If you know of dioceses that have good seminaries, and that are known to welcome late vocations, feel free to leave a comment! Directories of Roman Catholic religious orders and communities Holy Vocations - Blog for those discerning vocations to priesthood or religious life - the sidebar has a large list of links to men's and women's communities Mr. La Grutta started studying for the priesthood at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, NY in 1981 after some time as a pharmacist. Second-career vocations are not a new trend in the Catholic Church; for instance, all the apostles were men who had previous careers before they answered the calling of Jesus Christ. Discernment is not a quick and easy task. The Catholic Foundation; Vocations. Denis Claivaz said in his five years as vocations director for the Presentation Brothers in Toronto, he has worked with two young men and 11 in middle age. National Vocation Awareness Week. Named St. Phillip Neri Seminary, it is here that our priests receive the formation that prepares them to serve the Sovereign Priest. At least 10 men from his diocese received their education at the seminary known for late or second vocations to the priesthood. Priesthood; Religious Life; Consecrated Single Life; Discernment Opportunities; Parish Resources; What is ArchMob? 400 Government St Mobile, AL 36602 (251) 434-1585 webmaster@mobarch.org. Today, people from all walks of life, including retired men and women, leave successful careers as nurses, lawyers, engineers, teachers, secretaries, etc. During the seminary’s almost 50-year history, 600 of its alumni have served in more than 140 dioceses and religious orders. Located near Florence, it is only about 170 miles from the Eternal City — Rome — and the Vatican. Celebrated November 7-13, 2021, National Vocation Awareness Week is an annual week-long celebration of the Catholic Church in the United States dedicated to promote vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and consecrated life through prayer and education, and to renew our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations. / Gear; Donate – SOS; Permanent Diaconate; Serra Club; Archdiocese of Mobile. O FFICE OF P RIESTLY & R ELIGIOUS V OCATIONS . Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary (formerly Blessed John XXIII National Seminary) is a Roman Catholic seminary in Weston, Massachusetts.It offers a graduate-level program designed for priesthood candidates aged 30 and above, often called "second-career vocations" or "delayed vocations". He left in his fourth year to work for Medco Health Solutions. T he seminary of the Institute of Christ the King is located in an ancient chateau at Gricigliano in Tuscany, Italy. Eventually, a decision maybe made to pursue the call more formally, which is done within a seminary. Little did the 67-year-old widower know that one day he would also be studying for the priesthood at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology. This notion of late vocations is actually important and a great gift to the Church because we bring so many different skills to the table.” Br. Once begun, it often takes months, and sometimes years to discern a vocation properly. Hear Father Norm Carroll discuss Vocations Awareness Week on the Catholic Forum Podcast: Hear an interview with Sister Virginia Peckham, LSJM on her calling to religious life on the Catholic Forum Podcast: Discerning a Vocation with Seminarians from the Diocese of Wilmington . The Vocation Director will begin a conversation that can last up to a couple of years, working with to explore the relationship with Jesus Christ, the meaning of priesthood and interpreting God's will. Some years later, while praying before the Blessed Sacrament around the feast of Corpus Christi, Mr. La Grutta realized that he had to go back to seminary. For a man discerning a vocation to the priesthood, the process for admittance to a Roman Catholic Seminary is extensive and rigorous. A vocation is a calling from God to serve His Church in a particular state of life.