Vocations
The word vocation comes from “call” in Latin. While all are called by God to know, love and serve Him, a vocation in the Catholic Church is a call to the priestly or consecrated life. Many others are called to marriage, living out the call to love that God asks of each of us.
Priestly Vocations
The priesthood is a gift for the Church that comes from Christ himself. As Catholics, we are all called to holiness, but some are called to serve the Church as priests. Ask if God might be calling you to manifest your love for Christ by a commitment to him as a priest of his Church.
Do you feel called to become a priest? Learn more here.
Permanent Deacons
Permanent deacons, who are ordained clergy in the Church, are called to a ministry of service. In particular, they are called to serve those in need, such as persons who are hungry, homeless, sick, in prison or immigrants.
Learn more about the process of becoming a deacon in the Archdiocese of Washington.
Consecrated Life
Consecrated men and women take public religious vows to the evangelical counsels (poverty, chastity and obedience), dedicating themselves to God for service to the Church and for the salvation of the world. Consecrated life can be lived in many forms, but the most well-known is religious life, lived in a community sharing a common apostolate.
Click here to learn more about men’s and women’s religious communities in the Archdiocese of Washington.
Prayer for Vocations
Your prayers will nurture the growth of vocations in the archdiocese. The Mother Teresa Vocation Society is a prayer apostolate that asks for your commitment to pray daily for vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life – learn more here.
