Can a trip to the lake help a man decide if he is going to pursue the priesthood, and possibly pursue it with the Paulists?

“It already has,” said Richard Whitney, who was among the 10 men who took the 2014 Paulist Plunge, a vocation discernment retreat at the St. Mary’s on the Lake, the Paulist retreat house on Lake George, N.Y.

“I’m ready to apply for next year’s novitiate class now,” Mr. Whitney said.

The Paulist Plunge, now in its third year, has become a rapidly growing summer tradition in the Paulist community.

“These five days at the lake give the men a chance to meet Paulist priests and students, experience community life, and explore the Paulist spirituality and mission in an informal, relaxed setting,” explained Father Larry Rice, Paulist vocation director and director of St. Mary’s on the Lake.

The 10 retreatants constitute the largest Paulist Plunge group, according to Father Rice––a number that has only continued to grow.

The Paulist Plunge experience includes time for personal and group prayer, daily Mass, presentations about the Paulists, and conversations, meals and during free time with Paulist priests and students. There is also time for swimming, mini-golf and evening ice cream runs. The sum of the different retreat experiences serve to form a bond among the retreatants.

“This is a very important week,” Father Rice said. “Up until now, much of the vocation discernment for these men has been solitary. Here, they get to see that they are not the only one going through the discernment process, asking these questions about a major life change. They develop a sense of solidarity and realize that it’s OK to pursue this and a normal thing to do.”

Accustomed to living alone, 22-year-old Thomas Idzik found community living surprising and refreshing.

“Living in community, you always have that support,” said Mr. Idzik, who is entering his senior year of theology studies at Belmont Abbey College in Charlotte, N.C. “It is invaluable to get the perspective of people who have have dedicated their lives to the Paulist mission, who have walked down the path you are wanting to go.”

The Paulist Plunge has also fostered in Mr. Idzik “a greater sense of Christian devotion while getting the chance to test out the community and meeting people who have the same goals and interests that you do.”

Father Larry Rice, CSP, Paulist vocation director (left) and Father Charlie Martin, CSP (right) share some after dinner conversation with Patrick Christ (center), who is about to enter the Paulist novitiate. Mr. Christ was at St. Mary’s on the Lake, Lake George, N.Y., for the 2014 Paulist Plunge, a vocation discernment event where men come to explore the Paulist community.

One man with those same interests is Jon Jergens, 29, who came on the Paulist Plunge to explore the option of the Paulists after he completes his Army service in three years. He found the Paulists during a Google search, and the tech-savvy aspect of the community appealed to his experience in the information technology and networking arenas.

“There is no doubt [the Paulist Plunge] will help me figure out what is best for me, what God is calling me to do,” he said.

For Mr. Whitney, who often attends Mass at the Paulist Center in Boston, God may be calling him to use his skills as an addiction counselor in a new and faith-based way.

“There are a lot of the same skills in both,” said Mr. Whitney, who plans to become a certified pastoral counselor and licensed mental health counselor.

After holding the priesthood off “at arm’s length for many, many years,” Mr. Whitney had a thunderbolt “wake-up” moment when he came to terms with his own alcohol addiction.

“The only question was what kind of service I should pursue,” he said. “Healing works better if you are in touch with your spiritual nature, something not encouraged in mental health circles.”

Admittedly shy, Mr. Whitney said the ease with which he was welcomed and “allowed to slip in to the community,” put him at ease.

“We had a cocktail party the other night, and I felt completely comfortable,” he said. “Normally that would not have been the case.”

There is a definite effort to create a welcoming and supportive environment for the retreatants, said Father Rice, each of whom is at a different place in his exploration of the priesthood.

“This is a very diverse group,” said Father Rice, “but the fact that they came here for five days says a lot about their openness of heart.”