Breaking down the priest

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ReflectHim

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Not sure if this is where this goes but I’ll shoot…

What all exactly does a priest do? Or maybe better phrased what is a priest privilaged to do? This may be out of pure ignorance, but is their a book or something that outlines the details of being a catholic priest? I’ve read a few posts about priest having to perform the “mass” daily and such and such.

So I guess i’m curious to know the traditional role of the catholic priest.

What’s expected of a priest. If anyone has any blogs, forums or letters or accounts from priests, telling or outlining their life as a priest that would be interesting.

Just curious.

Thanks
 
A good place to start your researches into this issue in in the CCC: Priest.

No doubt others will have more to say. I thought about trying to describe the duties and life of the priesthood, but I don’t feel qualified to tackle the subject. 😉
 
This is an excellent question! I’ve often thought it would help nuture vocations to the priesthood if people had a glimpse into “A Day in the Life” or “A Week in the Life” of a priest.
 
from what I know based on talking to my pastor

Mornng prayer
Say mass
Take care of administraive issues at the parish
Meet with people for confessions, appointments, spritutal emergencies, generally help those who ask for help or direct them to where they can find it. Write the homiles for the weekdays (unless he decides to ad-lib) and especially sunday.
Midday there is another prayer to be said.
In the afternoon more of the same.
Go home
Evening Prayer.

throught this he must also be available to drop everything and give people the last rites or take the eucharist to the sick (unless he has EHMCs doing that)

im probably forgetting a lot of stuff though.
 
the code of cannon law gives many of the specific duties of the priest. I know you can get it online, but Im not sure of a specific site.
 
Well what about priests “daily, regular life”

My dad is a pastor, and people just “swear” he’s some super being. They are so shocked to see him at the movies in jeans and a shirt. Because 90% of the time he is in a suit, but he’s quirky like that [he’s also the a professor and dean of students at a Christian college]. But its like people just expect him to be I guess unhuman. I admit my dad does spend about 85% of his time studying the Bible and preparing sermons, but he’s like 60 so he enjoys this and is def. a man of God.

His weeks are busy. But I mean he does like to fish, go to the movies, go out to eat, and whatever else he does. But he does spend A LOT of time in his “study”, he just loves studying the Word. He is ALways on call, and has his duties with the congregants of our church.

So I know what its like to live with a man of God, growing up as the “preachers daughter”.

Do priests get to dress like normal folks? are they restricted from somethings?
 
there is no rule saying they cant dress normally, but it is preferred that they wear their clerics (or even the cassock if they are REALLY bold) in public to serve as a witness and reminder of God’s presence at all times. but like if there is a reason to dress otherwise, its 100% OK (for example military uniforms, working in the garden in shabby clothes, swimming or camping, working out, etc)

As for activities and recreation, pretty much anything is OK so long as the priest isnt causing a scandal. For example, getting wasted at a bar is bad. Strip clubs are a no-no. etc. Also they have to have that utilitarian availability, to go when they are needed. They gotta keep in mind they ARE priests. its a state of being not a job, so they cant just “take it off” when they are off church grounds.
My pastor likes to go swimming on his off time, another priest I know likes to golf, Our auxilliary bishop is an avid bicyclist, I even had a pastor once (he was a little soft spoken irish guy which made it funny) who LOVED to ride his motorcycle out in the country, we had a transitional deacon who really liked cinema and was always raving about a movie he just saw. and so on.
 
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Brain:
from what I know based on talking to my pastor

Mornng prayer
Say mass
Take care of administraive issues at the parish
Meet with people for confessions, appointments, spritutal emergencies, generally help those who ask for help or direct them to where they can find it. Write the homiles for the weekdays (unless he decides to ad-lib) and especially sunday.
Midday there is another prayer to be said.
In the afternoon more of the same.
Go home
Evening Prayer.

throught this he must also be available to drop everything and give people the last rites or take the eucharist to the sick (unless he has EHMCs doing that)

im probably forgetting a lot of stuff though.
Click to expand...
In my parish the Priest does not write his own sermons, they have somone called a Liturgical Director that does that. Most of the counseling, Baptisms, Marriages and maybe funerals are handled by the Deacons, we have four of those. Most of the Parish business is handled by different committees, there are a bunch of them. EMHC’s do ALL of the distribution of communion outside of the Church, as well as most of it in the Church. Most daily Masses are actually eucharistic services presided over by the one of the Deacons. I’m not sure why exactly, we do have three priests.

So in short they really don’t seem to do a whole lot, at least in my parish.
 
we have 1 priest, a secreatry, and a faith formation director. all else is done via ad hoc comittees (music and liturgy, genral parish council, CCD and sacramental prep, etc) or by father and the secretary.
 
ReflectHim, your dad’s day sounds pretty much like a Catholic Priest’s day – including the teaching part. Most priests who are pastors of a parish haven’t time to teach as well, but Priests whose main task is teaching in a college or seminary usually also serve as adjuncts or assistants or as weekend extra help in parishes.

As for an earlier poster saying that the liturgical coordinator was writing homilies — uuhhh. I wouldn’t want that to get on the six o’clock news. Only a Bishop, Priest or Deacon can deliver a homily, so I figure, that should extend to the writing of it.

The prayer routine mentioned above is called the Liturgy of the Hours, and it consists of praying through the entire book of Psalms in a month, with the addition of scripture readings, canticles (from Scripture) and writings from the Saints and the Church Fathers. We pray this at seven points during the day but it can be mitigated to only twice.

Going to the movies in a polo shirt? Yeah. They can do that but many, if not most, dioceses expect clergy to wear clericals in public.

They also (probably like your dad) meet with the various ministry leaders of the parish and teach Bible studies and things like that.

Clergy of all denominations have a lot in common. Especially the drop-everything-and-run when somebody needs them NOW.
 
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Brain:
there is no rule saying they cant dress normally, but it is preferred that they wear their clerics (or even the cassock if they are REALLY bold) in public to serve as a witness and reminder of God’s presence at all times. .
Click to expand...
The priests who are associated with the Bishop (by that I mean assigned near or at the cathedral) in our diocese wear their cassocks a lot…very cool! It’s awesome seeing them visiting people in the hospital wearing them, teaching at conferences, or just praying in the cathedral. I think it’s a marvelous witness.
 
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ReflectHim:
Not sure if this is where this goes but I’ll shoot…

What all exactly does a priest do? Or maybe better phrased what is a priest privilaged to do? This may be out of pure ignorance, but is their a book or something that outlines the details of being a catholic priest? I’ve read a few posts about priest having to perform the “mass” daily and such and such.

So I guess i’m curious to know the traditional role of the catholic priest.

What’s expected of a priest. If anyone has any blogs, forums or letters or accounts from priests, telling or outlining their life as a priest that would be interesting.

Just curious.

Thanks
Click to expand...
Priests say mass daily. They hear confession and do the other sacraments. They are sometimes spiritual directors meaning that they talk to people and guide them one on one concerning their spiritual life. They are meant to build their own spiritual life so that they are a good example for the lay person. There are several other things they do that some others can give.
 
I asked my pastor and he said that after daily Mass, sacraments and administration, the rest of his time is spent in boring useless meetings that don’t accomplish anything. I think he was having a bad day. I do know he works like a fiend to carve out time for pastoral care of parishioners. He has 2 or 3 diocesan assignments as well as the parish. It is a rare priest here that has only his own parish to look after. Most also have at least one mission, one diocesan assignment plus rotate chaplain duties in their deaneries.
 
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