Parents of Seminarians Share Thoughts about the
Journey of Discernment

The Calling

• “He came to me and said his is a serious calling. Before it had been an earthly calling, then it became a Godly calling.”
  
• “He believes from the inside out, so how can you say no?”
  
• “Quiet prayer time is needed to hear God’s call in the world.”
  

Sacrifice

• “We are still coming to terms with the fact that this is our only child. We know this is not just his decision. God is calling.”
  
• “Friends have asked if I am sad about no grandchildren from my only son and I say that if he is happy, I am happy.”
  

Prayer

• “There is a depth and intensity of prayer that our son had to open himself up to allow God to work in his life.”
  
• “So we just put it before God and He provides.”
  

Faith

• “This is a leap of faith. It is not like any other process. It requires perseverance, God’s grace and acceptance of His gifts to help you all get through it.”
  
• “You are giving him away in a very deep way—you have to have a lot of faith. The goal for these young men is to be married to the church. This is a very difficult concept in a secular society.”
  

Courage

• “These young men put their faith first and they call each other to sainthood. They have such deep faith and love. We have to give them space and this requires a lot of courage. That’s the word … courage.”
  
• “It is a family responsibility to be open to the call to the priesthood and religious life. So I said, okay Lord, they are your kids, not mine, so whatever you want to do with them is fine with me.”
  

Happiness

• “Our son is so happy and content. He used to be very shy, but we’ve already seen him grow so much.”
  
• “Our son is happier there (seminary) than he is at home.”