Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.



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High School Years and Beyond
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Subject Topic: 7th grader interested in priesthood Post ReplyPost New Topic
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JodieLyn
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Posted: Jan 30 2012 at 5:17pm | IP Logged Quote JodieLyn

I don't want to "lock him into" a decision at this time but what sort of things should we be stressing for him to do well if he follows this course through? (umm what is on that course anyway? )

One difficulty is that his reading skills are behind, my belief is from a difficulty of focusing and stringing words together from some ADD traits he has (not diagnosed with ADD though.) And what might not only help him now but give him the skills needed to work around this difficulty in years to come?

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Angie Mc
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Posted: Jan 31 2012 at 1:56pm | IP Logged Quote Angie Mc

Jodie, how wonderful to be pondering such a calling!

I have no advice but my 7th grader has big dreams and difficulties reading, writing, spelling. Right now we're focusing on improving these skills while also being honest that he may need to "manage" this weakness, rather than completely overcome it. The good news for us is that this son reads much like his father, who has gone on to do well in spite of reading challenges. So...even if one isn't a natural reader and has reading challenges, one can compensate for these weaknesses with hard work, passion, and determination to succeed in a chosen field, even one that includes necessary advanced academics.

Do you know men who have done well in a career that requires academics, who overcame reading challenges? Talking with them could help. I know a priest who told me that his inability to learn Latin almost kept him from the priesthood, but he's in his 60's now .

Love,

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guitarnan
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Posted: Jan 31 2012 at 2:19pm | IP Logged Quote guitarnan

Learning Latin would be helpful, eventually, but I agree with Angie that working on the reading issues should come first.

What a blessing for your family - to ponder vocations together...

Graduating debt-free from college will eventually be a priority, I'm sure.

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JodieLyn
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Posted: Jan 31 2012 at 2:42pm | IP Logged Quote JodieLyn

Well I posted this because I was thinking of it. I did find our diocean website had some info. And I may contact the priest in charge of vocations and ask him what he thinks about high school stuff that would help.

I have to be somewhat careful about this because this son is the one that doesn't want mom or dad to encourage him too much. So we've pretty much left it alone. I've brought it up in conversations to the kids as a whole about different vocations. And I've answered questions this son had about being a priest and still being able to participate in boy scouts as a leader because he is very determined to get to "do scouts" as an adult. But mostly I leave it alone for him to bring to me. And I want to still do that mostly. But I also want to work on not only building his skills like reading (which is improving) but also in things that will help him get around those difficulties.. I'd like to teach him to take notes about what he's reading for instance. The funny thing is that his auditory skills and ability to learn from them are excellent. He memorizes things very quickly and well.

So anyway, I know the reading and writing skills need to improve along with props to help him.. like using a bookmark under a line of writing to not be distracted by the next line or confuse the lines, having a dictionary at hand for help, learning to take notes from what he's reading.

And there are things that I just don't know to think of.. though sometimes when they're pointed out I think DUH! Like you just mentioned Latin.. well DUH we can learn that in highschool so that he's not starting "cold" in college/seminary.

My main reason for posting is that I think things through outloud and this is very foreign to me. I'm a convert to Catholicism so all new territory here.

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Posted: Jan 31 2012 at 7:01pm | IP Logged Quote Elena

Jodie, I have a son who is almost 14 and thinking about the priesthood as well! I had him start out with Rosetta Stone Latin on the computer and he enjoyed it very much.

But while you are working on academics, maybe read the lives of the saints to him, particularly stories about other priests like John Bosco and St. John Vianney. My son loved those and I think they helped inspire him too!

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JodieLyn
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Posted: Jan 31 2012 at 7:14pm | IP Logged Quote JodieLyn

oh. very good idea Elena.. I'll move some of those to the top of my wish list

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Posted: Jan 31 2012 at 7:23pm | IP Logged Quote Mackfam

Just a side note for you to ask your vocations director about, Jodie....do check and see if it would be better to prepare with ecclesiastical pronunciation of Latin or classical pronunciation. Learning the language would be the same, the difference would be in the pronunciation. The Catholic Church uses ecclesiastical pronunciation.

