I first realized my call to God's service when I was only twelve. A number of things hit me on the day of June 6th, 2005. I found out I had a talent for understanding God's works, a passion for Philosophy and Theology, and a love for the service of God.

Just two months prior to that day, the death of Pope John Paul II had me wanting to learn about his life, so I learned so much that his life became an influence for my own.

I reunited with Altar Serving, having left because of a Pastor who shoved me out. I quickly became Deputy Cpt. Acolyte. After the Captain of the Altar Servers retired, I became Captain Acolyte, and have since then been making a reputation as one of the finest Altar Servers in the Diocese. I will soon become a Master of Ceremonies.

I am lead by a vivid sense of God, who goes before me. I thirst for God and service, the way some thirst for money and power.I find out new things about the Church everyday, and everything I find, I remember.

My vocation is supported by my family, my Parish, my friends, my teachers, my teamates, and even my entire School, who do not push me aside. Everyday, I thank God for that.

Dario aged 16 (Co-Founder of this site)

Thinking about being a priest is as natural as breathing air for me. My family are all Catholics, and I've been to a Catholic Primary School (and now Secondary School) in England. I am an altar server and I enjoy being involved in the life of the Church.

When I was 12, I wanted to be a priest, but it was probably for all the wrong reasons: I really admired my parish priest and wanted to be like him. Then he took all the altar servers on a trip to our local seminary and we talked with some of the seminarians - I was impressed by how normal they were and how they were really happy people.

Those were some of the things that shaped me - now that I am three years older my sense of my vocation has changed quite a lot. I suppose I have a better understanding of prayer and a firm belief that The Lord is asking me to be a priest - there is nothing else I really want to do. I live in a small Parish, and all the people there know that I want to be a priest and they pray for me and encourage me - some even say that I would make a good priest. I hope so!

Do I have any worries? A lot of the priests I see are quite old; there are not very many young priests and not many young men go to the seminary. And celibacy is quite a difficult choice for me. But in the end the call to be a priest simply won't go away and I think that if Jesus wants me, he will give me the strength to continue and to be able to say 'yes' to Him.

John aged 15 (Webmaster of catholicpriest.me.uk and Co-Founder)

John's interests: Music: love Queen and ELO and Chieftains. Big movie fan. Big time into computing, swimming and basketball.

For as long as I can remember, I've always loved going to church. Starting in Kindergarten, my parents enrolled me in a private Catholic school. In 5th grade I became an altar server at both my school and at my home parish. Being an altar server let me feel more important in the mass and the parish as a whole.

The summer before 9th grade, my parents signed me up to go to Catholic Heart Work Camp with my church's Life Teen youth group. It was there that I first realized my love of service for other people. I loved my church family, and I embraced them as my own. The next summer we went on another Catholic Heart Work Camp trip, and I loved it even more. The love of God was continually growing in my heart.

I was told that the next summer we weren't going to Catholic Heart Work Camp, but we were going to the Life Teen camp Covecrest, with the focus being the teens themselves rather than service to others. It was there at Covecrest that my eyes were truly opened to God, and it was there that the notion of being a priest first entered my mind. When I went back to school in the fall, the thought quickly left my mind, but it resurged again went I went back to Covecrest the next two summers.

Upon entering college this year, I was positive that I wanted to be a priest, but I wasn't acting the way that God wanted me to. For about 3 months, however, I felt like God was empty from my life. I felt so lost and helpless, and I was confused how at one moment I was so sure of my faith, but the next moment, it left me abruptly and unexpectedly. I felt that this was all part of God's plan somehow, so I kept faith that it would be alright in the end. During that time, even though my faith was weak, I decided to change my life and live the way that God would want me to. Soon after I changed my actions and I started to BE Christ to others, I felt my faith renewed, even stronger than before.

After visiting Mundelein Seminary in Chicago not too long ago, I felt confirmed in my decision to become a priest. With my family and all my friends supporting me, I'm going to finish college and get a theology degree, and then I plan to enter into the seminary after that.

