Is it normal to lose a parish priest every few years?

[dfp42]

Since I’ve been back to the faith I already lost 2 priests from my parish in 2 years. I know our faith shouldn’t be in the priest but God but I can’t help to ask myself why. It felt so much like a family to have the support of a priest that was running the parish. All the weekly newsletters and all the excitement about having a parish priest only to find out they leave in a year. Am I wrong for feeling a “little” upset and down when I see a large parish with many parishioners going through priest after priest. It’s even harder when this priest was a spiritual director for me in my life. Anyone else ever feel this way? I love the Church and all but it just really hurts to see this happening time and time again. I have to prepare myself for a new priest yet again. I’m sure things will work but it’s starting to seem as if any priest I look after as a guide is leaving.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

The bishop directs assignments for the entire diocese. Here a pastor (main priest) may be in a parish for 8-10 years or longer, but the associate priests are usually only assigned for 2-3 years. The bishop is balancing each priest’s strengths against each parish’s needs. And he also has to take into consideration the continuing formation of newly ordained priests.

Over the years there have been times when turnover happened more frequently. Things like a priest dying, becoming ill, going back to school, moving into a different role than parish priest, can have a domino effect across several parishes. When the bishop’s appointments come out soon after ordinations (here usually June), you can follow some of the trails.

A priest that you are seeing for spiritual direction, generally should still be available even at a new parish. You would need to ask him and be willing to travel to his parish for your appointments (say once a month or so). Obviously if he’s transferred to the other side of the diocese or to a new very demanding job (say chaplain of a hospital), it may not work out.

Please pray for your bishop and priests as transitions usually happen at this time of year. It can be difficult for them also.

 

[laszlo]

I believe that the practice of my diocese is sound: three years granted for parochial vicars and 6 years for pastors, for each expandable for one term.

There are two opposing factors. Any priest need at least a year to develop healthy connections with his flock. In other hand any priest (without his fault) develops negative connection with some during the years, and some priest may develop unhealthy friendship with some parishioners.

Balance have to be found. The bishop is in charge, and his decision have to be honored.

 

[Joe_5859]

I believe that the practice of my diocese is sound: three years granted for parochial vicars and 6 years for pastors, for each expandable for one term.

That was the practice in the diocese I grew up in, but then I moved to a diocese where it is not uncommon to find a priest who has been in the same place for 30 years or more. Though that has been changing more in recent years.

A friend of mine used to say in regards to shuffling priests around: “If you’re goood, everyone should get to experience you. If you’re bad, no one should have to endure you forever. And if they move everyone, you never have to find out which one you are.”

The bishop makes the call, but it is going to be in conjunction with the diocesan presbyteral council and the Episcopal Vicar. He does not make these decisions willy-nilly. They have to take a look at not only the present situation, but the future 5, 10, 20 years down the road. How many priests can they expect to have in the future to minister to how many Catholics? What experience do the young priests need before they (inevitably and soon) find themselves to be pastors? These are the types of questions they have to think about.

Yes, it can certainly be frustrating, especially as in your case you have two priests moving in just as many years. But that is probably not typical. We could really only speculate as to why, but I would bet the bishop has a good reason. He is trying to manage the pastoring of the whole diocese. Sometimes, it can be difficult for us to understand that perspective sitting as we are in our own parish.

 

[Brendan]

Here in Detroit, a pastor is normally assigned for 7 years and the term may be renewed once. Pastorical Vicars\Associate Pastors are assigned for 3 years. That term is hardly ever renewed.

The purpose is two fold, one to have a pastor present long enough to make an impact, but two, not long enough that it becomes ‘his’ parish and not the parish of Christ. Cults of personality should not have a place in the Church.

Even with that, bishops need to make assignments to accomodate the overall needs of the diocese. A priest may need to be replaced for a variety of reasons such as ill health, death, or even that they are better suited for other roles. Some priests might turn out as better hospital or prison chaplains than parish pastors.

A bishop will need to take all these into consideration when staffing changes arise.

recent example here in MI was a relatively young priest, who during his first stint as pastor, was killed in an automotive accident while driving between his rural parish and a mass station in another town. The bishop would now need to address that unexpected situation. Now another parish will lose either an Associate Pastor, or it’s pastor.

 

[Jean_Anthony]

My parish is the teaching parish for the diocese. We get priests fresh from the seminary for about 3 years and then they move on to new assignments. Our senior pastor, however stays with us for at least 9 years unless the bishop decides he is needed elsewhere. So, we have become accustomed to losing priests and getting new ones. It’s been useful for teaching us as a parish that we are there for Christ and not any one particular priest, and that all priests are to be treasured for their individual gifts. The priests have all said they learned a great deal at our parish which helped them move on to being senior pastors of their own parishes or other ministries within the diocese. It’s been a win-win thing for us.

 

[corsair]

It has been a custom in our Diocese that most pastors sign a 6 year contract with the Bishop. Our local OF parish has been a sort of training ground for young priests right out of seminary. They are hear up to two years as parochial vicars but rarely longer. They then move on to a parish of their own with a title of priest/adminitrator. Our last pastor trained 3 parochial vicars prior to his “promotion” to the chancery.

