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> How much does it cost to become a priest? Do I have
to pay for my own studies/textbooks/etc?
> What sort of things do you
have to give up to become a priest? 
> I'm 16 and I think I want
to become a priest. Am I to young to start thinking
about it or to start studying? (or I'm 45, am I too old?) What
age do most people start studying for the priesthood. 
> I want to become a priest one
day but not yet. What should I do now to help me
become a priest later?
> What do priests do? 
> Who do I contact to start the formal
process of inquiring about priesthood? 
> What are some of the needs, challenges
and benefits of priesthood? 
> What do you think about these sexual
abuse scandals. Do you think this has damaged the reputation
of the priestly vocation?
> I am not a "holy joe", maybe I am not holy
enough to be a priest? |
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> How long does it take to become a priest? Can
you study part-time?
> How do I know if I'd be suitable
to become a priest? How do I know if I'm ready
to start studying for the priesthood?
> Can a priest choose what parish
he works in? 
> Is it harder to be a priest
today than it was a generation ago, with all the controversies
and challenges in the Church and in the world today? 
> Who do I contact
to start the process of inquiring about priesthood? 
> What kind of subjects do you study
to be a priest? Is the study you do in preparation for
priesthood easier than University study? 
> How much do you get paid? 
> Is it true that priests arent
allowed to own things and they not allowed to do the things
that ordinary people do like, catch up with friends, drink
alcohol, go to parties etc? 
> What is the reason for catholic priests not being
able to marry? Is priesthood lonely? |

>How much does it cost
to become a priest? Do
I have to pay for my own studies/textbooks/etc?
There is no financial cost involved with training to be a priest.
In Queensland, each diocese funds the training of its priests.
The seminary provides food and accommodation and covers the academic
costs. Each student receives an allowance to cover personal expenses
such as books and clothes.
If students have cars they are welcome to bring them to the
seminary. There are also vehicles available to enable students
to get to them to go to class, household shopping and pastoral
activities. The expenses related to car use for personal reasons
are reimbursed to the seminary.
> What sort of things do you have to give up to become
a priest?
The first thing that often comes to mind when this
question arises is the requirement for priests in the Roman Catholic
Church to be celibate. The issue of celibacy is addressed in another
answer on this page. View archives.
When a man becomes a priest he embraces a particular vocation,
a particular way of life. Priests don't earn a lot of money.
Being a priest is a lifelong commitment which is different to
the current trend to change careers a number of times during
a working life. A priest's pastoral responsibilities often take
priority over personal wishes.
All of this is hard to take without a spirituality of service.
No one could say that the priesthood is a mainstream way of life.
One has to be honest and say that the priesthood is a radical
vocation. What the church needs are people who have a heart big
enough to take on this challenge. While it won't always be easy,
it will bring deep satisfaction. To be a priest you need to believe
in what you are doing in such a way that the sacrifices you make
are worthwhile. 
> I'm 16 and I think I want to become a priest. Am
I to young to start thinking about it or to start studying?
(or I'm 45, am I too old?) What age do most people start
studying for the priesthood.
At the age of 16 you are probably doing a lot of thinking about
the path you will take after leaving school. It is a good time
to be thinking about the possibility of becoming a priest. If
you are 45 you are not too old to be thinking about becoming
a priest either. Most people who start at the seminary are in
their 20s. However there are exceptions to this, some seminary
students are somewhat older.
There is no magical, definitive age for beginning at the seminary.
Some important attributes for a person of any age beginning formation
are maturity and the capacity to take on board new learning.
A person's age alone does not tell us a great deal about who
they are and what they believe in. 
> I want to become a priest one day but
not yet. What
should I do now to help me become a priest later?
An important question that needs to be considered is the reason
behind not wanting to move towards priesthood at the moment.
Some things that can help prepare you for the priesthood
include getting involved in your local parish community if you
are not already involved, paying attention to your spiritual life
and developing a healthy habit of prayer. It would be good to
talk about these kinds of things with your local priest or the
Vocations Director, whose contact details
are on this site, and to get some good reading material to help
stimulate your reflections at this time.
Another option is to make enquiries about living at Canali House,
a house of discernment in Fortitude Valley. While living in the
house you can continue to work or study in whatever area you
are in at the moment. At the same time you have the chance to
find out more about the priesthood and focus on your spiritual
development.
If you are waiting for an email or an SMS from God telling you
that the time is right, you will be waiting for a long time.
God's ways are often much more subtle than this. If you feel
that you have some kind of calling to be a priest, doing nothing
will not help you make a good decision. God gives us opportunities,
but we have to cooperate with God in order for things to happen.
> What do priests do?
There are the very special occasions that priests are involved in, such as
presiding at Masses, Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals. However, as a leader
of a faith community there are also many other less public things that
happen. A priests life is full of variety; each week is usually different
to the one that has gone before.
Every parish is different, so priests can be involved with schools, hospitals,
nursing homes and providing assistance for those in financial difficulty. People
often come to priests to talk about their various personal problems. Priests
also have certain administrative responsibilities. Parishes usually have Pastoral
Councils and Finance Committees which share in those responsibilities.
Some priest work in special ministries as diverse as hospital chaplaincy, prison
chaplaincy, military chaplaincy and theological education.
A
example of a Priest's diary 

> Who do I contact to start the process
of inquiring about priesthood?
Mark Lysaght
Vocations Centre
GPO Box 282
Brisbane Qld 4001
Phone: 1300 133 544 or 07 3336 9392
E-mail: vocation@bne.catholic.net.au
(All enquiries will be handled confidentially)

> What are some of the needs, challenges
and benefits of priesthood?
The main purpose of a priest is to preach the message of Jesus
through actions and words. The message of Jesus is incredibility
powerful; his way offers life, happiness and peace.
In this day and age preaching the message of Jesus Christ has
its challenges. There are so many other voices promoting so many
other things that the message of Jesus sometimes gets lost.

> Have the sexual abuse scandals damaged the reputation of the priestly vocation?
Sexual abuse is a grave matter that has done a great deal of harm to innocent
and vulnerable people. It has certainly harmed the mission of the church and
the ministry of priests.
Any attempt to sexualise a pastoral relationship is a breach of trust, an abuse
of authority, and professional misconduct. Any form of sexual behavior with
a minor or adolescent is always criminal sexual abuse. The church believes
that sexual abuse is sinful, it is contrary to the vision and mission of Christ.
New screening procedures and better training of seminarians is aimed at preventing
the possibility of priests offending in the future.
The Catholic Church in Australia has put in place processes to address allegations
of abuse an appropriate manner. In Queensland the Professional Standards Resource
Group has been established to address complaints against church personnel.
The group has a helpline (1800 337 928) where abuse can be discussed confidentially
and assistance (e.g. counseling) can be arranged. Anyone who calls this helpline
can still contact the police at any time.
Article by Archbishop Bathersby, The Courier Mail (22 April 2002) 

> I am not a "holy joe", maybe I am not holy enough
to be a priest?
There can be a perception that being holy means being abnormal
and distant from the lives of ordinary people. People can be holy
by doing average things; they can be as holy as people who live
in monasteries. Holiness is about developing a relationship with
God and putting that into practice when you relate to other people.
Someone once said that holiness is about living in right relationship
with God and other people. Holiness is about compassion and love.

> How long does it take to become a priest? Can
you study part-time?
It used to be said that it took about seven years
to become a priest, but given the diverse backgrounds of today's
students for the priesthood, timeframes can vary. Today the approach
to seminary formation needs to be flexible; and it may sometimes
take less time or more time to be ordained a priest. This may
sound like a long time, but you need to take into account the
variety of phases involved in seminary formation. You don't spend
seven years doing academic courses. Have a look at this page which
outlines the phases of formation. View the
Process
Rather than working from a particular timeframe,
the formation program of each seminarian takes into account past
studies and experiences as well as the learning needs of each
individual. So the ultimate aim is not to "produce"
a priest on time, but rather to ensure that a priest is equipped
with the skills that he needs to be a competent pastor.
Training to be a priest involves more than studying subjects
at a College. Formation for the priesthood also involves living
in situations where you will be exposed to experiences which
develop your understanding of yourself, your relationship with
God and your ability to relate to people in a pastoral situation.
Going beyond book or classroom learning, formation involves living
in a seminary and eventually in a parish. These places become
communities of formation where people learn with the assistance
of others.
Learning to become a priest is a full-time occupation, students
for the priesthood are expected to live in these communities
of formation and focus their time and energy on the task of preparing
to be a priest. 
> How do I know if I'd be suitable to
become a priest? How
do I know if I'm ready to start studying for the priesthood?
Every priest is different; each one brings his own strengths
and weakness to ministry. Part of the process of considering
whether you are suitable to be a priest is exploring those strengths
and weaknesses. Those elements need to be explored through personal
prayer and reflection and also through conversation with other
people.
In the initial stages of thinking about priesthood people often
want to keep their thoughts to themselves, but it is good to
find a priest with whom you can discuss what is happening. As
things develop you should make contact with the Vocations Director
to enable you to discern further. Eventually the Director will
arrange for a professional vocational assessment to help you
and the Archbishop make the final decision about starting at
the seminary.
As you can see, with finding who is suitable to be a priest,
it is not a case of ticking off items on a list. Human beings
are complicated and so the task of discerning whether you are
ready to begin at the seminary must take that into account. It
is also important that you continue praying so that you will
be open to where God is leading you.
See the Person page
within this site for a list of some of the most important qualities
of someone who might be suitable to be a priest. 
> Can a priest choose what parish he works in?
The process through which a priest is appointed to a parish
is aimed at bringing together the needs of the priest and the
needs of the church. Every priest is different and every parish
is different. The Archbishop has ultimate responsibility for
appointing priests to particular ministries.
Efforts are made to match priests and parishes in a way which
is best for all concerned, and it always depends a great deal
on what is happening in the diocese at that time. Every parish
has its own limitations and joys; one of the qualities required
for ministry is to be able to have a positive attitude in a variety
of situations. 
> Is it harder to be a priest today
than it was a generation ago, with all the controversies and
challenges in the Church and in the world today?
It is probably true that the priesthood has had more stability
and status sometimes in the past. More recent years have seen
occasions of scandal and there is anxiety about the future of
the church. But then, every era of the Church has had its challenges.
The crisis and lack of hope that the church experiences today
is also shared by the whole of humanity. The human race has to
find a path into the future, weaving through a variety of difficulties
like terrorism, the growing divide between rich and poor, and
the search for an ultimate purpose in life. As Catholic Christians
we believe that Jesus Christ and his message is essential in
negotiating all of this.
To be able to be a priest in the future, you will need to have
a very clear sense of your mission to bring Jesus' message of
hope to the world - by what you do, what you say and by assisting
others to strengthen their faith.
You will have to be convinced of the saving power of the cross;
convinced that where there is despair, the cross can bring resurrection
and life. You will have to believe that God is changing the world
to become his Kingdom. You will need faith and courage, and as
a pastor of the believing community you draw from the faith and
courage of the community and the community will draw these qualities
from you.
> Who do I contact to start the process of inquiring about
priesthood?
Mark Lysaght
Vocations Centre
GPO Box 282
Brisbane Qld 4001
Phone: 1300 133 544 or 07 3336 9392
E-mail: vocation@bne.catholic.net.au
(All enquiries will be handled confidentially)

