How can I make a living serving the Catholic Church other than being a priest?

I’m a bit introverted so priesthood is not really it for me atm but never say never.

Some things to think about in regard to this statement: are you saying no to priesthood because you're afraid? Do you consider the challenge too great? If Jesus were to ask you why you did not become a priest, would you be satisfied with this answer?

That aside, I think you would benefit of going through the discernment process. The Archdiocese of Boston has a really good guide (so good that my local Archdiocese links to it): https://vocationsboston.org/basic-discernment-guide

There are 8 steps that you go through and it's mostly about determining which of the three holy vocation best fits what you think God wants of you:

  • Priesthood (Holy Orders as either Priest of Deacon)

  • Married Life: bring forth a new Catholic family

  • Consecrated Life: joining a Catholic Order, not necessarily a monastic one.

One word of advice: don't worry about doing each step perfectly the first time, you can always go back and do them again. You also don't want to rush through them. Things will come to mind as they sit in your unconscious. God may send you a sign. As you progress through some of the steps, you may change.

But do set some sort of deadline for yourself. There is a saying that "since we began discerning, no one has discerned anything". It is important to turn that decision into action at some point.

/r/Catholicism Thread