When a man feels that he may have a vocation to the priesthood he needs to get the appropriate support. First of all, he should contact Fr Grogan - dolvocs@aol.com who will arrange a meeting at Hinsley Hall in Leeds shortly afterwards. Then he should attend the monthly meetings for prospective seminarians which are held at the Chaplaincy in Leeds Trinity and All Saints in Horsforth, Leeds. In addition to these gatherings, he will be invited to go on a Discernment Weekend at Ushaw College near Durham.

All prospective seminarians are given a spiritual director whom they are to meet at least once a month. The director will help them to develop their prayer life and to think further about their vocation.

Each man is invited to write a 1,000 word essay entitled, "How has the Holy Spirit led me to this point in my life?" He will also be asked to complete an application form, giving references, and to provide sacramental and academic certificates and photographs of himself.

In March of each year, those men who are ready will go to a weekend Selection Advisory Conference at Ushaw College where they will be formally interviewed; the interviewing panel will send a report on each man to the Bishop. Then they will be invited to attend individual day-long psychological assessments and they will be required to have a full medical examination and to submit themselves to a Criminal Records Bureau check. The Bishop and his Vicars General will interview each man in May or June and the Bishop will then let him know if he has been accepted as a student for the diocese and to which seminary he intends to send him. Seminary courses begin in September.

During their formation at seminary, students for this diocese are expected to meet with the Bishop, Father Grogan and each other during the Christmas holidays. They are also expected to attend another meeting, if they are available, in the early summer. Bishop Roche will visit endeavour to meet with the diocesan students in their house of formation each year.

Each summer all students are expected to engage in pastoral work for a period of four weeks, usually in a parish in the diocese. All diocesan students are paid a grant, plus, where appropriate, travel costs, according to the nationally agreed rate. The length of time which a student will spend in formation is usually seven years, although this may vary according to personal circumstances.