Discover Your Calling This Summer

A paid 10-week program for college students to explore ministry, grow as leaders, and discern God's call

Application Deadline: March 13, 2026

Is This Summer Different?

You're finishing college. You've spent years building toward something.

Maybe you have a plan. Maybe the plan keeps shifting. Maybe you've quietly wondered whether the career you're preparing for is actually the one you're made for.

Here's what a lot of Catholic college students don't know: the Church needs professionals. Not just priests and sisters. Parish leaders, youth ministers, faith formation directors, pastoral associates. People with real skills who want to build a career around something that matters.

This summer, you can find out if that's you. The MMGSI Summer Internship is ten weeks of paid, hands-on ministry experience in a real parish, paired with intellectual and spiritual formation, community-building, and the space to ask the question most people avoid their whole lives: What is God calling me to do?

What is the MMGSI Summer Internship?

Ten weeks. One question: Is ministry for me?

Maybe graduation is on the horizon. Maybe you're taking a gap year. Maybe you're not sure what's next.

From May 27 to August 12, 2026, you'll:

Serve at a Catholic parish

in Northeast Ohio, learning from experienced ministers, supporting real ministry to real people, and discovering how your gifts align with the Church's needs

Gather weekly

with other interns at the diocesan seminary in Wickliffe for intellectual and spiritual formation, honest discussions about faith and vocation, and a community experience with peers who get it

Retreat twice overnight

to step away from the noise and ask the real question: What does God want for my life?

Get paid $6,000

for the summer—plus all program costs covered (books, retreats, events)

Explore your vocation

whether you're called to marriage, priesthood, religious life, single life, or professional ministry

This isn't a mission trip. This isn't a summer job. This is a summer to figure out who you are.

Start Application

What You’ll Do

At a Parish (24 hours/week)

June 1 – August 9

You'll be assigned to one of nine vibrant parishes across the Diocese of Cleveland. Your summer won't be spent filing papers or making copies (though you might do some of that too). You'll be learning what ministry actually looks like from the inside:

Help plan and lead

youth ministry events and summer programs

Assist

with wedding and funeral preparation

Support

faith formation for kids, teens, and adults

Learn

how a parish actually runs, from Mass logistics to facility management

Shadow

pastoral associates, youth ministers, and parish leaders

Discover

where your gifts meet the Church's needs

At the Seminary (Most Wednesdays)

Weekly gatherings at the Center for Pastoral Leadership, Wickliffe

This isn't school. You won't be taking exams or writing research papers.

But you will be:

Learning the Catholic intellectual tradition

Discussing big questions with other interns

Praying at Mass together

Reflecting on what you're experiencing at your parish

Reading (modest assignments between sessions)

Building friendships with peers who are wrestling with the same questions

On Retreat (Two Overnight Retreats)

June 9-11 & July 14-16

Twice this summer, you'll step away with your cohort for overnight discernment retreats designed to help you listen to God's voice.

They're space to get real about the questions that matter:

What am I good at?

What brings me joy?

Where do I see God working in my life?

What is God calling me to do?

You'll leave with clarity. Not necessarily certainty, but clarity about the next step for your life.

Around Northeast Ohio (Community & Culture)

Ministry is serious work. But this summer should also be fun.

Expect:

Cleveland Guardians games

Museum outings

Film discussions

Cookouts and hangouts with your cohort

The kind of inside jokes that come from doing challenging things together

You'll spend the summer with friends who get it.

Who This Is For

You're a Good Fit If:

You've completed high school and born on or after January 1, 2001

You're a practicing Catholic who takes your faith seriously

You're open to the possibility that God might be calling you to serve the Church professionally, even if you're not sure yet

You're willing to work, ask honest questions, and be challenged

You're available May 27 – August 12, 2026 (we can work around some schedule conflicts)

You Don't Need To:

Be 100% sure ministry is your calling (that's what this summer is for!)

Know theology (we'll teach you)

Be the "holiest" person you know (just be honest and hungry)

Have ministry experience (we'll train you)

Not eligible: Seminarians and those already in formation with a religious order

Start Application

Where You’ll Serve

Interns will be placed at one of nine vibrant parishes across Northeast Ohio:

St. Albert the Great, North Royalton

St. Barnabas, Northfield

St. Basil the Great, Brecksville

St. Bernard & St. Mary, Akron

St. Joan of Arc, Chagrin Falls

St. John Vianney, Mentor

St. Joseph, Avon Lake

St. Mary, Hudson

St. Sebastian, Akron

Learn more about each community here.

