Books about Secular Priesthood

[_Catholicism]

Is there a book out there that talks more specifically about the Secular Priesthood? Thanks.

 

[Cloisters]

Fr. Ken Roberts wrote a couple of books. “Playboy to Priest” and “The Rest of the Week”.

Fr. Don Farnan, a priest of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, MO, wrote a book about being an inner-city priest.

I’m sure there are others, if one knows the correct search criteria.

Blessings,
Mrs Cloisters OP
Lay Dominican
http://cloisters.tripod.com/
http://cloisters.tripod.com/charity/

 

[nunsuch]

Stephen Rossetti, The Joy of Priesthood
Donald Cozzens, Notes from the Underground: The Spiritual Journal of a Secular Priest
Dean Hoge, The First Five Years of the Priesthood: A Study of Newly Ordained Catholic Priests
Fulton Sheen, The Priest is Not His Own

 

[nunsuch]

I would just offer caution about books by Ken Roberts, given the terms on which he left (was dismissed from?) the priesthood…

 

[mrsdizzyd]

What is a secular priest? Never heard that term before.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Yeah, i don’t know what a secular priest is either. Is it a priest who goes out and works with street people or poor people or something? Or one that’s not part of a parish or order? 'Splain please.

 

[Fauken]

@Tis_Bearself

I am pretty sure it is another term for a diocesan priest.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Correct

Diocesan priests and not mandated to make vows of poverty and obedience as those who belong to specific religious orders, like Carmelites and Franciscans do.

Jim

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Thank you Fauken and JimR.
Not sure how I have managed to never hear that term in 50 years, but you learn something every day.

 

[_Catholicism]

Thanks for all of your contribution guys. I really appreciate it. But yeah, I too have only recently found out more about the whole idea the Secular Institute Priesthood. I’m trying to discern my vocation, so that’s one of the things that came up. There’s actually a website that talks more about it, but I didn’t really find what I was looking for, so that’s why I wanted to see if anybody knew more about it or if there were any other resources out there that I could look through.

 

[nunsuch]

The secular priesthood has nothing to do with joining a secular institute. There are literally thousands of books on priesthood. And, since the overwhelming majority of priests are secular, most of the books are, as well.

 

[bardegaulois]

“Secular” is generally contrasted with “regular,” which stems from “regula,” meaning rule. Regulars are those under a rule (i.e., religious), while seculars are those who are not. Thus a diocesan priest would be a secular priest, but so would a priest from the FSSP or other such fraternities.

I would definitely endorse the suggestion of Bishop Sheen’s “The Priest Is Not His Own.” Consider also anything written by Pierre Chaignon, S.J. A Jesuit, he specialized in the spiritual direction of priests, and his “Meditations for the Use of the Secular Clergy” is an overall excellent work.