Holy Orders

Jesus chose 12 men to be apostles. Is He calling you?

Are you discerning whether God is calling you to the religious life? The discernment process is one that takes a great commitment to prayer and a great deal of patience. As your parish family and the Diocese of Superior, we are here for you. We are here to pray for you before, during, and after your discernment journey.

There are many resources to assist you as you discern a vocation to Religious Life, the Diaconate or the Priesthood.

Visit the Diocese of Superior Office of Vocations website at https://catholicdos.org/vocations or talk to Fr. Joseph directly about the journey of discernment.

Fr Joseph's Vocation Story

Fr Joseph's vocation story starts a little differently than most. He was born on February 2nd which is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. On this feast, Mary and Joseph went to the temple of Jerusalem to present Jesus to God as their firstborn son. Similarly, Fr Joseph's mother immediately felt called by God to offer her firstborn son to the priesthood knowing he was born on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord.

She gradually planted the seed in Fr Joseph throughout his childhood and then began telling everyone in the village where he grew up. She told everyone that she firmly believed she should offer up her firstborn son to God, just as the Bible story is told.

Fr Joseph had a joyous childhood and at the ripe age of 15, he joined the seminary to make his mother happy and to thank God for all the good things He did in Fr Joseph's family. In our modern day American culture, it is hard to imagine a young 15 year old boy entering seminary just to make his mother happy. We often choose what we think will make us happy and pursue that path. Interestingly enough, there were several other children from Fr Joseph's neighborhood who were entering the seminary that was conveniently right down the street. The boys from the neighborhood packed up their belongings, threw them in a rickshaw, and walked down the road until they reached the seminary. The hardest part of seminary for Fr Joseph was the small amount of food given to hungry, growing, teenage boys!

In the course of time during seminary, Fr. Joseph came to realize that God had worked through him and put the desire in his own heart to become a priest. It was no longer soley because of his mother's desires. He was ready and happy to completely offer himself to God.

Father Joseph's vocation story is one of obedience and trust, not only to his mother but to God. He firmly believes that if it is God's will for a man to become a priest, then His will be done. This is also true for any woman considering a vocation to the religious life.