She Said Yes! A Call to Orders!

Last evening I received the news from my Vocation Director from the Diocese of Joliet that I received, along with my other classmates, a "Call to Orders."  This, in a sense, is the Church saying "Yes" to my vocational call toward ordained ministry.  This is huge because the Body of Christ, the Church, is a person!  And just like in marriage, both parties need to say yes before the marriage can occur!  There are many people who may have the desire or feeling to be called to a priestly ordination, but the Church must also agree to their calling.  If the Church says no, then no ordination takes place, just has if a person said no to the wedding vows.  One can't force their self on the other. Though I have been affirming my yes in my call toward ordination as I have been in seminary, the "Call to Orders" is necessary to proceed toward ordination.

It's quite a task to achieve the "Call to Orders" as I reflect on the various steps in the 6 years of formation toward priesthood.

I accounted the following steps needed to be achieved:

1.  You need to go through an extensive application process to study for a diocese.  It involved a 28 page application from the Diocese (I did this twice because I had left)  This includes a 6-8 hour psych evaluation (luckily I only had to do once), 3 one-on-one interviews with the approved Diocese Vocation team (I did this twice), and a meeting with the Bishop (done twice).  All need to give a thumbs up to be accepted to the Diocese, of course the Bishop being the final say.

2.  After you have been accepted by the Diocese you need to be accepted by a seminary that will help you in your studies and formation, which usually includes its own interview

3.  Once in the seminary there are usually two evaluations a year; one in the fall and one in the spring.  The spring evaulation is a crucial one because the evaluation from the seminary gives the Diocese a thumbs up or thumbs down on continuation of seminary formation.

4.  Your summers are under constant supervision and also have evaluations.  My various summers have been a catechesis programs for kids called Totus Tuus, spending a summer in Mexico studying Spanish, and Hospital ministry known as CPE (one of my toughest summers ever).

5.  To enter Major Seminary involved another interview process and boards process.

6.  In major seminary there are class endorsements that are necessary to be approved.  If half of your classmates don't endorse you, the seminary takes steps to correct the issues that your classmates see or dismiss the seminarian.  

7.  I had a parish internship which involved the evaluation of my pastor, parish staff, and parish families.

8.  One of the final steps in seminary (at least at Mundelein) is called certification process.  This grabs final input from all faculty, professors, and students.  Once input has been collected the Rector of the seminary along with the Dean of Formation will either certify or dismiss the seminarian.  If certified the  seminary is informing the diocese that they believe you are worthy for ordination.  

9.  After being certified, I personally wrote a hand-written letter to the Bishop of Joliet asking for the Call to Orders. At this point, the Bishop, once receiving the letter, can either approve or deny my Call to Orders!  

Being in the Holy Land to receive the Church's yes has been a great joy and to be quite honest I'm still trying to grasp this reality!  March 27th is 6 1/2 weeks away!  I know the Church's response! Now, I just need to get myself to the Cathedral floor and laying of hands by Bishop Conlon.  I ask for your continued prayers as I constantly reaffirm my yes to the Church!

(Praying in adoration at the Church of the Annunciation where Mary said yes to the Archangel Gabriel! It is here that I asked the Lord to give me the grace to respond with that same Yes!)