Vocations miniseries said to tap into discernment factors

Published: 2006-06-12

PHILADELPHIA (CNS) -- A&E's reality miniseries "God or the Girl," now available on DVD, raised many of the issues faced by men who are discerning a vocation, said a Philadelphia seminarian and the director of vocations for the Philadelphia Archdiocese. The series followed four Catholic men who felt they might have a call to the priesthood, but were uncertain whether they had what it takes. Richard Smith, a 23-year-old seminarian at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, told The Catholic Standard & Times, the archdiocesan newspaper, that the series captures the real struggle of vocations discernment. "It's not just something we do on a whim," Smith said. "It's a decision that doesn't just affect the person discerning but also the family and the larger community." Father Chris Rogers, vocations director, said discernment is basically "trying to discover the plan of God for your life, because God created us with a purpose. Everyone desires to find fulfillment and happiness," he said. "The only way to do that is to figure out what God has in store for you."

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