Applying to Seminary

After first reaching out to the vocation director, you and he would meet several times. Perhaps a meeting will be at his parish office while another may be over a cup of coffee. The goal of this initial stage is to get to know one another and to begin guiding. These meetings will allow the vocation director to answer questions you may have, to begin your formation as a seminarian candidate and to let us learn a little more about you.

After the initial meetings, together the discerner and vocation director will get a sense if he is ready to receive the application. The application has several parts: From general information, questions like “why do you want to be a priest?,” to familial and education history.

An integral part of the application are the Medical and Psychological Evaluations. These exams will help the man and vocation director see if he is healthy enough to enter seminary, gauging if he has the freedom and capacity.

After completing all facets of the application, the vocation director and bishop will review it, eventually giving the discerner the answer, “You’ve been accepted!”

The final step is applying to the seminary where you would attend the coming fall. For those entering out of high school, it would be St. John Vianney in St. Paul, MN. For those entering out of college or work-force, it would be either the University of St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, IL, North American College in Rome, Italy, St. Francis de Sales in Milwaukee, WI, or St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, MN.