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DISCERNING A LIFE AS A COLUMBAN MISSIONARY
"Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, ‘What are you looking for?'" (John 1:38)
Discernment is getting in touch with your "inner self", your own deepest desires, which echo God's desires for you. It is where you feel most alive, where you find your deepest satisfaction. It is doing what you really want, becoming who you really are. That is the point of Jesus' question: "What are you looking for?"
In discerning whether God is calling you to become a Columban Missionary Priest, we will support and accompany you in a journey of self-discovery that advances through the following stages of inquiry and shared reflection:
- Our Columban Vocations Coordinator will respond to your inquiry and arrange to meet with you. At this early stage, we would simply like to learn more about you, your questions, your life situation and aspirations, as well as to provide you with more information about our life as the Columban Missionaries.
- After this initial contact, a Columban Priest will be assigned as a personal ‘companion' to meet with you more regularly, to introduce you more deeply to the Columban vocation and to help you clarify your own personal calling. This involves helping you discern if missionary priesthood is a good ‘fit' for you.
- Further on in the discernment process, vocational assessment is undertaken by qualified professionals who will help identify your physical and psychological suitability for the challenges of missionary life and assist in recognising your personal strengths and areas for ongoing growth.
- Finally the Columban Admissions Board will consider your application, invite you to an interview, and decide about your accepting you into the Columban Formation Program.
This process of inquiry and reflection is not a binding contract and you are free to withdraw at any stage. It is simply a period of discernment in which we seek to support you in recognising whether God is calling you to a life as a Columban Missionary Priest.
For more information, contact our Vocations Coordinator, Fr Patrick McInerney.
We hope to meet you in the near future!
Contact:
Fr Patrick McInerney
Columban Vocations Coordinator
Phone: (02) 9352 8000
Email: patrickmcinerney@columban.org.au
