MEN’S DISCERNMENT WEEKEND RETREAT FOR AGES 18-35
Jan. 31-Feb 2, 2025
Location: St. Patrick’s Seminary
What: Find out if God is calling you to the priesthood. Meet the priests and seminarians of San Jose. Experience their life and get your questions, doubts, concerns answered. Meet other men like you who are discerning.
You will have the chance to explore the priesthood and learn about the steps for discernment, values of priestly life, and the structure of seminary formation. It will be a weekend of prayer, discussions, fraternity, recreation, and fellowship. Our prayer for you is that by fully engaging in the opportunities provided on this retreat, you will find more clarity on where God is leading you; to help you better understand God’s movement in your heart.
This retreat is also normally required for those who are looking to apply to the Diocese of San José.
Priests of the Diocese of San Jose make a radical choice to follow Jesus’ call to be His servant-leaders. Their lives of joyful sacrifice bring to the people of Silicon Valley the message of Jesus Christ that: I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live! (John 11:25). A priest is empowered by Christ to overcome death, sin, and despair with the message of life, forgiveness, and hope that is the core of the Gospel.
Interested but do not live in the Diocese of José?
If you are interested but from a location outside of the Diocese of San José, please email vocations@dsj.org and we will contact you. If you do not hear back from us within a few days, please contact Sr. Catherine Teresa Bui, O.P. at catherine.bui@dsj.org, Sr. Rosario at rosario.munoz@dsj.org or Fr. Eric Piczon at weric.piczon@dsj.org.
AGENDA
FRIDAY
3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Arrival & Check-In
4:30 – 5:30 p.m. Seminary Tour
5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Holy Hour and Vespers (Main Chapel)
6:30 – 7:15 p.m. Dinner (Riordan Hall)
7:15 – 7:30 p.m. Introductory Session (Sancta Maria Hall)
7:30 – 8:30 p.m. Conference #1 / Introductory Session (Sancta Maria Hall)
9:00 p.m. Silence
SATURDAY
7:00 – 8:00 a.m. Confessions (3rd Floor)
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Holy Mass (Main Chapel)
10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Conference #2 (Sancta Maria Hall) – continental breakfast available
11:00 – 12:00 p.m. One-on-One Meetings with Priests
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Lunch (Refectory)
1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Seminarian Panel (Sancta Maria Hall)
2:30 – 4:00 p.m. Free Time
4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Class
5:00 – 6:00 p.m. Holy Hour and Vespers (Main Chapel)
6:00 – 6:45 p.m. Dinner with Knights of Columbus (Riordan Hall)
7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Conference #3 (Sancta Maria Hall)
8:00 – 9:00 p.m. One-on-One Meetings with Seminarians
9:00 p.m. Silence
SUNDAY
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Holy Mass
10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Brunch
11:30 – 12:30 p.m. Conference #4 / Wrap-Up Session (Sancta Maria Hall)
12:30 p.m. Departure
Priests find meaning and profound personal fulfillment in bringing the living presence of Jesus to God’s people through the sacraments. In turn, people experience the power of Jesus through their priest’s ministry. As “father” of his parish family, the priest is called to be a visible witness of holiness in his commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He offers his life for his people through prayer and ministry.