How do I know God is calling me to be a priest? What is it……” The call” ?

It is difficult to ‘know’ if one has a vocation to priesthood. It really only begins to emerge over time, most especially in conversation with someone else. It is in conversation with someone else, perhaps a spiritual director or a ‘soul friend’ that one begins to discern the presence of God’s spirit through events, beliefs and feelings. There are three questions that are helpful in this area: do you feel attracted to the life of the priest, would you be any good at it and has anyone asked you? It is also helpful to ‘come and see’, meet with Vincentian priests, stay with a community and gain an intuitive ‘sense’ of where you seem to fit best in our society.

Are you looking for perfect people?

We are not looking for the perfect person. We want people who feel drawn to the community of St. Vincent de Paul, people who want to work with others, most especially the excluded and those suffering in the world. You do not have to be an expert or perfect; just open, generous and willing to learn.

Training? Do I need any kind of qualification?

The basic requirement is the leaving certificate. After this, the Community will offer what is needed in the area of formation and study.

Age limit?

We are generally looking for people between the ages of 25 and 40.

What is the difference between a diocesan priest and the Vincentian priest?

One of the clear differences is that we live in community. St. Vincent wanted us to be like diocesan priests in many ways but he also wanted us to live with one another. Community living is a very important part of our lives, it offers support and belonging, but it is not an end in itself. Community is for mission, and our mission is to work with those on the margins of society. Another difference along with taking a vow of poverty, is that we take a vow of stability. This vow is a commitment to always work with the poor, no matter where we are and what we are doing, the other three vows are ways that help us to live the vow of stability.

What work would I be doing if I was a Vincentian priest?

You could be working directly with people who are on the margins of our society. You might be working with Travellers, people who are deaf or homeless, refugees and asylum seekers. You might be in education, perhaps All Hallows College, where you would be part of a faculty offering opportunities for people from all walks of life to know more about their faith and how, with others, to bring their faith to life and their life to their faith. You might work in one of our parishes or with young people. There are many works, in which we all seek to share and discover the compassion of Jesus Christ.

Click here to learn more about our work.

Who can I talk to?

If you wanted to talk to someone, any Vincentian priest would be very willing but if you don’t know anyone yet, please get in touch with our Vocations Director.

Would I only be working in Ireland?

Within the community there are opportunities to work overseas. Scotland and England are all part of our province but there are over 4,000 Vincentian priests working all over the world.

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Is it lonely?

At times it is lonely, and there is no getting away from that. At different stages and times in our lives this feeling can be quite strong. It is than that some wish that they were married and have children, others that they could be their own boss, others wish for more independence, to live alone, to be less on call and to be cared for more. However, most stay despite the presence of this feeling. There is something very deep, and compelling about being in relationship with Jesus Christ, belonging to a group of men who care deeply about others and working with people in many, many different ways. The experience of loneliness is not unique to priests but it is real and needs to be addressed in a healthy and realistic manner.