Placements will be made based on your location, skills, and parish needs. We’ll work to match you where you’ll thrive.

Compensation & Support

You’ll be paid a $6,000 stipend for the summer—because we don't want you worrying about rent or student loans. We want you focused on discernment.

All Costs Covered:

Retreat accommodations

Books and materials

Event tickets (Guardians games, museums, etc.)

Parking fees

Mileage stipend if you drive more than 20 miles to seminary or program activities

The Summer Schedule

May 27

Kickoff event

June 1 – August 9

Parish work (24 hrs/week) + Wednesdays at the seminary

June 9-11

First overnight retreat

July 14-16

Second overnight retreat

August 12

Wrap-up celebration

Total Commitment: 10 weeks, late May through mid-August

How To Apply

Application Deadline: March 13, 2026

Start Application

What We'll Ask

Basic info (contact, parish, high school)

Three short answer/essay questions about your faith journey and interest in the program

Availability and any scheduling conflicts

What Happens Next

We'll review applications in March

Selected candidates will be interviewed (possibly not all applicants, depending on volume)

Acceptance decisions will be announced by May 1

Summer Internship FAQs

Do interns get paid?
Yes! Thanks to the generous support of our benefactors, each intern will be paid a total of $6,000 over the course of the summer. In addition, all costs associated with the program (tickets and parking fees for social events, books and supplies, retreat accommodations, etc.) are covered. Finally, any intern who needs to drive more than 20 miles to attend a program activity will receive a modest additional stipend for mileage.
Who is eligible to apply?
We welcome applications from faithful Catholics who are open to careers in service to the Church. If you have completed high school and were born on or after January 1, 2001, we invite you to apply. (Seminarians and persons in formation with a religious order are not eligible.)
I'm not sure I want to work for the Church. Can I still apply?
Yes. In fact, that’s exactly who this program is for. A lot of people come in uncertain and leave with a clear answer in one direction or the other. Some leave convinced ministry is their path. Others realize it isn’t — and that clarity is just as valuable. Either way, you’ll know something important about yourself.
What if my family has a vacation planned during the summer?
Apply anyway. Indicate your conflict on the application. We’ll do our best to accommodate reasonable schedule conflicts. We want you available for the full program, but we understand life happens.
What if I don't know anyone else applying?
You won’t be alone. You’ll be part of a cohort of interns—peers who are asking the same questions, wrestling with the same doubts, and figuring out their calling together. Community is built into this program.
Do I need a car? How do I get to my assigned parish, to the seminary, to retreats, etc…?
Great question. Interns will need to arrange their own transportation to the parishes where they are working, to the diocesan seminary in Wickliffe once per week, and to other formational and social activities.
How long are the application essays?
No word count. Write what you need to write—without AI assistance. Quality over quantity. We’re looking for genuineness, not performance.
What if I have more questions?
Email us: mmgsi@dioceseofcleveland.org

We’re happy to talk through any questions or concerns. Seriously, reach out.

This Summer, Ask the Big Question

Most people spend their whole lives avoiding the question: What is God calling me to do?

You have 10 weeks to wrestle with it.

Serve real people. Ask hard questions. Pray with purpose. Build friendships that last. Get paid to figure out your calling.

The application may take 60 minutes. The impact will last.

Start Application

Discover Your Calling This Summer

Is This Summer Different?

What is the MMGSI Summer Internship?

What You’ll Do

At a Parish (24 hours/week)

At the Seminary (Most Wednesdays)

On Retreat (Two Overnight Retreats)

Around Northeast Ohio (Community & Culture)

Who This Is For

Where You’ll Serve

Compensation & Support

The Summer Schedule

How To Apply

Summer Internship FAQs

Do interns get paid?

Who is eligible to apply?

I'm not sure I want to work for the Church. Can I still apply?

What if my family has a vacation planned during the summer?

What if I don't know anyone else applying?

Do I need a car? How do I get to my assigned parish, to the seminary, to retreats, etc…?

How long are the application essays?

What if I have more questions?

This Summer, Ask the Big Question