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Vocations A call from God

All the baptized have a call to holiness; to engage the Holy Spirit in a lifelong journey of conversion to Jesus Christ. Each also has a call to a particular ‘way of life’ in the Church: as a married person, a single (unmarried) person, a priest, a deacon or a member of a religious congregation.

A call to the priesthood

Vocation Inquiry

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    Interested in understanding your call? For those considering a religious vocation and for those simply seeking information on religious life, the Vocations and Seminarians Office provides informational materials and vocational discernment.

Upcoming Events

Jan 13, 2026 Feb 26 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

God has Called Us for His Purpose: Vocation Discernment

  Men in the Diocese of Oakland are invited to join the Office of Vocations for a Discernment evening. We will meet at St. Isidore Church in Danville at 7:00pm…

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Jan 13, 2026 Mar 26 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

God has Called Us for His Purpose: Vocation Discernment

  Men in the Diocese of Oakland are invited to join the Office of Vocations for a Discernment evening. We will meet at St. Isidore Church in Danville at 7:00pm…

more
Jan 13, 2026 Apr 23 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

God has Called Us for His Purpose: Vocation Discernment

  Men in the Diocese of Oakland are invited to join the Office of Vocations for a Discernment evening. We will meet at St. Isidore Church in Danville at 7:00pm…

more
Jan 13, 2026 May 28 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

God has Called Us for His Purpose: Vocation Discernment

  Men in the Diocese of Oakland are invited to join the Office of Vocations for a Discernment evening. We will meet at St. Isidore Church in Danville at 7:00pm…

more
Jan 13, 2026 Jun 25 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

God has Called Us for His Purpose: Vocation Discernment

  Men in the Diocese of Oakland are invited to join the Office of Vocations for a Discernment evening. We will meet at St. Isidore Church in Danville at 7:00pm…

more

Learn more about how God calls each of us

Discerning your vocation

The process of coming to know your vocation is called discernment. It is a committed prayerful interaction with Jesus himself who invites you to, “Come, follow me.” It begins by getting to know Jesus personally; in the Bible, in prayer and in the sacraments of the Church. Jesus cannot lead us to our vocation unless we begin by ‘taking up our cross and following him.’

Consider Jesus’ action after he was baptized by John in the Jordan River. The Spirit led Jesus to the desert where he fasted and prayed for 40 days. This was the place where Jesus discerned his Father’s will. In a sense, we must spend our time in the desert too before God can reveal our particular vocation. This ‘desert’ is where we turn to God in prayer, where we ‘fast’ from distractions and temptations that draw us away from God, where we encounter God in quiet moments of peace.

God will use people in your life to help you discern your vocation. You may hear a comment like, “You would make a good priest” or “Have you ever thought about being a sister?” Pay attention to what others observe about you. It could be the Holy Spirit speaking through them.

Over and over Jesus said to his followers, “Do not be afraid.” He tells you that now. Don’t be afraid to turn to him. He wants only the best for you.

Resources for Discernment

The resources below are just a few to help you in discerning God's call, and helping others discern if God might be calling them to the priesthood. For additional resources, please contact the Vocations Office.

Recommended Reading

Highlighted items may be found online:

“Spiritual Combat” by Lorenzo Scupoli
Intro to the Devout Life, St. Francis DeSales
Fire Within, Fr. Thomas Dubay
Witness to Hope, George Weigel
The Story of a Soul, St. Therese
Confessions, St. Augustine
Pastores Dabo Vobis
Presbyterorum Ordinis
The Imitation of Christ, Thomas a Kempis 
”...And You are Christ’s,” Fr. Thomas Dubay

Links

The Vatican
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Diocese of Oakland
St. Patrick Seminary & University
Roman Catholic Vocations Blog
For Your Vocation

Priesthood
Diaconate
Religious Orders of Priests & Brothers

Orders/Congregations of Religious Priests and Brothers in the Diocese of Oakland

Augustinians

Fr. Tom Whelan, OSA, 415-387-3626
osacole@pacbell.net
www.osa-west.org

Capuchin Franciscans

Fr. Peter Banks, OFM CAP., 805-686-4127
peterbanksofmcap@yahoo.com
www.beafriar.com

Congregation of the Sacred Hearts

Fr. Dedi Riberu. SS.CC. 808-321-9776
riberufrans@yahoo.com
Fr. Brian Guerrini, SS.CC. 575-495-9331
ssccbvg@gmail.com

Conventual Franciscans

Fr. Paul Gawlowski OFM Conv, 510-671-0537
californiavocation@gmail.com
www.franciscanfriars.org

De La Salle Christian Brothers

Br. George Van Grieken, FSG, 707-252-3861
br.george@dlsi.org
www.brothersvocation.org

Dominicans

Fr. John Winkowitsch, OP, 510-596-1806
vocations@opwest.org
www.opwest.org

Franciscans

Fr. Alberto Villafan, OFM, 408-258-7057
avillafanr@yahoo.com
www.sbfranciscans.org

Holy Cross Fathers

Fr. James Gallagher, CSC, 574-631-6385
vocation.1@nd.edu
www.holycrossvocations.org

Jesuits

Fr. Radmar Jao, S.J.
UWEVocationDirector@jesuits.org
https://beajesuit.org/

Maryknoll Fathers

Br. Tim Raible, MM, 510-896-8689 or 510-552-1846
traible@maryknoll.org
www.maryknoll.org

Missionaries of Faith (MF)

Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish
Rev. Joy Kumarthusseril, MF, 510-315-7001
kmfrjoy@gmail.com

St. Philip Neri-St. Albert the Great Parish
Rev. Robert Kennady Chinnapan, MF, 510-373-5201
robertmf@live.com

Missionaries of the Precious Blood

Fr. Ken Schnipke, CPPS, 937-228-6224
vocation@cpps-preciousblood.org
www.cpps-preciousblood.org

Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate

www.omiusa.org

Oblates of St. Francis de Sales

Fr. Martin Lukas, OSFS, 419-724-9851
mlosfs@aol.com
www.oblates.us

Paulist Fathers

Fr. David Farnum, CSP, 212-757-4260 or 800-235-3456
dfarnum@paulist.org
www.paulist.org

Redemptorists

Fr. Tat Hoang, CSSR, 718-321-1394
vocationscssr@aol.com
www.redemptorists-denver.org

Salesians of Don Bosco

Fr. Vien Minh Nguyen, SDB, (562) 925-2250 ext. 217
info@salesianvocation.org
www.salesianvocation.org

Society of Mary (Marists)

Mr. John Ridout, 510-845-3326 or 866-298-3715
jrsmtom@yahoo.com
www.maristsociety.org

Religious Orders of SIsters

Interested in the priesthood? Please contact us

Fr. Matthew Murray

Director of Vocations

510-267-8345
https://www.oakdiocese.org/vocations/