How do you prefer to address a priest? Father John? or Father Smith? or simply John?

[chicago]

P.S. And if he challenges me to a game of “HORSE” on the basketball court, I’m going to try to beat him!

But if he’s beating you, he might be called by “other” names.

 

[PastGrandKnight]

But if he’s beating you, he might be called by “other” names.

Actually, when Father Pierre challenged me, I let him win the first game since we were playing 2 out of 3. The next game I won, but kept it close so he would not feel too bad. The third game was a wipeout, ending with a fake right hand hook, followed by a spin move down the lane, laying it up right-handed off the left side of the backboard.

He took one look at that, and wanted to throw in the towel without even trying to copy the last shot.

Being a Priest, though, he forgave me.

WHEW!

P.S. He never played when he was in school (I did!), so he really should not have made the challenge. So now he owes me a cup of coffee. lol
And we’re still friends.

 

[dessert]

Isn’t this all just a mind game? I say Father and if I am invited I say Father ____ but next time I say Father. Next thing you know we will be calling the police by their first name and no wonder the kids are confused today because teachers want them to call them by their first name but then want to be respected, can you have it both ways, like try to be buddy buddy and the next moment authority.

I had a priest play this game with me once and he was singling me out from the other women so he was embarrassing me and even getting talk going around the church, needless to say I am not there anymore. Should I have reported him? Sounds like this is becoming an epedemic.

I don’t care how unusual the last name is it should be spoken and remembered especially if you are introducing him to someone you bring into the Church, or one another. This same priest insists everyone hold hands at the Our Father, I think he is strange.
Am I strange or too formal?
D.

 

[Melissa]

Father Firstname or Father Lastname, depending on his preference and what’s least confusing.

At least, at my parish, we have our pastor Father Firstname (actually Monsignor now), who also has a brother who is a priest (thus they share a last name) who regularly visits, and are both known as Father Firstname. Then there are two other priests who share a firstname, so they are both Father Lastname. To do otherwise would invite confusion, since you’d have to clarify which one you meant.

 

[Teakafrog]

I usually call them Father Firstname. If it’s one I’m not personally acquainted with, Father Lastname. I think it lacks respect for the office, if not the person in it, to not use the proper title. Or put another way, it shows respect for the preisthood itself to use the title Father.

 

[Lepanto]

I do it depending on the priest’s preference. Some prefer last name, some prefer first name. Just go with the flow and go with what is most preferred by the parish and the priest.

But what if he’s never stated a preference? In other words, the poll is for what YOU prefer.

 

[IrishAm]

As with the rest of the people I meet, I address someone in the manner they ask to be addressed. I might dodge a “first name only”, however . . . A bit old school for that.

My favorite old Benedictine went by “Father Cafeteria” – based on his always being present there for the high schoolers to whom he ministered.

 

[barbfromtucson]

This reminds me of a homily that was said at the Newman Center here in Tucson a couple years or so ago.

Our current Pastor was new at the time and he was talking about the importance of our names and who we are. It’s been too long for me to remember the specifics of the entire homily, but what I remember was this…

A child thought his first name was “Father” and that his last name was “Bart”.

–Barbara

 

[AJV]

Generally Fr. FirstName, because some last names are too long too pronounce. Sometimes they don’t even write then when they sign. But if it’s moderately pronounceable, then Fr. LastName unless they want to be Fr. FirstName.

 

[MH84]

I normally call a priest “Father”. If I know the priest quite well I may say, “Father (first name)”.

 

[Jennifer_G]

I’ve always used “Father LastName” myself, unless asked by the priest to address him differently. I don’t think I could ever call a priest just “FirstName”. Our parish did have a priest with the last name “Darling”… Needless to say, he requested the “Father FirstName” formula.

That reminds me of the one EWTN priest, Fr. Anthony Mary. I don’t think “Fr. Mary” would work too well…

The ones at the parish I’m attending usually go by their first name. One has a tricky last name to say, too.

I tend to use Fr. by default.

 

[Holly3278]

I prefer to address them as Father first name. An example would be “Hello Father John.”

 

[Lepanto]

That reminds me of the one EWTN priest, Fr. Anthony Mary. I don’t think “Fr. Mary” would work too well…

The ones at the parish I’m attending usually go by their first name. One has a tricky last name to say, too.

I tend to use Fr. by default.

Religious order priests (like the friars on EWTN) traditionally go by Father firstname because when they join the order they take new names and their old identity “dies” so to speak.

This is not the case with diocesan priests. They retain their baptismal name and traditionally go by Father lastname. When I started this thread I meant it to regard diocesan priests only – I forgot to mention that.

 

[jnnywren]

Our local Priest is called either Father or Father Matt, it is showing respect

 

[CarrieH]

I use Father LastName unless they indicate that they prefer to be called Father FirstName. They don’t have to come right out and say it; if they put a note in the bulletin and sign it that way, I assume that this is what they want to be called. But I usually just call them “Father” when speaking to them directly. The only ones I ever called by their first names were ones I knew “on the outside,” but I only called them that in private conversation. In public or at church, it’s “Father,” not just Joe or Bob or whatever.

 

[anamchara]

I normally call them “Fr. John” if I know them and they are my regular priest. If I don’t know them and they are from another parish I call them “Fr. Smith” sometimes it depends on what everyone else is calling them. I feel a bit more formal when addressing a priest I don’t know that well.

 

[Beachcomber]

If I know them, it’s Father Firstname. If he’s a complete stranger, it’s just Father. Generally, I find that he’ll let you know what he prefers.

 

[Cavaille-Coll]

Traditionally, at least where I’m from, diocesan priests are called by their last name and religious priests who take a name are called by that name. For me, calling a priest “Fr. John” instead of “Fr. Smith” is like calling a layman “Mr. John” instead of “John” or “Mr. Smith.” It just seems a little disrespectful, unless the priest himself insists on being called “Fr. John.” It can also make things confusing when someone tells you that their pastor is named “Fr. John” and there are twenty other priests in the diocese also named John.

 

[wcknight]

If it’s a priest I’m very familar with it’s Fr. Matt, Fr John etc, except for our pastor who has always been a Monsignor. I address them more formally, as Monsignor, or Monsignor and lastname.

 

[KatieD]

I start by addressing priests as Father Last Name, and they will let you know if they prefer Father First Name. I could never address a priest by just his first name (unless he was my own brother). One of the more recent priests in our parish felt that Father First Name was very informal, and he introduced himself as Father Last Name. Whichever they are more confortable with is fine with me - and I feel it is their choice.