EXAMPLE: veritas (truth)

CLASSICAL: pronounced Weritas

ECCLESIASTICAL: pronounced Veritas

I wanted to mention it in considering Latin programs because most use classical pronunciation.

Memoria Press has some good programs which teach ecclesiastical pronunciation.

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JodieLyn
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Posted: Jan 31 2012 at 7:38pm | IP Logged Quote JodieLyn

Thanks Jen. I was starting by a search here. I'm checking out lively latin and visual latin at the moment.

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guitarnan
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Posted: Jan 31 2012 at 10:48pm | IP Logged Quote guitarnan

I know of several young men who have pursued vocations to the priesthood who have been Boy Scouts (some were Eagle Scouts). I think Scouting encourages personal responsibility and self-reflection as well as service to others. I would definitely, were I you, encourage my son's interest in Scouting. As an adult Scouter (perhaps as a seminarian or priest, but also through other vocations) involved in Scouting, he would be in an excellent position to model discernment of vocations, response to God's call and living according to the Gospels to boys and young men.

As a Boy Scout he can also earn religious awards (Catholic), which will help him think about and deepen his faith.



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JodieLyn
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Posted: Jan 31 2012 at 11:03pm | IP Logged Quote JodieLyn

Thanks Nancy. We do have the religious emblem program in our radar. They do recommend that the boys be a bit older than our son is currently. And our son will be starting work on an Eagle project soon (as in any time) so we're looking at the religious emblem for after that.

Our church is going to be doing religious emblem presentations at Mass for the first time in over 10 years (not sure how long..maybe as long as 16 or maybe they never have). We have 2 scouts older than my oldest son recieving their scout emblems and we may have some of the cub scouts also recieving theirs. We are postponing by one Sunday after Scout Sunday so that the family of the older scouts can all be there. But we just found out that the Bishop will be visiting that same Sunday.

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guitarnan
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Posted: Jan 31 2012 at 11:36pm | IP Logged Quote guitarnan

Jodie, how nice!

Starting on the Path to Eagle early is a great idea - I've known Scouts as young as 14 who have completed their Eagle projects, so it's completely doable. (One Scout mom friend of mine recommends that all boys start their Eagle projects before the "3 Ps" - petroleum, paycheck and prom - kick in, LOL!)

The big picture part is that a young man on the path toward ordination is in a great position to work with Catholic Scout troops later on, provided he was a Scout himself. I've seen this happen in my son's troop. The results are amazing - young men considering vocations, taking their Scout Oaths seriously, etc., all thanks to that "scoutly" connection!

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JodieLyn
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Posted: Feb 01 2012 at 12:17am | IP Logged Quote JodieLyn

Quote:
One Scout mom friend of mine recommends that all boys start their Eagle projects before the "3 Ps" - petroleum, paycheck and prom - kick in, LOL!


Yep, this is what our most long term scoutmaster says too.. though he just says "before cars and girls".

It's interesting that you'd mention the things about scouts that would also benefit a young man discerning a religious vocation. Because I was thinking something along those lines... almost posted something about it. That the things that he finds rewarding in scouting are also things that he would find in a religious vocation.

For instance, he's a den chief for our next oldest son's den and he has been so for 3 years now, he obviously enjoys it because we don't have to prod him into doing it

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guitarnan
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Posted: Feb 01 2012 at 7:35am | IP Logged Quote guitarnan

One of the boys from my son's Webelos 1 den is now at our diocesan seminary...I'm just sayin'...

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Posted: Feb 01 2012 at 11:39am | IP Logged Quote kristinannie

I don't have any advice, but I just wanted to let you know that I will send up prayers for your family. It would be such an honor to have one of your children enter religious life! I hope that your son continues to discern his calling and that God grants you all the graces necessary to guide him on his path to discernment! God bless!   

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