Blocked Again

I haven't written on this blog in a while mainly because they turned Websense back on at work and they block logging into Blogger for some reason, so I can't even write while I am on my lunch break or before and after hours like I have been doing. Also, for a couple of months there wasn't a whole lot of news, just a lot of praying and waiting kind of a deal. The last reason that I haven't posted recently is because I have become extremely busy. I will try to get you caught up on all of the things that have been going on in my discernment process over the past few months.

After my last post, I contacted the vocations director of the diocese where I currently live (remember, I'm discerning through the vocations office of my childhood/hometown diocese). He was very supportive and offered any help, but there does not seem to be any ongoing discernment groups here like there is back in my home diocese. The only event is a once or twice a year interest meeting.

It had actually been over a month since I had heard from or talked to Fr. JS. One Friday, as I was in daily Mass at noon, I was starting to doubt if this path is the one I should be taking and reminded myself that I was hoping that if this is what God intended that the doors for this path would be wide open. Not that it wouldn't be difficult, but that the next step would be clear. At work, I decided that since I hadn't heard from Fr. JS in awhile that maybe I should go out to a bar to enjoy some live music and maybe call up one of my girl friends not as a date, but as company. And maybe see if I should start looking at the dating scene again. Low and behold, by the end of the day, I had an email from Fr. JS saying that he was sorry for being out of touch, but he had knee surgery and was wanting to get together by the end of November.

I made a trip up to meet with him at a small sit-down restaurant in the downtown area of a small town where he was giving a class that morning. We just talked for a while and we both had some questions for each other and he asked me if I had thought about starting the application and told me a little about what that meant, but didn't go into great detail. I wasn't too sure about that just yet. We left knowing a bit more about each other and a little bit more about the process. During our meeting we had to comment and laugh about the number of couples being escorted back to check out the reception area that day, they were lining up one after the other.

The next Sunday, my co-catechist, CO, for the 9th grade class I teach asked me after class if I have been considering the priesthood and where I was in the discernment process. She did not know about any of this before and I was a little taken aback. I told her a bit about what was going on, since if it continued, she would have to know why I was going to be continually gone on the weekends.

As I had been praying about the application of which Fr. JS spoke in our last meeting and CO had talked to me about furthering discernment out of the blue, I decided that this was a sign that I should start the application. I called up Fr. JS and told him and he told me more in depth about the application process, which I will describe later. But, most importantly he said that once you start the application process the diocese considers your discernment more of a matter of public record and that I needed to talk to my family before starting the application process.

Over Thanksgiving weekend when my brother, his wife, and my parents were altogether I took them out to a nice restaurant to tell them lots of good news including my discernment, as well as paying off my debt and loosing some weight. My sister, LM, had a lot of questions since she was raised Lutheran and joined the Church a couple of years ago just before they married. No one was too shocked, but they were surprised by the news and of course were supportive as we always are of each other. The next day at my grandparents' house my Dad wanted me to set near him on the couch and then said he was proud.

That week I called Fr. JS and told him that I had talked to my parents. The very next weekend I was in town again so we met at a restaurant and he gave me the application packet and went through it page by page taking a look at it. The application process for priestly formation, at least in this diocese, contains 4 steps. The first step involves a 58 question application, getting 5 names for letters of recommendation, 8 1 page short answer questions, 2 3-5 page essay questions, 2 copies of transcrpts, 2 copies of sacramental records, consent forms, safe environment training, and a physical. That is just the first step in the process! He also explained to me that there was a dinner with the bishop and seminarians To which I was invited at the rectory of the cathedral during the Fourth Week of Advent and it would be good to turn in some of the application that week.

So, I had to get busy. I did the research to get the 58 questions filled out, scheduled a physical, got my sacramental records, and filled out the consent forms. That was the part I turned in. I was still waiting for one of my references to get back with me and I had gone into church in front of the blessed sacramen to write up outlines for all of the writings I would have to do, but did not get a chance to type them and proofread before that week.

The dinner was great. It was good to finally get to meet the new bishop who was installed after I moved to another diocese as well as meeting and talking to a bunch of guys who were/are going through some of the same things. I met with the administrator in the vocations office, BG, the next day to turn in the materials I had completed and then went to my alma mater to order transcripts.

On Christmas, I had both of my grandparents open a package which contained the first page of my application packet at the same time to tell them. There were lots of tears shed, only by my grand parents. Which gets us all caught up in this blog.

Next, I will be going to a discernment retreat this weekend at St. Meinrad Archabbey and Seminary. Also, I have setup an initial formal meeting with the Vocations Director, Fr. BB, the following weekend. Remember Fr. JS is the Assistant Vocations Director. I will let you know how both of those events go, but for now, I am trying to type in all of those papers I need to get done for step 1 as well as my job, youth ministry, my R.E. Lesson plans, godfather responsblities and a myriad of other tasks on which I am falling behind.

Dominus Vobiscum