If you or someone you know is contemplating a vocation to the priesthood, diaconate or religious life, check out the following general resources online.
Talk with your pastor, reach out to the diocese’s vocations promoter, read up on consecrated life and the various religious communities that exist, and contact communities that interest you. Many offer “come and see” days or retreats that are good opportunities to learn more and meet others who have already accepted God’s call to religious life.
For young men and women, there are also summer discernment retreats offered by the Diocese of Charlotte and hosted at Belmont Abbey College: Quo Vadis Days for young men, and Duc In Altum and Talitha Koum for young women. Information about the 2026 retreats will be posted next spring online at www.charlottediocese.org/vocations.
Overall, remember: Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask questions!
Diocesan Vocations Office
- Father Brian Becker, vocations promoter: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
General information
- www.foryourvocation.org: Set up by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, dedicated to the promotion of vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life for both men and women. They are also on Facebook and YouTube. There are resources for parents and teachers, questions to ask yourself if you feel God is calling you, videos of vocation stories from priests and religious all over the U.S., and more.
- www.religiouslife.com: The Institute for Religious Life’s website, with plenty of resources for both men and women interested in a vocation or those who wish to support religious life.
- Not sure what religious communities are out there that might be a good fit for you? Check out www.religiousministries.com. Search this database to find a men’s or women’s religious community, whether you wish to become a priest, nun, brother or lay missioner, or just want to find out more about living a religious life.
- www.cloisteredlife.com: Aims to bring to attention the gift of cloistered and monastic life in the Church, sponsored by the Institute for Religious Life.
Religious communities for men
- www.cmsm.org: The Conference of Major Superiors of Men serves the leadership of the Catholic orders and congregations of the more than 17,000 vowed religious priests and brothers in the U.S.
- www.religiousbrotherhood.com: Sponsored by the Institute for Religious Life specifically to increase awareness of the specific charism of religious brotherhood in the U.S.
Religious communities for women
- www.cmswr.org: The Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious (CMSWR) is a canonically approved organization, founded in 1992, to promote religious life in the U.S.
- www.lcwr.org: The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) is an association of the leaders of congregations of Catholic women religious in the U.S.
Interested in becoming a permanent deacon?
If you would like to know more about deacons and their ministry or feel you may have a calling, please contact Deacon David Faunce, director of formation, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Deacon Joseph Becker, assistant director of formation, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Details can be found online at www.charlottediocese.org/vocations/
diaconate.
— Catholic News Herald
CHARLOTTE — Men and women religious who serve in the Diocese of Charlotte, including five who are celebrating milestone anniversaries in 2024, were honored earlier this year for their service during the diocese’s annual World Day for Consecrated Life Mass offered by then-Bishop Peter Jugis.
Recognized were: Mercy Sister Jeanne-Margaret McNally, 75 years; Mercy Sisters Carmelita Hagan and Lillian Jordan, 60 years; Benedictine Brother Paul Shanley, 50 years; and Sister Praveena Madukkamkal of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, 25 years.
The annual celebration was started in 1997 by then-Pope John Paul II as a way to show gratitude for the work of consecrated men and women and highlight their ministries.
— Christina Lee Knauss and Troy Hull