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In
Search of the Spirit
A
monthly letter from the Glenmary Vocation Office
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May–June 2006
God Is in the Application Process—Every Step of the Way
Fields have been cultivated, gardens are planted and flowers are already blooming. Among these signs of new life are the men currently involved in applying to Glenmary Home Missioners. They are a blessing and a promise of new life to Glenmary.
At the writing of this column, seven men are awaiting the decision of the admissions committee on their applications to begin the pre-novitiate in August. Another two will decide at the end of May if they too will apply. Finally, four others, who started the application process, have decided to wait one more year. That is exciting news for the future of Glenmary!
You may be surprised to learn that four others, who started the application process, did not complete the process. As you contemplate your own vocation, understanding why this happens may be helpful. It can provide an insight into the process of discernment and how the application procedures figure into this.
I often tell prospects that it is not what you want or what Glenmary wants--although both are important. It is what God wants that matters. Deciding to apply to Glenmary requires a leap of faith--a decision to trust that God will know what is best for you. The application process (and it is a process) is a means of discovering God's will. In the midst of applying as well in the decisions that follow, God is at work.
The average applicant has been in relationship with the vocation department for at least six months; but some have been in relationship for years. One current applicant, for example, was in dialogue with Glenmary for four years (that is, all through his college years.) During this time of relationship, a mutual decision is reached that an inquirer will seek application.
An important step in the initial stage of the application process* is an intensive interview with the vocation director which involves a three-hour review of one's life past and present. Usually a decision is then reached to continue or not.
Most continue, but not all. Sometimes, during this intensive interview, light is shed more clearly on what the Lord has already done in a person's life and where the Lord might be leading him. So, the process is very helpful. (Some who are presently discerning may feel ready for this kind of interview. It can be helpful in reaching a decision about your personal call from God. If you think you are ready, just ask.)
Another important step in the application process is a visit of about four days to Cincinnati. During this time an applicant undergoes separate interviews with the three members of the admissions committee, a physical, a background check, and a two-day psychological assessment. Then an applicant waits until all reports and supporting documents are in. Then the admission committee votes. That wait is another act of trust in God and a real exercise in spiritual obedience. The Glenmarians on the admissions committee try their best to interpret God's will for the applicant. Trust in their judgment is required, and that is not always easy.
This process oftentimes affirms a man's vocational call. But sometimes during the process, a man learns new things about himself. As a result, a person may choose to delay or even stop the application process. One man in a previous year, for example, went through the process, was accepted and then withdrew one week before the program began.
Another possibility is that the committee says no to an applicant. When this happens, our vocation department will continue to work with a prospect to sort out what God may be saying through this decision. God is in every step of the process, including a negative decision.
I myself applied for admission after knowing Glenmary for three years and then doing a mission immersion experience. That was back in 1983. I felt I was ready to be with Glenmary. The people of the mission where I was serving encouraged me. Yet, part of me, keep telling myself that I was not worthy or holy enough. I made an inner decision that I would be brutally honest about my past and who I thought I was at that time. I figured once the admissions committee saw all that, they wouldn't accept me and I could tell God, "See, I tried; now let me get married and move on with my life."
It did not work out that way. Glenmary accepted me for who I was and what I could become. So, with great joy this May, I celebrated 21 years under Oath and 17 of them as a priest. It all began with a decision to apply.
I thank God for all 11 men who began the application process, all the others who seriously discussed it, and all of you who are thinking about it. It is almost too late to apply this year, but it is never too early to begin thinking about next year. You may want to begin with a summer mission immersion experience. Just call us.
* The application process is slightly different for international prospects in Nigeria, Kenya and Mexico due to distance. Yet, all the same elements remain.
