Canons Regular:

Your Pathway to Priestly Holy Orders

A safe pathway, first and foremost

  • A young man with dark curly hair and a beard stands on a sidewalk in a park-like area with trees and buildings in the background. He is wearing a light-colored t-shirt, ripped jeans, sneakers, a watch, and a chain necklace.

    Become a Brother

    Becoming a Brother of the Canons Regular of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is your first important step on this spiritual journey. Here, you may choose to stay as a Brother for as long as you feel called, or you might decide to remain a Brother indefinitely. All Brothers are geographically dispersed, allowing you to stay closely integrated within your own Community, your Parish Church, and your local town or city. We encourage you to commit to being a Brother for at least six months to one full year. This period is an ideal opportunity to deeply understand how the CRSHJ operates and to grow personally in both Faith and knowledge. If, after this time, you feel called to progress further, you simply make your intentions known to the Canonry. It is at this point that your application will be strictly vetted, an Enhanced DBS completed and references collected, etc. Your records will also be thoroughly searched in all UK National databases and offenders’ registers, including the UK Sexual Offender Register. You must have a clean record in order to qualify for Seminary.

  • Four young men dressed as priests studying open books at a wooden table in a library.

    Become a Seminarian

    Progressing as a Seminarian is a positive and significant step, indicating that you have taken the necessary time to discern your vocation thoughtfully—that is, to carefully and prayerfully consider whether you have a genuine calling to the priesthood or religious life, and if so, how you intend to respond to this profound invitation. Saying a well-thought-out and sincere “YES” means that you are now committed to at least 18 months of Seminary formation, during which you will study diligently, deepen both your intellectual understanding and your personal Faith, as well as nurture your Spirituality. While 18 months is the minimum period recommended for Seminary training, the pace and length of your formation ultimately depend on you. You may choose to extend this time, dedicating two full years or even three years, to develop more fully in all aspects of your vocational journey. Your Seminary studies will be conducted entirely online.

  • A group of young men dressed in black clerical robes, holding books, standing outside a church, smiling and chatting.

    Walking towards the Priesthood

    Hopefully, at this point in your journey, having been a Brother for a significant period and steadily deepening your spiritual and pastoral formation within our Seminary, the natural and intended outcome is for you to formally request to be ordained as a Priest. This important step is taken by writing a letter to the Superior General of the Canonry, expressing your desire to be considered for Holy Orders. Following this, you and the Superior General will engage in a thoughtful and prayerful discernment process over some time, working closely together to determine whether you are truly ready for Priestly Ordination or if it might be more prudent to ordain you first as a Deacon. Once a decision has been reached, the Canon Superior will submit your request to the Ordinariate, our Bishop, who holds the authority to confer ordination. If the decision is made in favor of ordaining you as a Deacon, you will then become a Brother-Deacon. However, if the decision is to ordain you directly as a Priest, you will officially become a Canon Regular, fully incorporated into the priestly ministry of our community. You are spiritually connected to the Canonry but you remain in your secular job and in your own local community.