Social Justice For Priests

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Until modern time clocks were scarce and not very essential because people worked from see to can’t see. It is only within my lifetime that workers have achieved a 5 day week and an 8 hour day.

Somehow, the Catholic priest has been overlooked. In fact, one of the reasons offered for clerical celibacy is that without family responsibility the priest can be dedicated to round the clock service to his flock. Should it be a surprise that in considering a vocation working conditions are a factor?

Worse yet, living conditions are equally unattractive. Years ago a priest lived in a rectory with several others for companionship and with a live-in housekeeper to attend to their needs. With Social Security, there are no longer widows looking for such employment.

The shortage of priests leaves a pastor keeping bachelor’s hall and with a greatly increased work load. The priest is the forgotten man when applying the Catholic principles of social justice. Is it any wonder that trying to cope with such abusive treatment that some take to drink?

Most of the laity have little knowledge of the personal lives of their clergy. The laity do not make the rules by which the priest must live and work. The hierarchy are slow to make changes. However, the laity expect to receive spiritual care and will suffer if action is postponed.
 
You have to be the most negative poster on these boards.

Plus when confronted, you never respond to charges. Sad.
 
The shortage of priests leaves a pastor keeping bachelor’s hall and with a greatly increased work load.

How has the workload increased? At my church, Baptisms are at Mass not at any other times. Hardly any time in the confessional compared to before. Less Masses and shorter Masses. Less Holy Days. Blessing of homes is no longer an annual event. Less Weddings and Funerals. Annual annointing of the sick service instead of Last Rites. Parish school is closed so no more showing up for every event. I could probably give this some thought and come up with some more but you get the idea.
 
I think there is some merit to what he is saying. I live in a mission diocese and in a place where a single preist is responsible for two or maybe 3 churches. Some Preists have to make 70 or 80 mile round trips covering 3 different churches evey sunday. Being a Preist isn’t as easy as it looks.
 
Like anything else, this could be or might not be, depending on the priest and his diocese. He might have a housekeeper, he might not. He might live with a couple other priests, he might not. He might drive a hundred miles in a day, he might not. It all depends on what he gets as an assignment, same as the rest of us who work for other people. In our diocese, priests usually get left in an assigment for six years. To quote that wonder of a 1960s cartoon, Superchicken, “You knew the job was dangerous when you took it.”

I wouldn’t be so quick to blame Social Security for the lack of housekeepers in rectories. It isn’t all that much.

I know some parishes where somebody different cooks for the priest(s) everyday, brings it over to the rectory. I know other parishes where the priest(s) is/ are pretty good cook(s) (Bless you Father Mark!). I know of one parish where the priest likes Lean Cuisine, says it keep him thin. I know another parish where the priest eats out most nights because he doesn’t like to clean up the kitchen after himself, and feels slothful if he eats over the sink.

A lot of parishes have a cleaning service come in a couple times a month if the rectory is on the same campus as the church and parish center/ school. He/ They is/are expected to pick up their dirty clothes and at least make an attempt to get the dishes to the dishwasher.

Most priests in a place that has any kind of mall or town center send or take their clothes out to be cleaned.

Only ones with military backgrounds can sew on a button or hem up a trouser leg without a stapler. 😉

It amazes me that the administrators of a seminary can take a young man and teach him theology and philosophy, and even some “people” skills, but they can’t teach him to sew on a button, press a shirt, fix a simple meal beyond a peanut butter sandwich or microwave food, or how to unplug a drain.
 
So what do you want? International Priests Service Union?

You make sacrifices to do the work of God.

Adam
 
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OutinChgoburbs:
It amazes me that the administrators of a seminary can take a young man and teach him theology and philosophy, and even some “people” skills…
They are supposed to be theologians, philosophers, administrators of parishes, sole priest/pastor of thousands, minister of sacraments … AND they are supposed to have people skills??? 😉
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There is some merit to this post.

Just looking here at what some users expect and looking at what some people in the parish expect, you can see that some people do expect priests to be at their beck and call 24/7/365.

I was at a parish meeting where we were discussing some parish issues as well as planing a lecture series and when the pastor mentioned that he would be away a certain week on vacation one of the people at the meeting actually said, “What? A vacation, you only work one day a week, Sunday.” And then I heard that this guy actually has a calendar that he marks when the priest is not avalible.

There are people who get upset when they call the parish office and can not talk to a priest immediatly. Just becuase a person might think they have an emergency does not mean that it is really an emergency.
 
I see what you’re saying. In our monthly newsletter our parish publishes the money in/money out for the past month. My husband and I figured up that our priest is making maybe $2-$3 an hour. Yes, he gets housing, travel expenses paid, etc, but like other posters said, he’s on call 24/7 unless he’s out of town, on a well deserved break. We should be very grateful and show that gratitude to those men who are leading our churches.
 
Johnny Arcade,

“You have to be the most negative poster on these boards.”

I wonder in what sense you find my postings negative? This one I consider very sympathetic to priests. I have another, Priests Home Alone, which I also consider sympathetic. Are you anti-clerical?
 
Well, I do expect my priest to be working 24/7.

From a mother’s point of view…In my vocation I am on call 24/7. I am the theologian, philosopher, nurse, cook, taxi driver, waitress, maid, teacher, etc. of my home and even when I’m on “vacation” I do these things. I’m always up “for emergencies” in the middle of the night.

I don’t understand retirement or days off for my vocation. I will say that I do understand the change of pace for vacation even if I never leave my vocation to do it. I’m a little iffy on retirement although I imagine I’ll go on part time when the grandchildren arrive. 😉

I often wonder if we are short on priests because it is not seen as a lifelong vocation but a 9-5 job from which they will retire. I really also don’t understand why a parish will lose confession hours if more money doesn’t come it? That one always shocks me.

While my pastor and I sometimes disagree, he’s the only priest I’ve seen in my diocese who can’t understand retirement. I’ve never heard him mention days off so I’m sure he’s probably not big on that either. HIs idea of vacation is being the chaplain for a cruise.
 
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