Priest or Pastor?

[Chelle]

Merry Christmas Everyone from Way down under in New Zealand .
I have a question tho…I read the name pastor a lot on these boards, In USA does the name mean the same as Priest?, here in NZ the name pastor isnt used in the catholic Church at all. The Pastor’s here are from different Christian Churches and are usually married men.
Chelle

 

[davidc2]

In the US a “pastor” is the head priest of a parish. Any additional priests at that parish are called “associate pastors”. (The one major exception is the Cathedral where the bishop is the pastor and the priest in charge day-to-day is the “rector”.)

 

[Franciscum]

davidc2:

In the US a “pastor” is the head priest of a parish. Any additional priests at that parish are called “associate pastors”. (The one major exception is the Cathedral where the bishop is the pastor and the priest in charge day-to-day is the “rector”.)

Actually they are called (or at least they are supposed to be called) “Parochial Vicar.”

 

[Sir_Knight]

That is correct because we are getting a new “Parochial Vicar” and helping out with the weekly bulletin, when told, I asked “We’re getting a what?” and it was explained to me.

By the way, are there other types of “Vicars”?

 

[Pious]

In Wales all the clergy are refered to as Priests, other clergy from different Christian denominations are often called pastor.

In our Parish we have 7 Priests, one is the Parish Priest and another has the title of Vicar

Yours in the Spirit

Pious.

 

[wannabee]

I think the term pastor for the ‘head’ of a Parish is a peculiarly American experession - in the UK it is normally taken to meaning a Ministor of a Reformed ie Protestant Church such as the Baptist Church

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Sir Knight:

. . .

By the way, are there other types of “Vicars”?

There are several at the diocesan level who stand in for the Ordinary in various capacities. The Judicial Vicar heads the Tribunal as representative of the Ordinary. The Vicar General exercises many of the Ordinary’s administrative powers when the Ordinary is absent. There are probably others, but I don’t remember them at the moment.

 

[Franciscum]

Sir Knight:

That is correct because we are getting a new “Parochial Vicar” and helping out with the weekly bulletin, when told, I asked “We’re getting a what?” and it was explained to me.

By the way, are there other types of “Vicars”?

In addition, the Pope of Rome is the Vicar of Christ.

There are also capitular vicars and apostolic vicars…

 

[Franciscum]

wannabee:

I think the term pastor for the ‘head’ of a Parish is a peculiarly American experession - in the UK it is normally taken to meaning a Ministor of a Reformed ie Protestant Church such as the Baptist Church

That’s interesting because pastor is Latin for shepard…

 

[frleo]

I think the confusion might come in because many non-Catholic Christians refer to their ministers by the salutation of “Pastor” just as we Catholics use “Father”. This is different from the position held within the Church. As was stated, in the Catholic Church, the Pastor is the head of the parish. In this case, it is a title describing the position, not the salutation given in greeting. Many non-Catholics use the word “pastor” both ways.

Can. 515 §1 A parish is a certain community of Christ’s faithful stably established within a particular Church, whose pastoral care, under the authority of the diocesan Bishop, is entrusted to a parish priest as its proper pastor.Prepared by The Canon Law Society Of Great Britain And Ireland In Association With The Canon Law Society Of Australia And New Zealand And The Canadian Canon Law Society English translation copyright 1983 The Canon Law Society Trust

My bulletin lists me as Father Leo McDowell, Pastor. This was a surprise to some of the other ministers in town when we gathered for a ministerial association meeting. Seeing the front page of the bulletin, they wanted to know if I am a priest or a pastor. I had to explain that I am ordained a priest to offer the sacrafice of the Mass and a pastor because, by canon law, I am in charge of the parish. Then they wanted to know how the title “Father” came into play. Sometimes we just have more questions than we have time to answer. I hope this answers the primary question which started this thread.

 

[Ann_Cheryl]

While we were in Italy, my husband and I were introduced to a man who said his name was Don … we didn’t catch the last name. We asked if he had children or was married to which he answered no to both. Later we were both red faced when we were told that they call their priest Don as a title or respect

 

[Cradle]

In my parish the “head” priest is known as our Parish Priest, and at the cathedral (aside from the Archbishop) it is the Rector. So far I have not heard any Catholic in this city refer to them as “Pastor”… So to me Pastor makes me think of the Protestants… Even if it is correct to say pastor in the Catholic sense, I cringe whenever I read it here and on websites.

They’ve hijacked the term. :nope:

 

[twf]

The title pastor is given to the senior (or sole, if the case be) priest of a parish in Canada as well.

 

[katherine2]

this is a very informative thread. it just goes to show that we have different ways in different societies yet are all one Catholic Church. God bless.

BTW “Vicar” means substitute. So a parochial vicar is a substitute for the parish priest, episcopal vicar substitute for the bishop , etc.