Pastor Troubles!

[musicmantg11]

Our priest is driving almost everyone crazy! He’s not nice at all. He thinks hes alot better than everyone else! If the lectors during Mass while their reading dont stand infront of the microphone how he wants it, the priest gets up from his chair and moves them! And he’s always late for mass! Is there anyway that we can get a new priest???

 

[trying2flywith5]

My! That is awful! Try contacting your local Diocese. They may be able to help.

 

[Prodigal_Son1]

Our priest is driving almost everyone crazy! He’s not nice at all. He thinks hes alot better than everyone else! If the lectors during Mass while their reading dont stand infront of the microphone how he wants it, the priest gets up from his chair and moves them! And he’s always late for mass! Is there anyway that we can get a new priest???

Hello musicmantg,

I have to be frank with you, I don’t see anything you’ve posted so far that would call for replacing the priest. Has anyone asked him why he wants the lectors to stand in a certain place? Has anyone asked him why he’s late to Mass? If I were going to ask my priest either of these two questions, I’d find the most charitable way I could as there could very well be legitimate reasons for both things you’ve mentioned.

I see a lot of complaints about priests on these forums and the majority of the time I feel like the correct thing to do is pray for them.

If we’re to follow our Lord’s instructions and love our enemies, I feel we should be able to search within ourselves and find it very easy to love our priests. There are many of them I feel are simply misunderstood. They at the very least deserve the benefit of the doubt.

May the peace of the Lord be with you.

Prodigal Son1

 

[Claire_from_DE]

Our priest is driving almost everyone crazy! He’s not nice at all. He thinks hes alot better than everyone else! If the lectors during Mass while their reading dont stand infront of the microphone how he wants it, the priest gets up from his chair and moves them! And he’s always late for mass! Is there anyway that we can get a new priest???

The priest came to your parish in obedience to the bishop and the parish receives him in obedience to the bishop. It’s kind of like being part of the same family; you may not like your brother but you should try to get along with him. I’ve had two pastors that seemed very mean, it turned out that they were very shy and it was hard for them to deal with people. By the time they left the parish, people were sorry to see them go.

Try to pray for him and be nice to him.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

My! That is awful! Try contacting your local Diocese. They may be able to help.

I really disagree with this. You should not go over the priest’s head until you have taken up the matter with him. Maybe there is a deacon or other man in the parish he is friendly with who would be willing to talk to him about this. Alternatively, you could talk to him or write him a letter. It should not be longer than 1 page. Focus on just one or two things he does. Tell him how it makes you feel when he does them. Like ‘when you move someone at the microphone I feel like you think we are stupid.’ or ‘when you move someone I feel bad because they are embarrassed.’ He might not realize how he makes people feel. It may be that he just wants everyone to be able to hear. You could suggest another way to handle the problem like putting a small piece of tape on the floor until people learn where they are to stand. Assume he doesn’t want to be mean and give him a chance to change.

 

[THurifer2]

Our priest is driving almost everyone crazy! He’s not nice at all. He thinks hes alot better than everyone else! If the lectors during Mass while their reading dont stand infront of the microphone how he wants it, the priest gets up from his chair and moves them! And he’s always late for mass! Is there anyway that we can get a new priest???

I am wondering how you KNOW he things he is better than everyone else. (unless you are a mind reader). Lectors should KNOW how to read after all thats what the bishop instituted them for. Readers (different than Lectors) should be corrected by the priest as well. I wonder how moving someone to be heard by the congregation is “mean”.

Perhaps there is a totally legit reason for him being late for Mass. Someone should just asking if he is tied up with somthing pastoral.

Finally, “getting a new priest” isn’t going to happen. If by chance the priest you are talking about does have problems why should another parish be stuck with him.

This would be a great opportunity for you to get to know the guy.

