VOCATIONS 

 PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS

Jesus, High Priest and Redeemer Forever,       
We beg you to call young men and women         
to your service, as priests and religious.         
May they be inspired by the lives of         
dedicated priests, brothers and sisters.         
Give to parents the grace of generosity         
And trust toward you and their child         
So that their sons and daughters        
May be helped to choose their vocation         
In life with wisdom and freedom.  

There are many ways to serve God in the Catholic Church today.  Each Christian is called to service through the Sacrament of Baptism. Below is a list of some of the vocations available in the Church.

 Priesthood - Almost ninety percent of diocesan priests serve in parishes.  Some priests serve in other diocesan ministries.  Regardless of the specific ministry to which a priest is assigned, priests are called to be men of deep personal prayer who proclaim the Gospel of Christ and live the Gospel in their daily lives.  As representatives of Christ they celebrate the Sacraments, visit the sick, the home-bound and imprisoned, counsel the troubled, console the sorrowing, rejoice with the joyful. They are a special part of every family and they minister to people of every age. They are there to celebrate and sacramentalize the special moments of people's lives.  If you think you are being called, click the Priesthood link above.

Religious Life - Service to God and the Church as a religious sister, brother or priest is a call to a way of life.  Women or men who answer this call do so in a specific community which has its own special mission and charism.  The following religious Communities/Orders have sisters, brothers and priests serving in the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings.

Benedictine Monks - www.csnmail.net/~bocohio
Capuchin Friars, Province of St. Joseph - www.capuchinfranciscans.org
Jesuit Fathers & Brothers, Oregon Province, Society of Jesus - www.nwjesuits.org
Adrian Dominican Sisters - www.admc-op.org
Benedictine Sisters, St. Paul, MN - www.osb.org
Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, Kansas - www.scls.org
Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation of the Most Holy Rosary - www.sinsinawa.org
Dominican Congregation of Our Lady of the Rosary, Sparkill, NY - www.sparkill.org
Poor Clares, Great Falls, MT - www.poorclaresmt.org
Ursuline Nuns, Western Province, Santa Rosa, CA - www.ursulinewest.com
Congregation of the Humility of Mary, Davenport, IA - www.chmiowa.org
Sisters of Providence, Mother Joseph Province, Spokane, WA - www.sistersofprovidence.net
Benedictine Sisters of Richardton, Richardton, ND - vocations@sacredheartmonastery.com

Permanent Deacons - these are men ordained for a particular ministry in the Church.  The Diocese of Great Falls-Billings currently has six Permanent Deacons.

     ►   Deacon Timothy J. Birkle, Billings
     ►   Deacon Robert W. Daem, Billings
     ►   Deacon Joseph M. Kristufek, Blessed Sacrament Church, Lame Deer
     ►   Deacon William Medved, St. Margaret Mary Church, Colstrip
     ►   Deacon Mel Melius, Holy Rosary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Church of the Little Flower, Billings
    

Seminarians - these are men studying for the priesthood in the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings.

Pontifical North American College, Vatican City State

     ►Sam Spiering, II Theology

Theological College/The University Seminary

     ►Curtis Seidel, I Theology

Mount Angel

     ►Doug Krings, Pre-Theology

St John Vianney Seminary

     ►Zachary Howick, I College

If you are discerning a call to the priesthood, please review our Seminarian Handbook to consider issues and programs before seeking a formal applicantion.

Called by Name Program -- how can you help with vocations in our diocese?  By participating in the Called by Name program, slated for October 10-18, 2009 and/or by submitting names of potential candidates who may be called to a life of ministry as a priest or religious.  

Lay Vocations  - There are many opportunities for the laity within the Catholic Church, listed below are links to several websites who offer opportunities to the laity.  Additionally, there are many opportunities for Lay Ministers in Parishes, including Eucharistic Ministers, Lay Leaders of Prayer and Lay Preachers.

• Secular Franciscans
  

• Secular Carmelites
  

• Associates of the Sisters of Providence
  

• Benedictine Oblates

Teaching in A Catholic School - Other opportunities are available within our Catholic Schools -- take this test to see if your true vocation is to teach.