 

[TrueLight]

I don’t come from the type of denomination where pastors are moved from one parish to another. This is strange to me.

What if a parish has a traditional bent because of the leadership of the priest and then is replaced by a pastor with a modern bent. That can change the life of the parish.

 

[nicolep]

I don’t come from the type of denomination where pastors are moved from one parish to another. This is strange to me.

What if a parish has a traditional bent because of the leadership of the priest and then is replaced by a pastor with a modern bent. That can change the life of the parish.

In my diocese, the archbishop tries very hard to match the priest with the parish. He really wants us all to get along.

I personally like that priests are moved. Every year is tough, but I tend to agree with the “norm”.

'Round these parts, we have a pastor for about six years and a parochial vicar for two or three.

There have been times that a priest has stayed a little longer or less time.

We were just told that our parochial vicar is being sent to DC to go to school to be a canon lawyer for the diocese. Our pastor is being moved to be the rector at the cathedral. Our new pastor is a monsignor. I don’t know who the new parochial vicar will be.

Our current pastor has only been there three years, but he seems a little overwhelmed with the size of our parish. He went from a parish of 252 families to a parish of over 3,000 families.

 

[puzzleannie]

It is the norm for assistants or curates to move more frequently as often as every year. It is normal for pastors to remain at the assigned parish for 3-6 years for the first term, renewable every 6 years or so at the discretion of the bishop. Most dioceses have a rule that a pastor will be moved after 12 years unless the good of the parish and diocese are served better by his staying.

Didn’t we just have this same discussion on another thread this morning or am I have deja vu all over again?

 

[Spirithound]

That was the practice in the diocese I grew up in, but then I moved to a diocese where it is not uncommon to find a priest who has been in the same place for 30 years or more. Though that has been changing more in recent years.

On the grounds of my parish, there is a monument (of the tombstone variety) of the priest who was the pastor from 1871 till 1921! How’s that for permanent!

 

[Phemie]

On the grounds of my parish, there is a monument (of the tombstone variety) of the priest who was the pastor from 1871 till 1921! How’s that for permanent!

The priest who baptized me in 1953 was the same priest who welcomed my dad as an altar server in 1925. He was Pastor of our rural parish for almost 40 years, retiring in 1959. I was only 5 when he retired but he stayed in our community and was very involved in our family. Until he died he remained more a favourite uncle than pastor.

The parish in which I live now has been served by OMI priests since its founding in 1958. They come and go at the discretion of their Superior and their Provincial in consultation with the Bishop. The first Pastor was here for 17 years but in the 13 years since I’ve been here we’ve had 5 Pastors and were pastor-less for 6 months in 2001. Pastors were here from 1997-2000, 2000-2001, 2001-2004, 2004-2008, 2008-2011 (they’re searching for a new Pastor for us as we speak).

We are isolated and the OMI in the Province that serves us are not getting any younger. It’s difficult to find one who wants to take on a remote parish such as ours so it’s quite possible that our next Pastor will be diocesan, if the Bishop can find one. I don’t envy our new Bishop: we have 10 parishes in this remote area, presently served by 6 OMIs and 1 diocesan. 3 of the Oblates have given their notice and one has been informed that he’s being transferred.

 

[Joe_5859]

On the grounds of my parish, there is a monument (of the tombstone variety) of the priest who was the pastor from 1871 till 1921! How’s that for permanent!

50 years! Wow! He could very well have never served at any other parish!

 

[Spirithound]

50 years! Wow! He could very well have never served at any other parish!

He was ordained priest in 1868, and had 2 previous ~18-month assignments in other parts of the diocese (which was raised to an archdiocese not long after, and even later still, our diocese was erected).

 

[Lisa1967]

I am sorry that is happening to your parish.

In the Archdiocese of Minneapolis-St. Paul, priests get transferred about every 18 years (so I was told by a deacon there). Two parishes I am considering joining (one in my neighborhood, one a little farther) are losing their parish priests this year and getting new ones. I was told those involved try to keep upheaval to a minimum. I am keeping an open mind and praying for the new priests (and those who will be leaving us, and the congregations involved). It can’t be easy for the new priests either.

 

[m134e5]

priests get transferred about every 18 years… Two parishes I am considering joining…are losing their parish priests this year and getting new ones. I was told those involved try to keep upheaval to a minimum. I am keeping an open mind and praying for the new priests (and those who will be leaving us, and the congregations involved). It can’t be easy for the new priests either.

I don’t envy the priests who get transferred after 18 years. That seems like a very long time for a priest to be in one parish. I imagine that must be difficult for the young adults who have gone their all their lives, and only remember one priest being there. I think it would be better for them to be moved every ten years.

 

[asia53]

What if a parish has a traditional bent because of the leadership of the priest and then is replaced by a pastor with a modern bent. That can change the life of the parish.

Most definitely! That’s when people start doing the “parish shuffle”.

Two years ago, our parish went through a change. Young priest, we’re his first parish, and he’s more traditional than others in the past. We lost quite a few parish members. Only now, 2 years later, new people are joining our parish, because they really like our priest.