 

[puzzleannie]

Our priest is driving almost everyone crazy! He’s not nice at all. He thinks hes alot better than everyone else! If the lectors during Mass while their reading dont stand infront of the microphone how he wants it, the priest gets up from his chair and moves them! And he’s always late for mass! Is there anyway that we can get a new priest???

how do you leap from a pastor who wants to make sure everyone can hear the lector, to “he thinks he is a lot better than anyone else?” that is a stretch and how did you get inside his mind anyhow? if a lector is shown once how and where to stand that should be the last time. why not suggest a training session for all lectors, and the need for that action will disappear

how late for Mass? how often?
every day? every week? 5 minutes? half an hour?
do you know for an absolute fact he was not hearing a confession, or with a dying person? you monitor his actions so you know he was golfing or watching TV?

is he really driving each and every person in the parish crazy because of one or two minor actions, or is there only one person who is noticing and overreacting?

 

[kage_ar]

For young people, it can be easy to jump to conclusions.

The other posters do have a good point, the readers (they are not lectors unless they are men instituted by the Bishop as such) should have practice on where to stand and how to read. Perhaps the person in charge of this ministry could have a workshop?

In an earlier post, did you say that you share your Priest with another Parish? That in and of itself could account for being late to Mass.

Pray for him, do what you can to make his job easier!

 

[musicmantg11]

Well, for one thing, he said im the best organist in the world. Better than anyone else. I’m not making this up. Then, someone asked him if he can play the organ and say mass at the same time, and he said maybe i will.

 

[marytk]

A lot of shy people are accused of thinking that they are better than others. I mean in this case it is possible that he is socially shy so he doesn’t reach out like he may want to or should.

My feelings are that yeah he should be more patient and understanding with the readers. but then people should be patient and understanding with him too. He may hear many complaints about parishioners not being able to hear the readers.

 

[bilop]

Well, for one thing, he said im the best organist in the world. Better than anyone else. I’m not making this up. Then, someone asked him if he can play the organ and say mass at the same time, and he said maybe i will.

Um, that’s sounds like he was cracking a joke.

I echo the others. Take it easy, don’t judge him so much.

Why don’t you try to get to know him. Have you invited him to your house for dinner?

God bless

 

[1ke]

Well, it certainly is rude to humiliate a reader during the middle of Mass. But, it’s up to the** readers **to confer with him on what he wants, and also to tell him they would prefer he speak with them privately and not act in such a manner during Mass again. If he’d done that to me, I’d have talked to him privately and told him that he was rude and out of line.

The key here is that your pastor his human, and susceptible to the same kinds of mistakes as everyone else. At one time or another, everyone has done something irritating, stupid, rude, or annoying.

So, give him a break.

If he does something annoying or insulting to you, then speak to him privately, tell him how his words/actions made you feel, and see what he says. Otherwise, treat him with charity, don’t gossip about him with others, and tell others not to gossip either.

 

[puzzleannie]

Well, for one thing, he said im the best organist in the world. Better than anyone else. I’m not making this up. Then, someone asked him if he can play the organ and say mass at the same time, and he said maybe i will.

so he gave you a compliment, and then made a remark in jest to another person, and this has led you to conclude that “he thinks he is better than everybody else and he is driving everyone crazy.” I think some balance is called for her.

is a good man and a good priest? does he conduct Mass according to the rubrics and with reverence. does he carry out his pastoral duties? why not look at what is important and ignore what is peripheral. I can guarantee you no bishop will look twice at a complaint about a priest worded like OP.

you still did not answer my question, IYO, is it better to allow the reader to continue when he cannot be heard than to correct him?

 

[chewchoo]

i appreciate most of the posters saying give the pastor the benefit of the doubt. but there is also room to give the OP the benefit of the doubt too.

we have had a new pastor for about two years, and for the first 2-3 months, every sunday, and still once in awhile, our pastor says he has no ego. the more he said it, the more we knew he had a huge ego. yes, pastors are human just like the rest of us, but they are also in the pastor position to lead the flock. being a good example is highly beneficial.

our particular ego-less pastor also has the not invented here attitude. if he can’t be open to parishioner’s general suggestions, how on earth is he going to be open to suggestions saying he might not want to boss people around in the sanctuary during mass.

 

[Sabda]

Have you asked the pastor why he is late? Someone on here has already asked how late is late.

Our pastor is late to every Mass, it’s no big deal to us. But then we know that he has 2 other parishes that he celebrates Mass at before he makes it to ours. He has an hour’s drive to get to our parish from his home parish with a stop in between at the second parish.