged to live simply in order to follow the example of Christ.
A religious priest belongs to a community. He makes vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. He is usually assigned to apostolates such as teaching or missionary work and does not normally run a parish.
Q. Do diocesan seminarians pay for their education?
A. It depends on the policy of the diocese that the seminarian is studying for. In the Diocese of Sioux Falls, the young man who wishes
to become a priest pays for college seminary room and board but the
diocese will pay for his tuition with the understanding that if the
young man discerns that the priesthood is not his vocation, he will
pay the diocese for the tuition. This Diocese pays all expenses for major seminary.
Q. Should I go to college if I want to become a seminarian?
A. Because each situation is different, this is a topic you should
discuss with your vocations director.
Q. How long are you a priest?
A. Once a man is ordained as a priest, he is a priest forever.
Q. How long does it take to become a priest?
A. Some men who have already graduated college and completed their
college undergraduate degree may have to take only 2 years of college
seminary, call "Pre-Theology", before they enter Major Seminary and
study Theology. So, when a priest is ordained, he has completed at least one bachelor's degree and at least one master's degree. Some
have more than one degree at each level of education. Some seminarians also take a year off from their life in a seminary to work in a
parish.
Q. If I go to seminary, does that mean I am going to be a priest?
A. No, just because you decide to go to a seminary does not mean you
automatically become a priest. The key reason for going to seminary is to try and figure out if God really is calling you to priesthood. This
takes time, a lot of study, and a lot of listening to what God wants,
not just what you want.
Q. What is an ordination?
A. An ordination is a liturgical ceremony of the Sacrament of Holy
Orders in which a man is received into a ministerial order of the Church; most people are familiar with three types of ordination:
promotion to the orders of deacon and priest, and the consecration of
a Bishop. The principle act of each ordination is signified by the "laying of hands" just as the Apostles did at the first ordinations of
the Church.