Some people go into volunteer ministry thinking that it will be a first, experimental step toward a religious vocation or the diocesan priesthood.  Others, who originally had no such intentions, leave realizing the same thing.

There are many structures set up to assist you in finding out if a religious vocation or the diocesan priesthood is for you.  Your most basic resource is the Vocations Office in your diocese, or the diocese in which you are interested in serving.  Your Vocations Office has all the resources you need to be in touch with religious communities outside of the diocese as well.  Vocations Offices may have support groups for men and women interested in the priesthood or religious life.

Every religious community has a Director of Vocations.  If you know which community you are interested in, this is the person to be in touch with.  Any member of the community can give you the Vocations Director’s name and address.

It might be well to lay to rest an irrational but common fear that the minute you step into any Vocations Office you will be kidnapped and sold into Catholic slavery.  All Vocations Directors are just as interested as you are in discerning to which life God is calling you -- no matter what that life is.  

Two books which may be of help to you -- and to any lay person looking at his or her call are: