Often men have questions about the application process to the diocese and to the seminary. Here is some information regarding this process.
It is important to note that a man first applies to the diocese. If he is accepted by the bishop as a seminarian, he then works with the diocese in applying to a seminary.
It is also helpful to note that discernment is a mutual encounter. It is both the man discerning whether he is being called to the vocation of a priest for the Diocese of Knoxville and also the diocese (specifically in the person of the bishop, assisted by the Vocation Office) discerning whether the man is a good fit for the diocese.
The practice of the Diocese of Knoxville is that men outside the diocese must have some form of contact with the diocese in order to apply for the diocese (e.g., must have lived in the diocese at one point; have family within the diocese; know a priest, religious, or permanent deacon within the diocese who can attest to the man’s sincerity and worthiness). The diocese believes it important that a man have a connection to the local church in which he might be called to serve as a priest.
After some time working with the diocesan vocation director (Father Christopher Floersh), a man might express an interest in formally applying to the diocese. At this point the following process begins: