Okay to give our Priest a Christmas present?

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Depression, mood swings…priests sometimes act like menopausal women. As for being well loved, I want to clarify that I am not wealthy, but they let me attend the church there anyway. I love my priest too, just like the others. He’s just more likely to get a picture of a car, rather than a real car, from me!
 
wacky&wonderful:
Depression, mood swings…priests sometimes act like menopausal women.
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::sotto voce, very gently:: I hope you are half in jest there. I am menopausal, and try to behave myself (and generally succeed). I am also concerned about our parish priest. He’s had some really bad psychological blows this year, and he’s not paying attention to what’s going on. In the past, most of his decisions could be be brushed off. it’s getting to the point where, if he doesn’t get it together very soon, there’s going to have to be some sort of intervention.
 
I’m menopausal too and it’s hard to keep it together sometimes.

My priest is 46 and says men go thru menopause too. I can sure see it in him. It’s been almost 2 years now. He is re-evaluating his life and just celebrated his 20th year in the ministry. I wouldn’t bet money on him making it to the 25th. It’s funny how we reveal ourselves sometimes. I say repeatedly that I will not remarry! No! Never!! But in my heart, if God could work a 5 star miracle…same thing with the priest. I wish I had kept track from the beginning of how many times he has said that he is celibate, he cannot have a wife and family, the call to the pristhood is still as strong as ever, St. Paul wasn’t married, love means sacrifice, and on and on. Over and over. So who is he trying to convince? He also has said how lonely he is, how tired he is of eating meals alone. So, in my opinion, he’s thinking of the future and thinking of the possibilities.

How old is your priest? Maybe you could send him a card of encouragement and support. Sounds like he needs a sympathetic ear and a shoulder to cry on. Don’t we all…
 
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OutinChgoburbs:
And be glad- our priest has been hinting all through Advent that he would like a 704 some kind of signature race car engine- in every homily. The school cannot afford heat and the kids are going to class with pants and flannel bottoms under their uniforms, he refuses to hire a temp to replace the recouperating janitor- and he wants people to come up with a race car engine. He hints and hints, claims he’s using it as an example of hope and miracles, but he wants that engine.
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Oh, jeeze.
 
Sorry Momof3. I was typing and talking to someone at the same time. A Divine Mercy would be just fine.
 
It’s most definitely okay to give the priest a gift. He would be thrilled. Throughout the year, it would also be nice if your children sent him an e-mail complimenting him on his homily. Any appropriate show of appreciation is great.

I must warn, as I’m a CPA, the gift to the priest is not tax deductible. 😉
 
wacky&wonderful:
I’m menopausal too and it’s hard to keep it together sometimes.

My priest is 46 and says men go thru menopause too. I can sure see it in him. It’s been almost 2 years now. He is re-evaluating his life and just celebrated his 20th year in the ministry. I wouldn’t bet money on him making it to the 25th. It’s funny how we reveal ourselves sometimes. I say repeatedly that I will not remarry! No! Never!! But in my heart, if God could work a 5 star miracle…same thing with the priest. I wish I had kept track from the beginning of how many times he has said that he is celibate, he cannot have a wife and family, the call to the pristhood is still as strong as ever, St. Paul wasn’t married, love means sacrifice, and on and on. Over and over. So who is he trying to convince? He also has said how lonely he is, how tired he is of eating meals alone. So, in my opinion, he’s thinking of the future and thinking of the possibilities.

How old is your priest? Maybe you could send him a card of encouragement and support. Sounds like he needs a sympathetic ear and a shoulder to cry on. Don’t we all…
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Ours seems to be trying to say, “I am a straight male, just like all the other straight guys, except I am a celibate and a priest.” He is in his early 60s, so his “menopause” period should be over.

He won’t come to anybody’s house for dinner right now, certainly not mine. He will eat out with the local police force, for whom he is chaplain.

Personally, I think he needs counseling to deal with the three big things that happened to him within the past year. I think it is highly irresponsible for a 60+ priest, who is the ONLY priest his parish has, and is expected to stay in place in the parish for another four years; to bug people for racing supplies, solicit them using the resources of the school; constantly mention racing supplies and terms in his homilies, even the daily Masses; and go off to the track- when the parish school needs to be professionally cleaned, shoveled, etc., and his answer is to let the children do it (against Diocese policy, and let’s not even think what would happen if a kid got hurt); when his answer to the school heater not working is to keep the blinds down and let the kids wear long underwear or flannel bottoms under their uniforms; and who complains about the use of copier paper by everybody else but himself.

Do counselors have gift cards?😉
 
I have not given my priest his gift yet for Christmas and was thinking that the $50 restaurant certificate is getting boring. What do you all think of a $100 savings bond for $50. It matures in 20 years and he is 51 years old. Thanks for any (name removed by moderator)ut!
 
Princess_Abby said:
My parents routinely gave the parish priests a $200 gift certificate to a nice men’s shoe store, so they could buy “nice” black shoes to wear at mass or on the job daily to go with their clerics. Although one young priest really wanted Doc Martens one year so he got a certificate to a regular shoe store.

Another idea is a travel voucher from an airline. Some priests I know love love love to travel and save all their money for that purpose (which is still quite a feat since they make next to nothing). Sometimes family members are far away and they rarely get to see them even with time off, too, because it’s too expensive for them to travel.
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Most priests I know have a clothing expense at their parish, so be careful on that one.
The travel voucher thing might not work out to well either, as most travel vouchers have to be airline specific and used at a ticketing center. I know quite a few priests who love to travel and are very savvy about travel search engines and getting the best price. One priest friend who did receive an airline voucher was unable to use it on the airline internet site, which posted the best fares.
 
Last year we gave our Priest homemade fudge and then found out that one of the other Priests in the rectory has Diabetes and has a hard time not eating the fudge so, this year we got him a gift card to a local Restaurant/coffee house. He really likes coffee and when he saw what it was, he got all excited! We did a good job this year with him.

Brenda V.
 
After last Christmas, I learned that my priest likes books. He mentioned several that he had received for Christmas in his homilies in January and February.
 
My Mom has always given Priests cash on Sundays whenever she felt like it. It doesn’t really matter what the amount is because the priests are always happy to get some spending money.
It doesn’t have to be Christmas to give them some cash or gifts.
I have been thinking of giving our priest some money so he can go shopping for something he needs or wants. There are some great sales after Christmas.
This is the year of 2007.
 
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