candidate assessments

Saint Luke Institute takes a broad-based "teams of excellence" approach to providing integrated psychological and spiritual assessments for individuals discerning a call to the priesthood, religious life or permanent diaconate.

Why Candidate Assessments

Healthy human formation is the foundation of healthy ministry for a priest, religious or permanent deacon. Candidate assessments provide bishops, major superiors, vocation directors, formators and candidates with an important tool in the discernment process.

Our Approach

With nearly 20 years of experience in conducting assessments, Saint Luke Institute takes a broad-based “team of excellence” approach to providing integrated psychological and spiritual evaluations of candidates coming forward for service in the Church. We are experienced in assessing candidates from a variety of cultural backgrounds.

Our teams of knowledgeable professionals understand the challenges and requirements of ministry in the Catholic Church, ensuring that you and your candidate receive the quality feedback and recommendations you need for the discernment process.

Committed to Quality

Saint Luke Institute assessments are

  • comprehensive, integrating spiritual and human formation
  • consistent with the Church's expections for the assessment of candidates
  • confidential

What to Expect

The candidate meets with three different professionals over a two-day period. The assessment includes 

  • Pre-assessment Personal Profile and Spiritual Profile
  • Clinical and psychosocial interviews
  • Spiritual assessment
  • Intellectual and psychological testing.

Feedback

At the conclusion of the assessment, the team provides detailed feedback to help both the candidate and the formation or vocation director in the discernment process:

  • One-hour meeting with the assessment team, candidate and formation or vocation director 
  • Detailed written report sent to the candidate and the formation or vocation director within two weeks

Two Locations

Assessments may be done at our offices in Louisville, KY or the Washington, DC metropolitan area.