How can you be involved?

• Be Open to the possibility that God may be calling your son to the Priesthood
• Answer your child's questions about the Priesthood or Religious Life as best as you can, or help your child find the answers that you don't know.
• Invite a priest you know to dine with your family.
• Discuss your feelings and reactions to the possibility of your child choosing a religious vocation.

Parents generally just want their children to have happy, fulfilling lives. A big fear that parents have when it comes to speaking to a son about the Priesthood is that the Priesthood will not be a life of fulfillment and happiness. But usually just the opposite is true. In the end, it is your child who must be at peace with his decision, and in order to be at peace, regardless of the decision he makes, he will need your unwavering support.

Advice

"If you feel your son is being called to the Priesthood, our best advise is to pray, pray, pray and get him in contact with the Vocation Director. It is a very difficult decision to make and they need all the encouragement they can get from their family and friends."

- Mr. and Mrs. William Kelly, The Parents of Father Gregory W. Kelly




Fears

“I couldn't get past the fact that he was going to be lonely, because all he ever wanted was to become a doctor and raise a family of his own...  Yet he has proved me wrong; he is anything but lonely.  We couldn't be more proud of him and his accomplishments.”

- Mr. and Mrs. Frank Fontanella, The Parents of Father Paul C. Fontanella



Joys

“My initial response to Sean's decision to enter the seminary and study for the Priesthood was a sense of awe--a feeling of something spiritual and much larger than Sean and our family was working inside of him... I was overjoyed! Could this be true that God was inviting Sean to live a life dedicated to him and the church?”

- Mrs. Margaret Carpenter, The Mother of Father Sean Carpenter

- Mr. Jim Carpenter, The Father of Father Sean Carpenter