My new priest is a father

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andyklein

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I mean literally. He has two kids. I believe that he was married and was a deacon, but then she passed away, and he joined the priesthood after that - I’m not sure how much longer. I found this very interesting. He was just ordained a few weeks ago and is brand new to the priesthood. I’m curious as to how long a deacon must study for the priesthood.

Also, what’s the teaching behind widowers or parents joining the priesthood?
 
andyklein said:
I mean literally. He has two kids. I believe that he was married and was a deacon, but then she passed away, and he joined the priesthood after that - I’m not sure how much longer. I found this very interesting. He was just ordained a few weeks ago and is brand new to the priesthood. I’m curious as to how long a deacon must study for the priesthood.

Also, what’s the teaching behind widowers or parents joining the priesthood?
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A widower or a father can join the priesthood but he can’t have any dependents (I think the same applies to former Anglican priests).
 
onjac said:
A widower or a father can join the priesthood but he can’t have any dependents (I think the same applies to former Anglican priests).
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One of my high school teachers did the same. After the death of his wife (and I guess after his kids became independent, because I didn’t know that part), he became a priest. Didn’t follow up to know how quickly it all happened.

But regarding another angle; a married Episcopalian with a daughter 17 yrs old, decided to convert and is welcomed into the Catholic Church as a priest with obvious dispensation from the Vatican. Perhaps by the time everything was to be a done deal, the daughter became independent? Vatican said ok but specifically delayed the process til the daughter came of age? That’s the part I don’t know…
 
onjac said:
A widower or a father can join the priesthood but he can’t have any dependents (I think the same applies to former Anglican priests).
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I know married Anglican Priests can be ordained into the Ordinariate. Not sure about child dependents, though from a practical standpoint most Ordinariate style Churches have pretty small congregations, so supporting a Priest and family would be difficult even before losing some to the transition.
 
onjac said:
A widower or a father can join the priesthood but he can’t have any dependents (I think the same applies to former Anglican priests).
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No, it does not apply to former Anglican priests, although it is my understanding that a former Anglican priest with young children who is ordained as a Catholic priest will typically have a source of income in addition to the salary he receives from the Church, either from his wife’s work or from the priest himself working a second job. Also, it is important to note that married men ordained under the Pastoral Provision have generally been excluded from serving as parish pastors.
 
RyanBlack said:
No, it does not apply to former Anglican priests, although it is my understanding that a former Anglican priest with young children who is ordained as a Catholic priest will typically have a source of income in addition to the salary he receives from the Church, either from his wife’s work or from the priest himself working a second job. Also, it is important to note that married men ordained under the Pastoral Provision have generally been excluded from serving as parish pastors.
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I never heard that about the extra income before. It seems so unlikely, as a Pastor, he doesn’t have time for a second job. If his wife works, unless he’s very highly paid, the cost of child care would pretty much eliminate any financial benefits. There’s a parish in our town is is quite rich. There us another that can hardly keep its doors open. That’s a sad state of affairs, but I think there are probably plenty of parishes that can support a priest and family.
 
Julia_Mae said:
I never heard that about the extra income before. It seems so unlikely, as a Pastor, he doesn’t have time for a second job. If his wife works, unless he’s very highly paid, the cost of child care would pretty much eliminate any financial benefits. There’s a parish in our town is is quite rich. There us another that can hardly keep its doors open. That’s a sad state of affairs, but I think there are probably plenty of parishes that can support a priest and family.
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Check out the article linked below. I’m taking much of my information from this article

Former married Protestant ministers ordained under the Pastoral Provision have generally not been appointed as pastors. As far as the cost of child cre eliminating any financial benefits from working, it depends on a variety of factors. For example, my wife and I are both school teachers (not the highest paid profession by any means), so our son goes to daycare. If we had four children in the same daycare, the money spent on child care would still be less than than what either my wife or earns.

osv.com/tabid/7621/itemid/10134/Understanding-married-priesthood.aspx
 
Slightly off topic, but there was a case in the late 1970’s of a priest (Father Clemmings) in Chigaco who started the One Child, One Church movement and adupted two teenage boys. I really do not remember many of the detales.:)🤷
 
We have a priest in our Diocese who used to be an Episcopalian priest. He is married but if he has children they are adults.

It may be true that priests in this situation are not made pastors, but this priest was an administrator of a parish for 12 years. When I asked what the difference was between a pastor and an administrator I was told that the pastor is more or less guaranteed a six year appointment while an administrator may be moved at any time. As far as daily responsibilities they are the same for a pastor or administrator.
 
andyklein said:
I mean literally. He has two kids. I believe that he was married and was a deacon, but then she passed away, and he joined the priesthood after that - I’m not sure how much longer. I found this very interesting. He was just ordained a few weeks ago and is brand new to the priesthood. I’m curious as to how long a deacon must study for the priesthood.

Also, what’s the teaching behind widowers or parents joining the priesthood?
Click to expand...
We had a priest that had been married for over forty years and was a retired medical doctor. He had grown children and grandchildren. His wife died of cancer and he wanted to turn his life over to the Church.

The biggest problem is finding a dioceses that will take you own in this situation. Once he told our bishop that he wouldn’t be a burden on the Church when he retires because he has his own retirement money, then the bishop welcomed him. This is the reason we should always contribute to the retirement homes of priests. Retired priests still work filling in for other priests, while they are away, and they deserve to be cared for because of their years of faithful duty.
 
onjac said:
A widower or a father can join the priesthood but he can’t have any dependents (I think the same applies to former Anglican priests).
Click to expand...
Not true at least for the former Anglican priests. The pastor of the St. John the Evangelist Anglican Use parish in Calgary has young children; the youngest is only an infant. Father himself is only in his early to mid-thirties.
 
RyanBlack said:
Check out the article linked below. I’m taking much of my information from this article

Former married Protestant ministers ordained under the Pastoral Provision have generally not been appointed as pastors.
Click to expand...
I didn’t get that from the article. It might be correct, but I didn’t see that anywhere.
 
Julia_Mae said:
I didn’t get that from the article. It might be correct, but I didn’t see that anywhere.
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From the article I linked:

For the most part, with some exceptions, married priests who have entered the Church under the pastoral provision are not permitted to exercise the “primary care of souls” as pastors, though they carry out many of the same pastoral duties.

Several married Catholic priests such as Father Paul Sullins, a sociologist at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., hold down regular jobs and earn a salary they use to pay a mortgage and support their families.
 
We had a widower who was a grandfather! It was neat listening to his homilies!
 
Father Dwight Longenecker in South Carolina was a school chaplain for a few years and then last year (?) was made pastor of a parish. He converted from Anglican. My guess is that they had to try him out first rather than just throw him in, which my diocese would be wise to do with any new priest. Too much burnout when they are ordained and then given so much responsibility so quickly.
 
Our priest is married with five young children. He converted to the Church after being married and having four of their five children. He is very conserative and I love how he can relate to parents with his homilies.
 
andyklein said:
I mean literally. He has two kids. I believe that he was married and was a deacon, but then she passed away, and he joined the priesthood after that - I’m not sure how much longer. I found this very interesting. He was just ordained a few weeks ago and is brand new to the priesthood. I’m curious as to how long a deacon must study for the priesthood.

Also, what’s the teaching behind widowers or parents joining the priesthood?
Click to expand...
 
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St_Hilary:
Yes, if your mother died your father can become a priest.

The total years for becoming a priest is 8 or 9 years.

You need an undergraduate degree and than 4 or 5 years of theology.

In His Divine Mercy
 
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