Vocations

Do You Feel a Calling to the Priesthood, Diaconate, or Religious Life?

Sometimes Catholics may feel God calling them to something different in their lives. They may, as a result of prayer and reflection, feel that God is leading them to devote their lives to the Church in a particular way, perhaps as a Priest, Nun, Religious Sister, Brother or Deacon. If you feel that God is calling you to religious life, why not speak to Fr. Chris about it? Or you may prefer to speak to the Archdiocese’s vocations director . You may want to visit different religious orders’ retreat centres, parishes or monasteries, and should be able to find information for these online.

Thinking about entering religious life is called discernment. This is a period of time when we pray, reflect and talk to others about our journey towards priesthood or other religious life. Sometimes this takes many years, and for some it leads to ordination into religious life, and for others they realise that God is calling them to something else as a layperson.

We are all called to serve God, the Church and His people in some way. Lay people may be called to be a devoted husband, wife, mother, father or carer. We may be called to service through our career, perhaps as a teacher or nurse. We may be called to volunteer, serving the poor, the lonely or the sick. Our vocation may be to serve in Church, as a reader, catechist, musician or Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. If you’re interested in any of these roles, please get in touch here (link).

Sometimes God calls us into ministry as a lay person, for example as a Lay Chaplain to a hospital, care home, university, school or prison. We have someone in the parish who has worked in Chaplaincy for ten years who would be happy to talk about this ministry – please email natasha-pritchard@hotmail.co.uk if you’d like more information.