The call from God to priesthood or religious life can be like "a ringing telephone that won't stop," says Father Paul Spellman, administrator of Holy Name of Jesus Church in Los Angeles, who should know.

A former certified public accountant, Father Spellman was ordained to the priesthood at age 46, having answered "the call" after being inspired by Jesuits at Central Juvenile Hall, where the Florida native served as a volunteer chaplain. "I enjoyed my job as an accountant," he said, "but I saw the work that these men were doing with the poor and marginalized, and for me, I saw that this is what the Gospel is calling us to."

On Jan. 28, more than 80 people, ages 18 to 50, took the opportunity to explore a vocation as a priest or religious by participating in the annual 7-11 Ministry Day with more than 40 sisters, priests and brothers. Launched 14 years ago by Religious Sister of Charity Kathy Bryant, archdiocese vocations director in the Office of Vocations, the program gives men and women a chance to spend the day with a either a priest or a brother or sister "walking in their shoes."

Their adventures included feeding the poor living under bridges and in parks with the Missionaries of Charity Brothers; visiting Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall with the Religious Sisters of Charity; helping out at a transitional shelter for women and children with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet; following a parish priest through his daily work; and visiting a cloistered convent with the Carmelite Sisters.

Each participant had the opportunity to choose their one of three of their favorite areas of interest.

The day began with an early (8 a.m.) arrival at St. Vincent Church south of downtown Los Angeles, with breakfast prepared by the Serra Club. Participants prayed together and listened to Father Spellman and Holy Cross Sister Veronica Fajardo relate their vocation journeys, both of which ended, respectively, in ordination and profession of vows after much prayer, time and an opportunity to explore the idea.

Attendees split into small groups, then spent the rest of the day shadowing a religious brother or sister or parish priest.

St. Vincent parishioner Jennifer Romaszewski, 22, joined the Religious Sisters of Charity at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall. A recent graduate of Texas A&M in animal science, she has been spending the past year as a Vincentian Volunteer working at St. Vincent School and living in community with eight people.

Romaszewski said that during the ministry day, she was able to see firsthand how a religious chaplain can make a difference to teens living at Los Padrinos.

"That was the first time that I got to go to the behind-the-scenes part and to meet a lot more of the kids," she said. "They were so appreciative that we came."

Romaszewski said that the sisters were "open and honest" and answered their questions about religious life and the hardships and triumphs of working with the teens in juvenile hall.

She said that while she is still not sure if she is called to become a sister, she found the experience worthwhile and life changing.

"It absolutely reaffirmed my call to service," Romaszewski said. "Whatever my call, I will know what it is when I find that peace."

Eben MacDonald, 42, of St. Mel Church in Woodland Hills, has been in discernment to become a diocesan priest for about three years. This was his second 7-11 Ministry Day and he found the experience very "eye opening."

Two years ago, he visited St. Louis of France Church in La Puente where, in addition to watching the pastor, "I witnessed how the parishioners collaborated with the pastor and I saw the love that they have for the pastor," he said.

This time, MacDonald visited Mary, Star of the Sea Church in San Pedro and was able to visit the two chapels the parish operates out of the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, where volunteers provide hospitality for sailors and ship workers.

The Ministry Day, he said, further solidified his desire to become a diocesan priest.

Trina Roldan, 21, of St. Margaret Mary Church in Lomita, and a gerontology major at the University of Southern California, has been exploring a call to join the Little Sisters of the Poor for a little more than a year. She asked to spend the day with the cloistered Carmelite Sisters at their convent in Alhambra.

"The only cloistered community I knew was from the movie 'Sister Act,'" Roldan said, describing her experience to the group after a Mass at St. Vincent Church with Bishop Edward Clark. "I thought it was very peaceful."

Roldan said she enjoyed the experience, and it confirmed her desire to join the Little Sisters of the Poor. She said she enjoyed meeting people from different walks of life who are all have a "love for God" and are discerning a call to religious life.

Norma Sanchez, 40, who attends San Gabriel Mission, spent the day along with three women with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. They visited Alexandria House, a transitional shelter for women and children founded and operated by Sister Judy Vaughan.

Sanchez said that she was surprised to see the extent that religious sisters contribute to the community and to society.

"I thought it was great," she said. "Sister Judy was very candid in everything she shared with us."

Father Spellman, who told the group about his transition from certified public accountant with a nice house and car to parish priest, said that when he was discerning, he had also attended a 7-11 Ministry Day 11 years ago. He said that the day helped him move forward in his decision.

Dominican Sister Beth Quire said that she too, had attended a 7-11 Ministry Day a few years before she entered in 1995 to satisfy her "nagging curiosity that never went away." She has helped Sister Bryant and the team of volunteers prepare the day for the past few years.

For her, said Sister Quire, the 7-11 experience helped her get a "sense of the realness" of the lives of the religious sisters and it gave her "an ability to connect to them as people."

"That is one of the reasons I come back and help," she said.

Ultimately, said Sister Bryant, only God can give a vocational call. She said she that even though the people who attend the 7-11 Ministry Day may not have a call to the priesthood or religious life, they often find that they discover a love for a service ministry they may never have known they might enjoy, such as feeding the homeless or working with women and children who need housing.

"It is God's doing --- you never know what the outcome will be," she said. "The important thing is that we give them the experience and see what they do with it."