Application Process

If you are interested in learning more about the priesthood or feel called to apply for the Priestly Formation in the Diocese of Metuchen, please contact Fr. Tom Lanza (TLanza@diometuchen.org).

Pre-requisites to apply:
1) Must be a Catholic male who is in the process of finishing High School or older.  
2) Candidates should either live in the boundaries of the Diocese of Metuchen or have significant connections to our diocese (i.e., family, friends, an established life, etc.).
3) If you are a convert to Catholicism or have recently finished your sacraments of initiation, there is a 2-year waiting period from the time of your Confirmation.
4) Aside from student loans, a candidate needs to be free of any significant debt (i.e., credit card debt, car loan, private loans, etc.).  If there is any significant debt, the diocese will need to be aware of the plan to eliminate your financial responsibility before entering formation.

If you feel called to serve God and his Church as a priest in the Diocese of Metuchen:
1) Contact the pastor of your home parish to make your desire known and begin to discern your calling.  
2) Contact Fr. Lanza, the Vocations Director, to make your desire known and get plugged into discernment activities, take a tour of the seminary, and begin to meet with a spiritual director.
3) When ready, ask Fr. Lanza to formally begin the application process.
4) The application consists of an autobiography, an essay on the priesthood, an in-depth application, a round of interviews, a background check, a medical checkup, and a psychological evaluation.
5) If accepted, the Diocesan Bishop of Metuchen will assign you to begin formation at a location of his choosing.  
6) Formation for those without any previous formation:

               High School Graduates with no college degree-