Apply
Apply to the Old Catholic Institute
If you are ready to take the next faithful step toward formation, we welcome your application.
Applying to the Old Catholic Institute is not simply an administrative task. It is part of a larger process of discernment. Whether you are exploring the diaconate, the priesthood, or another path of serious church-rooted formation, your application is the beginning of a conversation between your sense of calling and the Church’s prayerful discernment.
We want this step to be clear, welcoming, and honest. If you believe God may be drawing you into deeper service, this page will help you understand what to prepare, what to expect, and how to begin well.
Before You Apply
Before submitting an application, take time to pray, reflect, and speak honestly about your sense of calling. Formation begins best when a candidate comes with humility, sincerity, and a willingness to be guided by the Church.
If you have not yet had an initial conversation with the Institute or with your sponsoring clergy, that is the right place to start. Application should not feel like sending paperwork into a void. It should grow out of real discernment, pastoral conversation, and an emerging sense of direction.
You do not need to have every answer in hand before you begin. You do need honesty, prayer, and readiness to enter a real process of discernment.
Who Should Apply
This page is for those who are ready to move from interest to action. You may be ready to apply if you are actively involved in the life of the Church, sensing a call to ordained ministry or deeper formation, and willing to undertake a process that includes sponsorship, review, study, and discernment.
You may be ready to apply if you are:
- Discerning a call to the diaconate
- Discerning a call to the priesthood
- Seeking structured, church-rooted formation
- Prepared for serious theological and pastoral preparation
You may need to begin with conversation first if you are:
- Still uncertain about your path
- New to the life of the Church
- Unsure which formation pathway fits your vocation
- Not yet connected with clergy sponsorship or parish support
What You Will Need
The exact materials may differ depending on whether you are applying for diaconate formation, priesthood formation, or another approved path. In most cases, candidates should be prepared to gather both personal documentation and written materials that help the Church understand their background, readiness, and sense of calling.
Applicants may need to provide:
- Completed application materials
- Baptism and confirmation certificates
- Marriage records, if applicable
- Divorce, annulment, or dissolution documents, if applicable
- Autobiographical essay describing faith, calling, and sense of vocation
- Educational records or equivalent background information
Applicants should also be prepared for:
- Parish and episcopal sponsorship or endorsement
- Letters of reference where required
- Personal interviews
- Background review
- Psychological and health assessment where required
- Safeguarding-related requirements where applicable
Applications are strongest when they are complete, thoughtful, and honest. This process is not about presenting a polished image. It is about presenting yourself truthfully before God and the Church.
Choose Your Formation Path
If you are applying, it helps to know which path you believe you are pursuing. You do not need perfect certainty, but you should have a clear enough sense of direction to begin the right conversation.
Diaconate Formation
For those discerning a call to ordained service in the diaconate, including ministry shaped by liturgy, proclamation, pastoral care, and service among the poor and vulnerable.
Priesthood Formation
For those discerning a call to priestly ministry, including preaching, sacramental leadership, pastoral care, catechesis, and long-term parish service.
Need Help Deciding?
If you are still unsure which path best fits your sense of calling, begin with conversation. Discernment often becomes clearer when it is spoken aloud in the presence of the Church.
Application Checklist
Use this checklist to prepare before you formally apply.
- Pray about your calling and readiness
- Speak with the appropriate clergy or sponsoring authority
- Identify the formation path you are pursuing
- Gather sacramental and personal records
- Prepare your autobiographical or vocational essay
- Request letters of endorsement or reference if required
- Be ready for interviews and follow-up conversation
- Submit all required materials as completely as possible
Incomplete applications may delay review. The more complete and thoughtful your submission, the easier it is for the discernment process to proceed clearly and fruitfully.
What Happens After You Apply
Once your materials are submitted, the process moves into review and discernment. Published OCCI guidance describes consultation, documentation, a discernment period, clerical review, episcopal decision, and continued evaluation as part of the pathway toward formation and, where appropriate, ordination.
That means submitting an application is not the end of the process. It is the beginning of deeper conversation. You may be asked for additional documents, follow-up discussion, interviews, or further clarification. This is normal. It is part of how the Church takes vocation seriously.
Acceptance into formation is not the same as a guarantee of ordination. Formation is part of discernment, and ordination remains the Church’s sacramental recognition of a tested vocation.
A Good Application Is Honest
The strongest applications are not the most polished. They are the most truthful. Speak honestly about your faith, your history, your strengths, your questions, and your sense of calling. The purpose of the application is not performance. It is clarity.
If God is calling you, there is no need to exaggerate. If you are still discerning, there is no need to pretend certainty. The Church can work with honesty. In fact, honesty is one of the clearest signs that a person may truly be ready to begin formation.
Ready to Begin?
If you are ready to apply, begin by making contact and preparing your materials. If you are almost ready, but still have questions, reach out first. Either way, this is the moment to take the next faithful step.
The Old Catholic Institute exists to help form clergy and church leaders for real service in the Church. If you believe God may be drawing you toward that path, we invite you to begin with courage, humility, and hope.