Cultivating a Culture of Vocations

By Carissa Krautscheid

If you were to guess the age at which most priests first felt called to pursue their vocation to the priesthood, what would you guess?

Perhaps college, because that’s when they start to own their faith apart from the guidance of their parents?

Perhaps after Confirmation because they are now filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit?

While the Lord is indeed calling men to the priesthood in any age, 75 percent of newly ordained priests first heard their calling before they were 18 years old. It may come as a surprise that 36 percent of priests heard their call between the ages of 6 and 13. These statistics were reflected by those present at the Priest Convocation last week. 


Thirty-six percent of priests heard God's call for their vocation to the priesthood between the ages of 6 and 13.

One hundred and twenty-five priests welcomed guest speaker Rhonda Gruenewald, founder of Vocation Ministry. Over the past 11 years, Gruenewald and her team have trained thousands of priests and laity at over 4,000 parishes in 50 dioceses. 

Bishop Edward Weisenburger invited Gruenewald to come to the Diocese of Tucson to train our priests in developing vocation ministries at their parishes. Priests will be looking for a team of lay volunteers at their parishes to be conduits of God’s commissioning to those who are still discerning their vocations.

Throughout the course of this year, Gruenewald will return to train these parish delegates, school principals and teachers, catechists, youth ministers, and deacons. If you are interested in attending one of these workshops and assisting with bolstering holy vocations in our Diocese, please contact your pastor.

Cultivating a culture of vocations takes a village. If the Lord is calling priests when they are  children, we must begin to assess our parenting, the quality of education and catechesis, and opportunities for altar servers and parish programs. 

When we look closer, we might not be surprised to find that young kids are hearing God’s call to the priesthood. Jesus himself said, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14). At this age, many kids receive the Sacraments of first Holy Communion, first Reconciliation, and sometimes Confirmation.

Childhood is a time to play, be creative, and simply imagine. It might not surprise us that there is a decrease in vocations to the priesthood if children do not have as much access to the silence and unstructured play time when they can be open to the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit.

At 23 percent, the second highest age group was priests called when they were in college, between 18 and 21 years old. This season of life is when many young people choose to become or stay Catholic of their own volition. There are special opportunities for young people in this season of life to deepen their faith and fuel the fire of the Holy Spirit, with the assistance of campus ministries and missionaries.

Regardless of age, interests, or circumstances, the Lord calls priests of all kinds to labor on behalf of his Kingdom, cultivating the bountiful harvest of souls longing for the Lord.
 

Have you ever suspected God might be calling you to the priesthood? Men who are considering or discerning the priesthood are invited to attend a Discernment Retreat on Saturday, May 6 from 9am to 5pm at Redemptorist Renewal Center in Tucson. Register by May 2!