Walk alongside someone you love.
Your son or daughter may be exploring a vocation, and you may have questions of your own. Here you’ll find short lessons, conversation tools, honest answers to hard worries, and prayer for the road. Take what helps. Come back when you need it.
Your voice carries further than you think.
Every spring, researchers at Georgetown survey the men about to be ordained in the United States. In 2026, 334 of them answered. Here is what they said about home.
Average age when they first considered priesthood. For diocesan priests, it was 15.
Were encouraged by someone. Parish priests led at 70%.
Named their mother as an encourager. 37% named their father, 29% a grandparent.
Were discouraged by someone. 22% by another relative, 12% by their mother, 12% by their father.
The takeaway for parents: most of these men began wondering in high school, often before they said anything out loud. A parent’s word can open that question or close it. Encouragement doesn’t mean pushing. It means making it safe to keep asking.
Source: CARA, The Class of 2026: Survey of Ordinands to the Priesthood (USCCB, April 2026).
Choose the moment you’re in.
Every family arrives here from a different place. Pick the one closest to yours.
Five short lessons for the road.
About ten minutes each. Every lesson has a short reading, a word from Scripture and the Church, a question to ponder, one thing to try this week, and a quick check. Your progress is saved on this device.
Name what’s weighing on you.
These are the concerns parents bring to vocation directors most often. Every one of them is normal, and every one deserves a real answer.
Instead of this, try this.
Most of the first words we reach for come from love and worry. Tap a card to see a response that keeps the conversation open.
Questions that open doors.
For the car ride, the dinner table, or a walk. Choose an age and draw a question.
What the road to priesthood looks like.
The Church in the United States forms priests in stages set out in the Program of Priestly Formation. Lengths vary with a man’s age, education and readiness, so ask our office about your son’s path. Tap each stage.
A week of vocation at home.
The Second Vatican Council called the Christian family a kind of first seminary. Families of priests and religious often describe simple habits: praying together, talking about faith, eating dinner together. Try one small thing a day and check it off.
Background: Vatican II, Optatam Totius 2; NRVC and CARA, study on vocations and the role of the family (2015).
A parent’s prayer for a child who is discerning.
You don’t have to have the right words. Pray this one with your spouse, alone in the car, or at your child’s bedside. Copy it to your phone and keep it close.
Loving Father, before I held this child, you knew their name. Thank you for the gift of their life, and for every way you have been calling them. Give me ears that listen more than they speak, a heart that trusts you with what I cannot see, and the courage to let go of my plans so that your plan can take root. Holy Family of Nazareth, you knew the joy and the ache of a child set apart for God. Teach our family to listen together. Amen.
Go deeper, at your own pace.
Guides, research and prayer from the U.S. bishops, Catholic researchers, and vocation offices across the country. Filter by what you need.
Listen. Pray. Learn together.
How should I respond when my child mentions a vocation?
Begin by listening. Ask what has drawn their interest and what questions they are carrying. Thank them for sharing. Give them room to explore without steering them toward a particular answer.
Does contacting the Vocations Office mean making a commitment?
Asking questions is part of discernment. An initial conversation helps someone learn more. Before taking any formal step, ask what it involves and what commitments, if any, it requires.
What if my child is uncertain or changes direction?
Discernment includes exploring questions honestly. Recognizing a different path can be a meaningful part of that process. Keep the conversation open and avoid setting a deadline for certainty.
What if I have concerns about celibacy, family relationships or well-being?
Bring those questions into a respectful conversation. Ask people living the vocation about its joys, responsibilities, challenges and sources of support. Your concerns deserve thoughtful attention.
How do diocesan priesthood and religious life differ?
A diocesan priest serves a local Church in communion with its bishop. Religious priests, brothers and sisters belong to communities with particular spiritual traditions and missions. Meeting people from each can make these differences clearer.
Where can we ask about education, formation, costs or visits?
Contact the Vocations Office or the religious community being considered. Ask for current information about the particular path, including formation, practical arrangements and opportunities to visit.
My child told someone else before telling me. Should I be hurt?
Try not to take it personally. Many people keep their discernment quiet until they feel ready, and often they wait to tell the people whose reaction matters most to them. Your support now still means a great deal.
Will we still see our son if he enters seminary?
Yes. Seminary is a little like going away to college. Seminarians usually come home for some holidays and part of the summer, and they’re encouraged to stay close to family. Ask our office about the current calendar.
Is leaving seminary a failure?
No. Seminary exists to help a man discern, and some men discover God is calling them elsewhere. The prayer, maturity and self-knowledge he gains there go with him into whatever comes next.
Bring your questions to the Vocations Office.
A conversation with Fr. Hau or our team is not a commitment. Parents are welcome to call or write, with or without their child.
See a gift in someone you love?
Share a name with us. We’ll pray for them and reach out with care.