Catholic Males That Don't Have A Priesthood Vocation Have Other Options

A young evangelical pastor that is coming into the Catholic Church has a interesting blog. See the The Practical Catholic . He had a interesting post at Tea and Theology- or, My Life after Pastoring.

Among other things he makes this interesting observation on his life:

I was incredibly shocked when I became a pastor. It’s not that I didn’t have the gift for it, I just had never intended it, in my first year of overzealous Christian efforts I thought I might sell all my belongings and start a worldwide ministry in Asia or something, but after that first year, I came back to where God was calling me.

I have always been the go-to-guy, but never the pastoring type. I love answering questions, I love talking about God, but I don’t know that pastoring was my calling. I’m still thinking about priesthood in the Eastern Catholic rite, but that’s neither here nor there. I have lots of questions and few answers. Getting back to the point, I feel I never really retired. Sure I let behind a title, which some people still use. Some call me Reverend, which always makes me laugh or blush or otherwise shy, and some use pastor which still makes me giggle, but is a bit easier to stomach. I left behind a title, but pastoring is forever. I still minister to my friends, to my colleagues, to the people I work with.

I think this is a important observation. Lets face it some Priests are not the "Pa storing" type. In the old days you could put these people in charge of administration, teaching, etc. They had a call but it was done there. Now with the Priest shortage that is not so much an option.

I often wonder how many people in the Priesthood arrive at the observation that they hate pastoring and either leave the Priesthood or just be miserable. There is noting wrong about to having that feeling.

Now if pastoring is not your call it is likely you are not called to be a Deacon perhaps. But what about a Brother or a Monk? Brothers do all sort of important work. Monks have different char isms and perhaps living in a community is the call.

I think in the rush to get Priests we are ignoring and doing a disservice to Catholic men that feel a Vocation that does not include the Clerical state or married life.

Now I have no idea if this guy would have such a vocation. However he like many other Catholic young men are increasing not exposed to that option . That needs to be corrected.

Read his entire post that really does not touch on what I say here. It is just something that struck me.