Discernment is simply seeking to know God's plan for your life and taking the steps necessary to find and follow it. All Christians are called to live holy lives, but the particular call to religious life is one of a fuller expression of baptism, embracing the evangelical counsels of obedience, poverty, and chastity. We want to help you discover the vocation to which God is calling you.

Steps of Discernment

1. Start down the path of discipleship and holiness by growing in faith, prayer, reading the Scriptures, and reception of the sacraments.
2. Seek guidance from wise and faithful people. Often this is called spiritual direction.
3. Learn about different types of religious life, different communities, and different ministries.
4. Make contact with a vocation director and plan for a visit. You are not moving in, it's just a visit.

Focus on these questions:

1. Is God calling me to consecrated life, professing poverty, chastity, and obedience?
2. Is God calling me to be a Franciscan, TOR?
3. Is God calling me to brotherhood or priesthood?

If you have questions, contact the vocation director. 

Resources for Discernment

	"What Does God Want?" by Fr. Michael Scanlan, TOR A great introduction on how God guides us and speaks to us, helping us to seek and follow his plan. It also helps that it is written by one of our friars!
"All In: Breaking Barriers to Discerning the Priesthood" by Anthony Isacco, PhD and Domenick Tirabassi, MS A useful guide to managing the standard objections to discernment: celibacy, taking forever, not feeling worthy... It is oriented toward the priesthood, but is applicable to religious life as well.

Learn more about what it takes to be a friar.