Pass Through the Gate

One of my favorite stories is about Fr. Pete McCormick, C.S.C., who is currently the Director of Campus Ministry at Notre Dame. When he was a senior in college, he contacted me. At the time, I was the Director of Vocations, and we set up an informal visit to Moreau Seminary. A couple days beforehand, Fr. Pete emailed to tell me he had to referee a junior high basketball game that weekend and couldn’t make it to the informal visit. Truly one of the worst excuses I’d ever heard.

But we kept after him and a couple months later he showed up. Only afterward did I find out that, before he got to the door, he stopped his car, called his dad, and told him he was going to turn around and head home. His father asked where he was and he said, “I’m at the main gate.” His dad responded,“They’re priests for goodness sake. Please go and hear what they have to say!”

Often the men who get ordained are the ones who fought it the hardest. In my experience, it is a better sign of a legitimate vocation when a person is asking themselves, “Who me? Religious life? You’ve got to be kidding!” than someone presuming he’d be a great gift to the Church and is confounded about why a seminary interview would ask tough questions. 

It’s the persistence of the call that matters. When you can’t push thoughts of religious life out of your mind, know that is the voice of God encouraging you to at least pass through the gate, knock on the door, and find out one way or the other. 

Fr. Jim King, C.S.C.

Published on 29 January 2025

More Related Articles

Join a Brotherhood of Men with Hope to Bring

Discern your vocation and discover the life God is calling you to live.

Contact Us