Vocations

Priesthood Questions

1. Do I really want to live the life of a priest, or am I being pressured by someone or something? Does this life appeal to something in my own heart?

2. Why does this life attract me? What am I really looking for? Am I seeking to get something for myself, or do I really want to give of myself in service to God and to others?

3. Am I in reasonably good physical health?

4. What about my mental and emotional stability. Can I cope with stress reasonably well, or am I often restless, tense, or struggling with my moods?

5. How important to me is the intimacy and companionship of women? Have I considered marriage as a possible vocation?

6. How well do I get along with other people? Am I basically at ease with them or do I feel threatened much of the time? Can I work together in a group without demanding my own way?

7. Can I stand alone if I have to? Am I overly dependent on others? Do I tend to just ‘go along with the crowd’ in order to fit in?

8. Do I have an affinity for prayer? Am I willing to work seriously at developing a solid spiritual life, a life centered on God and radiating out in service to his people?

9. Do I honestly desire to be a priest or am I really seeking security, the prestige of the priesthood, or for some other non-valid reason?

10. Am I fully aware of the difference between a ‘vocation’ and a ‘career’ or ‘profession’? Vocation is the Lord’s call to a particular state of life. Career or profession is merely one aspect of how one lives out their vocation.

A priest is someone who…

…proclaims the Gospel in its fullness with clarity and courage, in word and in deed, while teaching and encouraging others to do the same.

…sacrifices and intercedes on behalf of others.

…prays daily, faithfully reciting the Liturgy of the Hours.

…recognizes the unique privilege of offering Mass and the other sacraments as a normative channel of God’s grace.

…strives to grow in his love for Christ regularly honoring and adoring his real presence in the Eucharist.

…has a deep love for, and devotion to, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

…wants to be a ‘fisher of men’ whose goal is to unconditionally love others and become a humble instrument for the salvation of souls.

…lives a preferential option for the poor, ready and willing to assist those in need, fully embracing his call ‘to serve’ and not ‘to be served’.

…is committed to living a chaste and celibate life.

…prides himself on being a Catholic, never shying away from publicly witnessing his faith or his priesthood.

…strives for a balanced and sustained devotional life.

…humbly recognizes his need for Christ’s mercy and forgiveness, seeking it regularly in the Sacrament of Penance.

…readily seeks prayerful intercession among the Communion of Saints.

…maintains respect and obedience to the Holy Father, the Church’s Magisterium, his Bishop and local superior.

Qualifications for Seminarians

To be considered as a candidate for formation in the Diocese of Tyler, an aspirant must meet the following qualifications and criteria:

1. Faith in, and love for Christ and His Church.
2. Good moral character.
3. A high school diploma with favorable academic abilities.
4. Emotional balance and maturity.
5. Good physical health.
6. Psychological readiness and capacity to pursue a sustaining, life-long commitment.
7. A deepening habit of prayer and a balanced devotional life.
8. Maturity to recognize, and willingness to respond to, the needs of others.
9. Readiness to serve in the manner to which he is called by God, through the Bishop.
10. A developing spirit of detachment that helps him be in the world, but not of the world.
11. Freedom to enter this state in life.
12. Be between the ages of 17-55. (A previously obtained undergraduate college degree is required for those between the ages of 50-55.)
13. Does not have personal financial liability, i.e. car or personal loans, credit card(s), etc. versus personal assets that exceeds $3,000; nor have total outstanding college and/or graduate school student loan debt that exceeds $40,000.
14. Have some familiarity with the Diocese of Tyler and the people with whom the candidate feels called to serve here as a future priest, i.e. by living (past or present), working or studying within the diocese. (On a case-by-case basis, consideration will be given to those who do not meet this criterion only after they have seriously considered the possibility of serving in their home diocese with the consultation of their home Bishop and/or Vocation Director.)
15. Not suffer from a disordered sexual orientation, i.e. not consider oneself to be homosexual.
16. If the candidate has previously been dismissed from another priestly formation program or from an institute of consecrated life or society of apostolic life, he must wait at least two years prior to being considered for the priestly formation program in the Diocese of Tyler
17. If the candidate is a recent convert to the faith or has recently returned to the regular practice of the faith, he must wait at least two years prior to acceptance into the priestly formation program in the Diocese of Tyler.

Additional criteria apply to non-U.S. Citizens and aspirants who were previously married.

Application Process

Initial Contact and inquiry – This can start as simply as asking a priest at your parish to give you some tips for developing your prayer life. As you grow closer to God, you may sense a call to offer more of yourself to Him, “Who did you create me to be Lord?” Sometimes a conversation can become an invitation, to pursue more deeply, attend a discernment event, bring it up with a priest, a trusted friend, or the Vocations Director. If you begin to feel a sense that God is calling you to be a priest, bring that up with a priest you know, or contact the Vocations Director directly to speak with him.

Once your discernment has reached the point of feeling a call to continue exploring your vocation in the context of seminary, contact the Vocations Director to help you discern if this is the right moment for that, and give you guidance along that path.

Application Materials – Upon recommendation of the Vocations Director, the aspirant will turn in the following documents:

1. Completed Diocesan Application Form
2. Letter of recommendation from pastor/priest-mentor
3. Letter of recommendation from employer/supervisor/teacher
4. Letter of recommendation from a non-family lay person in the aspirant’s parish
5. Baptismal certificate with sacramental notifications of first Communion and confirmation
6. Copy of parent’s sacramental marriage certificate
7. Official academic transcripts from high school and previous colleges/universities
8. Completion of the Church Personnel Certification process (background check, commitment to the Code of Conduct, and attendance at a training session).
9. Confidential Information Release Form
10. Letter from Ordinary of previous diocese or religious order (if applicable)
11. Certificate of reception of candidacy, lector, and acolyte (if applicable)