Chris aged 19

Hi! My name is Jude Graham from the USA. Alot of people on the web know me as Teen Catholic or Sacred Heart Fan. If you do know me, you also know that my biggest dream is to become a priest!
My story basically begins when I was born. My uncle is a priest, and I was bought up in a very Catholic family (grandparents, and greatgrandparents). My mom often tells me stories that when I was young, I would tie blankets around my neck and say I was a priest. I would also carry around a broom like a processional cross and throw pool water at people with a branch!
In middle school though, my youthful innocence vanished. At home I was an angel, but at school I was a demon. Peer pressure is a very tough thing! I thought I was awesome and grown up because I was in middle school so I began cussing, making crude jokes, etc. Once I was written up for yelling the "F" word at my teacher. It was at this point that I knew I could have a better life. One night I cracked open a bible and that was the beginning of this new life!
The next summer, I went to a FCA (fellowship of christian athletes) summer camp. This was a very protestant camp, but me and my parents were not as strong as Catholics as my grandparents and great-grandparents were. At this camp I became alot closer to God, but had a very protestant outlook. This lasted about a year. The next summer, I had absolutly nothing to do but watch TV all day. This is when I discovered EWTN and rooted myself in my Catholic Faith. I continued that year by doing lots of research and became an altar server and joined the choir.
The January after my grandpa passed away. At his funeral I was sitting in the pew looking at the tabernacle waiting to read the second reading. As I was looking at the tabernacle, I saw my grandpa and Jesus. My grandpa looked at me and said "you were right." Then it all disappeared. I knew there was only one thing he could be talking about and it was my call to the priesthood.
Since that time about two years ago, I have been growing in my faith and maturing as a guy. I serve at the altar every chance I get, participate in youth activities, and have lunch with priest friends often.
My advice to anyone considering the priesthood is to find a spiritual director, deepen your prayer life, and continue to live. You CANNOT close yourself off to the world at such a young age, or you will never function correctly as a priest.

Pax Christi!
Jude Graham Aged 15
Louisiana, USA

You can follow Jude's blog at http://ateenstrivingforholiness.blogspot.com/

My name is Anthony Surma and I live in New Jersey, America and I am 14 going on 15. I too feel somewhat called to the priesthood but my parents wont let me consider it. I am not new to the catholic faith, in seventh grade I went through a dramatic life change, I began failing in school and went to new age religions like wicca and stuff for a while and slowly I realized it was was just fake - it was like pretending there was something there that wasn't so I left it and came back to the church. My entire family is almost devout catholic and I am a big rosary person. I found a friend in Jesus and that was what I needed. I live with my mom and my step father and don't know my real father who is either dead or in prison as I was told. So my mom and step dad were raised catholic and made their sacraments and my mom was baptist for a while. My step dad was atheist for a long time.but recently came back as well.
I was not born catholic but took the RCIA from 4th to 5th grade and made my sacraments in '05. I have to say Mother Mary called me back through EWTN. On divine mercy Sunday I made it official. As I was coming back I threw out my tarot cards and magic spells (in the trash or the fireplace just like that) and pulled out my grandmother's bible ( the King James). I attend mass each Sunday and confession once a month and I pray the rosary and chaplet of divine mercy.

The Lord be with you.
Anthony

My name is Jason, I'm almost 16 years old and I live in South Africa. I do feel a strong urge to become a priest and lay down my whole life for God. I suppose I started feeling this vocation about a year and a half ago when I came back to the Catholic Church after being in the Baptist Church for five years. It was like God was waiting to call me to the priesthood when I came back to the Catholic Church. I only had my First Holy Communion last year and am now attending the confirmation program. I became an altar server in March this year and I'm loving it, it also increased my urge to become a priest. I have progressed quite quickly as an altar server. Please pray for me that I can continue discerning this vocation to the priesthood.

May the peace of Christ be with you.
Jason

My name is John Monaco. I am 16, a junior in a public high school, and I live in Connecticut, in the US. I have always wanted to become a priest, ever since I could remember. I never was an altar server, nor altar boy, I just went to church every Sunday to learn more about God. My biggest interests are God, Catholic Doctrine, modern issues, history, philosophy, psychology, and music. I sing tenor for my school's chamber choir, and sing in the church choir. I pray that all of our vocations lead us to the happiest we can ever be on this earth.

I just read a feature on why the internet is so useful for those thinking about a vocation to be a priest. It said:-

The Internet provides a relatively inexpensive way to connect with many,
many people. For the person discerning a possible vocation, the Internet provides
anonymity and a sense of confidentiality in the learning process. One doesn’t have
to identify oneself to look up information or even to ask a question via a website.
This characteristic of the Internet should not be underestimated as many people in
the initial stages of discernment do not necessarily want to be known in public as
being in discernment.

Follow-up links:

What do teens think about being celibate?
>> Newer stories

We are happy to publish your own story of discernment - just email John. Contributions can have your name and location attached, or remain anonymous. Or, you might like to post your story on our new Vocations Forum or comment on this site, or discuss who influenced your vocation.... or just about anything