Application Process for Acceptance as a Seminarian for Diocesan Priesthood
Application to the seminary is a multi-faceted process that helps the diocese, the seminary, and the applicant know if he is ready to begin studying for the priesthood.
Initial Discernment
If you believe you are being called to the priesthood, you should attend a discernment retreat or event, speak with a priest at your parish, and contact the director of the Office of Vocations and Seminarians. Through that initial conversation or retreat experience, you may discover new ways to help you develop your prayer life more fully, grow closer to God, and begin to discern more deeply your vocational call.
Meeting with the Director of the Office of Vocations & Seminarians
If your discernment is continuing to lead you towards seminary, you should contact the Office of Vocations and Seminarians to speak with and set up a meeting with the director. He will provide guidance and help you discern if this is the right time for you to apply for seminary.
The Application Process
If it is determined that the time is right, you will receive a seminary application. You will also be asked to provide references and a written autobiography and to complete a number of forms.
Diocesan Forms
- Code of Ethics (You will be asked to read it and sign it.)
- Department of Health & Human Services Release Form (DHHS Form)
- Diocesan Background Check Authorization Form
- Diocesan Employment Form
- Medical Form (to be filled out by your primary care physician).
- Dental Form (to be filled out by your dentist)
Sacrament / Education Certification
- Baptismal Certificate (that includes notation for First Communion and Confirmation)
- Parents’ Marriage Certificate
- High School Transcripts
- College Transcripts (If attended college)
- Post College (if attended post college)
- GRE or SAT Scores
Additional Meetings
After the candidate submits the necessary paperwork, the Director of the Office of Vocations and Seminarians will decide whether the process should continue at this time. If he determines it should move forward, the applicant will then meet with a psychologist and the Seminarian Advisory Board.
Once those meetings have taken place, a meeting with the bishop will be scheduled through the Bishop’s Office.
