Is God calling you to something more? You were made for this moment, for this time in history. Fr. Craig Giera, Director of Priestly Vocations, shares his testimony of his vocation, and perhaps you may relate to his journey toward a beautiful, wonderful, fulfilling life of priesthood.

Video Transcript

Hello. My name is Fr. Craig Giera, and I am the Director of Priestly Vocations for the Archdiocese of Detroit.

When I was a young man — really, just a kid — I always felt a little bit different. That there was something a little bit more God was offering me. I didn’t know what that was called, I couldn’t put my finger upon it, but I always felt a little bit different. Maybe you felt that way, too. And there were a couple times in my life where God really spoke to me. They weren’t really dramatic, but I knew that God was speaking to me, telling me I was made for more.

I remember as a teenager, sitting in my parents’ basement, playing video games all day long — I’m good at video games and I really enjoy playing them — and I just remembered at this time, I wasn’t enjoying it. It wasn’t fun for me, they weren’t fulfilling. And my older brother came down at the time, asked me what I was doing, and I told him, “I’m playing video games, but it’s just kind of boring to me right now.” And he said to me, “Well, you’re older now. What do you expect?” What he was saying is, “You’re made for more than just video games.” And I started to see life a little bit differently.

The second time was when I took a break from college — a semester off from college, from doing graphic arts. I wasn’t living necessarily a Christian way of life, and I didn’t know what was going on or what I should be doing with my life, and I was working at a dead-end job doing graphic arts. I wasn’t happy. And I remember sitting over my work one day, just being miserable, unfulfilled, unhappy, and I thought to myself, “What am I doing with my life?” And God spoke to me there and said, “You were made for more.” And at that moment I didn’t know exactly what it was, but I knew I wanted to transfer to do fine arts — to get a fine arts degree, just trusting the Lord that he’ll be able to provide for me when the time came.

And in fact, when I did graduate, I did find a job at an art gallery. I was selling other people’s work, but selling my work as well. I had a couple group exhibitions. I also had my own solo show. But guess what: I still was unfulfilled, I still was looking for more, I still felt like I was made for more. And it was at Christmas time that God gave me this gift. He said, “What you’ve been looking for your whole life, and didn’t know it, is your vocation. And your vocation is to the priesthood. Come and follow me.”

Maybe, just maybe, God is calling you right now. Maybe you’re a young man in your parents’ basement playing video games, finishing up high school. Maybe you’ve been out of college for a couple years and things aren’t just quite right, or maybe you’re a little bit older and a little bit wiser. But God is knocking at the door of your heart. To be called to the priesthood is such a wonderful thing. The vocation is so different than the rest. Only so few of us are called to act in the person of Christ. To celebrate Mass, to feed people the Eucharist, to bring people in the Church through baptism, to forgive people their sins through confession. To be in their lives at the most joyful and, sometimes, the most sorrowful times. Maybe God is calling you to this.

I’m not asking you to just consider it. I’m challenging you. I’m challenging you to be the man of God that you are called to be. I’m challenging you to live out your vocation. Is there work to be done? Yes, a lot of work. May it be difficult sometimes? Yes. But that’s why you were born for this. You were made for this moment, at this time in history, to be a leader — to be a servant leader. God needs you. I need you. The people of God need you to say yes to your vocation.

It’s a beautiful life, it’s a wonderful life, it’s a happy life, a fulfilling life, this gift of the priesthood.

If you would like more information to the Catholic priesthood, please visit our new website, detroitpriestlyvocations.com. There you’ll find many resources to help you discern. Also, you’ll find my contact information. Just reach out. I’m looking forward to talking with you and working with you. And know of my prayers for you, and that I have entrusted you to the care of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for she is our mother.

I look forward to starting this adventure of your life, the adventure of living out your vocation as a Catholic priest. God bless.