How to answer God's call to a religious life

Intermountain Catholic

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IC graphic/Jenn Sparks

SALT LAKE CITY — The first step toward a priestly or religious life isn’t taken by the man or woman considering such a vocation. Rather, it is God Himself who initials the call.

"They are the target in God’s eyes," said Father Javier Virgen, director of the Diocese of Salt Lake City Vocations Office.

By the time someone begins investigating a life dedicated to God, however, traces of their calling likely already are evident in a devotion to the Church that expresses itself in daily Mass attendance, for example.

"You can see the external signs," Fr. Virgen said.

Internally, the young man will be thinking about how he might enjoy a life of serving, hearing confessions, preaching and visiting the sick. The first outward step for him, then, is to talk to his parents and priest, Fr. Virgen said. Ultimately, he will meet with Fr. Virgen as the vocations director.

Once Fr. Virgen has determined that the young man is truly interested in a priestly life, he suggests that the candidate get a spiritual director, if he doesn’t have one already.

"Through the spiritual director, God speaks more clearly, more directly," Fr. Virgen said.

Holy Cross Sister Joseph Cecile Voelker, who handles vocations for her order in Utah, also suggests that a young woman who is considering a religious life talk with a confidante to determine how to discern her calling.

"Discernment is the first thing," Sr. Joseph Cecile said, adding that most candidates have a personal relationship with God. "It really is a response to a call."

Becoming a sister or nun is "deeper than a career," she said. "This is a whole lifestyle. It’s not just what you do to make a living."

A young woman might be successful in holy orders if she is adaptable, selfless, looks for the good in others, and will welcome an active prayer life and devotion to a ministry that either supports the religious community or spreads the Gospel, Sr. Joseph Cecile said.

These days, candidates for religious life are typically in their 20s, unlike the days before Vatican II.

"They need experience in the world outside the Church," Fr. Virgen said, and the norm is for some of that experience to be gained while obtaining a college degree. The Salt Lake diocese also requires that seminarians be younger than 40.

Most women’s religious orders have these same requirements, Sr. Joseph Cecile said.

If a man is considered a candidate for the seminary, one of the first determinations that must be made is what schooling he still requires: Most seminarians graduate with a master’s degree in divinity or theology before they are ordained. Their undergraduate requirements typically include two years of philosophy.

Exceptions to the requirements can be made for various reasons, Fr. Virgen said.

Not all men considering the priesthood are interested in becoming a diocesan priest. Those who are thinking of joining a religious order are welcome to contact the vocations office for information as well, Fr. Virgen said.

"We are one Church," he said. "We would like candidates for the diocese, but we have to be open. The Holy Spirit works openly."

A young woman should explore the various religious communities before deciding which will be a good fit, Sr. Joseph Cecile said. Even after taking final vows, however, she shouldn’t expect a life free of care.

"There is peace, there is security, but every life has its challenges and every life calls upon one’s own relationship with God to take the next step," she said. "It is an act of faith, and that’s why a strong relationship with God is essential."

For information about vocations to the priestly or religious life, contact the Diocese of Salt Lake City Vocations Office, 801-328-8641.

View Bishop John C. Wester’s video Tuesday Tapestry as he talks with Father Javier Virgen and Deacon Ricardo Arias of the Diocese of Salt Lake City Vocations Office regarding priestly vocations. The video is online at www.icatholic.org. Click on the Tuesday Tapestry tab.