Feeling sorrow for your priest?

[dfp42]

I’m wondering if anyone ever feels this way about their parish priest or perhaps even the office people etc. It hurts my heart to see they are under tremendous stress from poor sinners like myself. I do understand this is their vocation (at least the priest or deacons), but I can’t help but seem to be a little distressed or sad when I think about the courage and strength they must have. The humility alone to be a victim for Christ is no small task. Day after day after day. I’m in a parish where it almost upsets me in a way to bother my priest because he looks stressed out. But I need him very much. If it wasn’t for him, I would have no Eucharist.

I dunno, perhaps I need to offer up my help at the parish. Maybe this is why I’m feeling this way.

Anyone else ever feel this.

 

[dfp42]

I also wanted to ask if anyone else ever feels grilled when they go into the rectory from the office people when you ask for your priest? It seems that everything has to have an appointment setup. Even if it was just a simple thing that would take 1 minute of his time. I can understand this when seeing how busy one can get wrap up in serving the people of Christ. I get the illusion that I must be the one with the problem sometimes. I’m not mad or angry honestly. It’s actually making me feel guilty as if I might be bothering him to want to reach out to my priest.

Either way, I won’t let it shake my faith and I will still respect them for what they do.

 

[prodigalson12]

Yes I share the same as you with that appointment thing at the old parish, with the new one, if I walk in and he’s at his desk, chances are high he’ll see me for a moment without an appointment, I like that about him, and have been trying not to take up too much of his time.

Also, in his case, clearly I feel sorry for him in regards for having to hear what he does in the confessional, being exposed to that stuff has to wear you down, and after they pressured people so much last Easter to receive that sacrament, I feel either the lack of attendance got him down, or what was confessed got to him, either way, he changed right after that one and I really want to ask him to take a vacation, he clearly needs it.

 

[InLight247]

We need to pray for our priests, everyday! I pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and Rosary for them daily. Like you said, they are facing multiple stresses all the time. It is the parishioners obligation to pray for our priests, earnestly. Praying for our priests has to become part of our daily prayer routine.

As for appointment, it is very necessary. Imagine if everyone just drop in and talk! For a quick question, often times the priest will not mind to answer. But it also depends on the personality, some are more personable and approachable, some are not. We just have to respect that.

 

[mercyangel]

No one needs to know what you are speaking with a priest about, that is between the two of you. At our church, we only have one priest and a HUGE parish. He is definitely over-worked. But he always takes time to talk with someone in need. We simply call the parish office and ask for his voicemail and leave him a message. He will call you back and see how he can help you. He always makes a point in letting us know that he sets up his own appointments. That way, we know upfront that whatever we need to see him about will remain private. If anyone asks you why you were meeting with the priest, tell them its personal.

 

[Joannm]

I also wanted to ask if anyone else ever feels grilled when they go into the rectory from the office people when you ask for your priest? It seems that everything has to have an appointment setup. Even if it was just a simple thing that would take 1 minute of his time. I can understand this when seeing how busy one can get wrap up in serving the people of Christ. I get the illusion that I must be the one with the problem sometimes. I’m not mad or angry honestly. It’s actually making me feel guilty as if I might be bothering him to want to reach out to my priest.

Either way, I won’t let it shake my faith and I will still respect them for what they do.

I think I can answer that question since I do work for a parish. Many times, people come in with questions that really don’t need a priest. I am quite capable of answering many of the questions that people come in the office for. Our secretaries do ask why they want ot see a priest. If they say confesson or a private matter then they try to reach the priest on duty. But many times it is a question about baptism, a theological question or even just wanting to know mass times. They think only the preist can answer such questions. Yes, our priests are busy and if they need to stop for every person that comes in wanting to know if today is a holy day of obligation or can they just go on Sunday, or what are the requirements for a godparent, or how to become a Catholic, then they really don’t need to speak to a priest.

 

[dfp42]

That’s understandable. I just see and hear tension sometimes say between the office workers and the priest. For example: One time I needed to schedule a meeting about getting married in the Church. The priest very kindly says after mass. No problem just stop down or call to make an appointment. Seems simple enough. So I call, then the lady on the phone tells me, Father makes his own schedule we can’t really help you. I told her its about getting married in the Church and Father wanted to talk to us. Being confused still, she told me they would have someone call me back. An hr later, I get someone else who was very kind and got me on his schedule. I just feel sad since it shouldn’t be a big process to even get on the schedule. I also find that the rectory door is locked half the times and I walk away empty, then drive around to leave and see the door back open again. During a period when we didn’t have a parish priest for a few months (just a fill in priest) I asked about the status of what to do with my wedding plans. One of the office ladies says “We don’t have a priest so…Hopefully they get us one that knows what the hell he’s doing around here”. But they did have one filling in the whole time… Everything turned out ok in the end.

I need to just pray about this. Hopefully it gets better.

 

[Lief_Erikson]

As for appointment, it is very necessary. Imagine if everyone just drop in and talk! For a quick question, often times the priest will not mind to answer. But it also depends on the personality, some are more personable and approachable, some are not. We just have to respect that.

Well said! That is a good attitude to have toward them.