Why do men want to become priests today?

Perhaps it comes with being a priest, but whenever I can, I like to share Good News.  I would like to begin with the Good News that the Diocese of Joliet will ordain six men to the priesthood this year, which is the largest group since I was ordained with eight classmates in 1989.  The not-so good news is that we only have three men in the next two years who will be ready for ordination.  These men will not replace the number of retirements that are expected in those years.  If we are to provide for the future needs of our Church, we need to dramatically increase our efforts to raise up the new generation of priests for our diocese. 

On Holy Thursday we celebrate the institution of two sacraments by Christ, the Eucharist and the Priesthood.  These two sacraments are intimately connected.  Priesthood exists for the sacramental life of the Church, especially for the celebration of Eucharist, and Eucharist depends on the priesthood.  It would seem in an era when the importance of Eucharist is felt, that the importance of the priesthood should also follow.  If we love the Eucharist, we should promote priestly vocations.  

As vocation director, a common question I often here is “Why do men want to become priests today?”  There is no single answer to that question, just as there is no single age or stage of life when men respond to the call.  There is a personal nature to each man’s call to follow the Lord in a priestly way.  There are, however, some common elements to the call. 

Many young men today are attracted to the priesthood because of the sacramental role of the priest in the Church today.  They are simply intrigued by the ministry of the priest.  They have a desire to fulfill the age-old mission of the priest, to bring people to God and bring God to people.  There is something unique about the priest in his ability to consecrate the Eucharist, offer absolution of sins in Penance, bring healing through the Anointing of the Sick, and celebrate the presence of Christ in the significant human experiences of birth, marriage, and death.  Many are drawn to the priesthood today out of a desire to be another Christ in the midst of a world in need of healing and compassion. 

Another common element of the call is the example of priests that they know and who know them.  Priesthood remains a noble and important calling in the minds and hearts of most Catholics today.  They see how hard we work, the commitment we have, the sacrifice we offer, and the difference we make.  They know that the vast majority of us have been true to our commitments and have served the Church faithfully.  Many men coming forward today want to help the Church grow and flourish.  They know their pastors and see the value of their lives and ministry and want to give their lives for a similar cause.  They want more out of life than what the world seems to give.  Seeing faithful priests care for their people makes priesthood more doable for them.  They want to give themselves to a noble cause and a life of deeper meaning in service as a priest. 

Several candidates have pointed to the importance of Eucharist in their lives, both in the celebration of the Mass as well as in Eucharistic adoration and devotion.  Most are involved in liturgical ministries, and many have been involved in parishes where adoration in encouraged.  Adoration is a regular part of our monthly discernment groups now, and all of our seminaries have increased the amount of time for daily adoration.   Young men who love the Eucharist cannot help but at least consider priestly life as an option for themselves. 

Some consider priesthood today because of a love of the Holy Father and a fidelity to the teachings of the Church.  The magnetic personal attraction Pope John Paul II has had with young people is well documented.  They see him as the witness to hope and a courageous light that they want to follow.  Some young men describe a lack of clear teaching of the faith in their religious education and a desire for more understanding of the Church’s teaching.  There is a renewed appreciation of apologetics in many candidates for priesthood and a desire to defend and bring others to the Catholic faith. 

Almost all candidates will point out that they considered priesthood because someone invited them to.  When I was a senior in high school, my pastor said to me after Mass one Saturday afternoon, “John, if you ever think about being a priest, I think you would be good.”  That’s all he said, nothing more, but it was enough.  I wasn’t ready to respond yet, but the seed was planted.  It is great when a priest asks a man in the parish to consider following the path of service he has trod, but that seems to become more difficult as time goes on.  It takes perseverance in a priest to ask a young man to consider priesthood and not take his negative responses personally.  The invitation, however, does not have to come from a priest.  Sometimes it is more effectively given by a parent, a teacher, a coach, a friend, and even a stranger.  Some of our candidates have said that a stranger in their parish came up to them and asked, “Are you thinking of becoming a priest?”  These invitations have had a powerful influence on our future priests. 

This list of reasons of why men are considering priesthood is different today than from a generation ago.  The world in which we live is different from a generation ago.  What remains constant is the fact that it is the Lord who calls.  The means of the call and the ways that the call are listened to may vary, but it is the same Lord who called Peter and Andrew, Benedict and Scholastica, Francis and Clare, Teresa of Calcutta and John Paul II, who calls us to follow Him today.  What unites priests of various generations and our candidates today is not why they are responding to the call to priesthood.  We are united by the one we are responding to, Jesus Christ, the one we are committing our lives to. 

Sometimes my brother priests will ask me, “How many do you have for this year?” meaning how many new candidates do we have entering in the fall.  Sometimes I’ll say “As many as you’ve sent to me,” meaning the responsibility for encouraging and inviting men to consider priestly life is a shared one with all of our priests and faithful.  As we move toward the future, may each of us in our own way, motivated by our own love of the Eucharist, work for the cause of vocations, which will bring about a new generation of priests for our Church. 

Father John Regan
Joliet Diocese Vocation Director
May 2004

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Copyright: 2005 by Joliet Diocese Vocation Office,
Fr. John Regan , Director