> What kind of subjects do you
study to be a priest? Is the study you do in preparation for
priesthood easier than University study?
People training to be a priest study a wide range of subjects which include:
scripture; theology; philosophy; history; liturgy and ministry. Some of these
things might sound a little scary, but anyone capable of doing a basic university
degree will be able to study to be a priest.
Studies are completed through St. Pauls Theological College which is
a member school of the Brisbane College of Theology.
Subject
List 
Brisbane
College of Theology 

> How much do you get paid?
Priests do not expect to become wealthy, but nor should they need to worry
about the necessities of life. Parish Priests are given a cash stipend of $11
400 per year and Assistant Priests are paid $11 160. This may seem like a small
amount, but priests are given a number of fringe benefits. Their accommodation
and household costs (electricity, phone and food) are paid by their parish.
Priests are also provided with a car and a car expenses allowance, although
they do make a limited contribution to car costs. Priests are also covered
by private health insurance.
While not having a luxurious lifestyle, priests can live a comfortable life
with financial security.
> Is it true that priests arent
allowed to own things? Can priests do ordinary things like spend
time with friends, drink alcohol and go to parties?
There are some differences between being a Diocesan Priest,
whose main mission is to work in the local church, and Religious
Order Priests (like the Franciscans, Carmelites and Dominicans),
who have a variety of different missions depending on their order.
Religious Priests usually take a vow of poverty and do not own
anything personally. Diocesan Priests are able to own things.
However, Diocesan Priests are aware that they take their income
from the donations of ordinary people who often struggle financially;
as such their lifestyle should not be exorbitantly expensive.
It is important that priests do have contact with friends and
do have time to relax. Priests are ultimately ordinary people
and it can be very unhealthy if they do not have people in
their lives to share friendship with. Many people may not see
the private life of priests, but spending time with family
and friends is essential for a priest to be happy.
There is no rule which forbids priests for drinking alcohol or enjoy parties.
However there is an expectation that, like anyone that they would use alcohol
responsibly.
> What
is the reason for Catholic
priests not being able to marry? Is priesthood lonely?
The main reason for priests being celibate is to allow them
to be free from the responsibilities of married life, so
that they are more available to the ministry they exercise.
Priests are said to be celibate for the sake of Gods
Kingdom.
Celibacy can be a pretty mysterious thing and probably has to be experienced
in order to really be understood. Making any kind of commitment involves loss,
whether it is marriage, celibacy or any other major life choice. When we make
big choices we usually give up something to make that choice.
This might sound strange, but learning to be celibate
involves coming to a deeper understanding of one's sexuality.
Sexuality is no just about sexual intercourse, it is about
how we relate to other people and to God. No one can stop
being sexual, they can refrain for sexual intercourse but
they do not lose their maleness or femaleness.
The priesthood can be lonely, but it does not have to be. Learning
about your sexuality is also about taking responsibility for your
life. If we feel lonely, it is as if God is calling us to grow
in our friendships. When we take responsibility for our lives,
we respond to that call from God.
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