“Father, I think God’s calling me to priesthood, but I’m not sure what the next step is. Can you help?”

Moments like this are happening more and more often. I’m really encouraged by how many young men are listening to the Lord Jesus — and how brother priests and so many of the faithful have walked with them before I even meet them.

I started in the Vocations office just a week before the COVID shutdown and saw how difficult it made discerning a vocation for our young people. It has been so refreshing lately to walk with more young men considering the priesthood here than at any point in the last four years.

And now, Partners in the Gospel gives us a great opportunity to build a much stronger culture of vocations. For example, multiple priests in a parish family can open doors to accompaniment of men discerning a potential call to religious life. Also, a larger parish family provides a critical mass of the faithful to create a vocations ministry or host discernment groups.

Decades of statistics show that the strongest factor in young men hearing and answering the call to the priesthood is accompaniment by our parish priests. Thus, it’s important for us as a Vocations office to help build that connection.

So what are we doing as an archdiocese to nurture vocations to the priesthood? Here are some ways we’re complementing our priests and parishes in promoting vocations.

Campers pray during Quo Vadis Days.

Quo Vadis Days: For more than 20 years, this vocations-focused camp has encouraged high school-aged boys to consider the priesthood while also helping others discern a possible call they have received.

True Heart: These discernment groups began meeting around the archdiocese in 2023. They help young men grow in prayer and hear from local priests, which has led many to take a next step confidently toward their vocation.

Presence at events: In addition to me, our associate vocations directors — Father Tyler Johnson, Father Carlos Orozco and Father Anh Tran — have been visiting parishes, schools and youth and young adult events to “plant the seed” of a possible call to priesthood or religious life.

Young men participating in the True Heart program gather at Immaculate Conception Church in Seattle for an overnight vigil that included adoration and daybreak Mass. Bishop Frank Schuster presided. (Photo: Courtesy of Archbishop Paul D. Etienne)

But whenever someone asks what the archdiocese is doing to foster vocations, remember that “the archdiocese” includes you! With that in mind, what can you do as part of the archdiocese to help build a culture of vocations?

Pray! I see the fruits of people’s prayers when a young man reaches out, seemingly out of nowhere. Use our Prayer for Vocations (see below), and trust that the master of the harvest will send laborers for the harvest (Luke 10:2).

Join a Serra Club. Serra Clubs offer the chance to grow in holiness with other devoted members while praying for vocations, supporting events that promote vocations and connecting with seminarians. There are several in the archdiocese. Learn more at serraus.org.

Begin a parish-based effort. Within your parish family, you can help priests identify and accompany young people toward their vocations by volunteering for things like discernment group meetings or even starting a vocations team.

Don’t be afraid to encourage someone you know, including a family member, to consider the priesthood. Often, I talk with someone whose family loves the church but worries about the sacrifices their son or brother will need to make as a priest. In those times, trust the Lord (like my family needed to!). If God is truly calling him to the priesthood, you too will see his immense joy and the joy of those he’ll serve.

Sometime after my ordination, my dad said something like, “Justin, if people knew that this is what it was like, everyone would at least think about priesthood or religious life.” God willing, through prayer and encouragement, everyone will think about it, and we will build a stronger culture of vocations so our young people will respond to their call, letting the Lord Jesus bring the good work begun in them to fulfillment.

Father Justin Ryan is director of vocations for the Archdiocese of Seattle. He was ordained to the priesthood in 2018. You can reach him at [email protected].

Archdiocese of Seattle Prayer for Vocations

God our Father,

You call each of us

to use our gifts in the Body of Christ.

Inspire your people

with desire to know you,

the grace to understand your will,

and, with the strength of the Holy Spirit,

the courage to respond

with love and freedom.

Send workers into your great harvest

so that the Gospel is preached, the poor

are served with love, the suffering are comforted,

and your people are strengthened by the sacraments.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

This article appeared in the June/July 2024 issue of Northwest Catholic magazine. Read the rest of the issue here.