A vocation to the priesthood is the call to serve the people of God through administering the Sacraments.  Pope John Paul II wrote the following on the priesthood:

"The priestly vocation is essentially a call to sanctity, in the form that derives from the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Sanctity is intimacy with God; it is the imitation of Christ, poor, chaste and humble; it is unreserved love for souls and self-giving to their true good; it is love for the Church which is holy and wants us to be holy, because such is the mission that Christ has entrusted to it. Each one of you must be holy also in order to help your brothers pursue their vocation to sanctity." (Rome, Italy, October 9, 1984)

Diocesan Priest
A diocesan priest ordinarily serves the people of God in a given geographical diocese as a parish priest.  Diocesan priests are involved in administration, campus ministry, hospital and prison chaplaincy, teaching and sometimes at foreign missions.  Beneath the visible surface of these ministries lies an abiding prayerful relationship with the Lord for whose sake and for whose people he ministers.  A diocesan priest takes the vows of Chastity and Obedience.

Religious Priest
Being a priest, he is first and foremost, a minister of the Church for the administration of the sacraments. A religious priest however, does differ from a diocesan priest.  Religious priests can serve in a variety of locations within their Province.  A province is geographically larger than a diocese, such as a section of a country, an entire nation or a continent.  A religious priest can serve in locations far from his home region – even internationally.  A second difference is that in addition to the vows of Chastity and Obedience, a religious priest takes the vow of Poverty, which frees him from the burden of personal financial matters.  Members of a religious community direct their income to the community and equally their expenses are paid by the community.  A third distinction from diocesan priests is that religious priests will live in a community setting.  It is common for members to live in a setting of 2, 3, 4 or more members.  His work generally depends upon the ministry appropriate to his community and may include parish work, teaching, overseas ministry, social work, pastoral ministry, chaplaincy, etc.  A member’s relationship with the Lord is witnessed by his community prayer life.  To be a religious priest is to pray. 

The Priesthood in the Missionaries of the Holy Family is fulfilling because of the dual family atmosphere. Not only is every member a part of the Missionaries of the Holy Family religious family community, but many priests also experience parish family life as a pastor or associate pastor. The Priesthood imparts God’s Grace primarily through His Sacraments to help people draw closer to God. By ministering to God’s flock with Baptism, Confession, Communion, Confirmation, Marriage and the Anointing of the Sick, priests help to bring God’s Grace into people’s lives that helps to draw them closer to God. Each priest brings his own set of charisms to his ministry, but there are some basic qualifications for the role.

Applicant Pre-requisites:

1. 18 years of age
2. Good Physical and Emotional Health
3. High School Graduate or have a GED

Applicants are reviewed based on their written application and on a personal interview.  There is no set duration for the priesthood formation process, but eight years is typical.

The steps in the process are: