Time off?

[BrooklynBoy200]

Do priests (specifically fssp) get like, vacation time? Would i be able to go to family reunions and birthdays and stuff? What about things like Christmas and Easter? Of course i realize that priests have a whole flock of people depending on them (especially on those last two holidays), but i’m just wondering.

 

[BrooklynBoy200]

And another, completely unrelated question, does anyone know the reason there’s no fssp in louisiana? New Orleans is pretty much all Catholic, right? I mean…come on.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Certainly in Australia our diocesan priests do get time off and also three weeks at least holiday. Some go overseas for study purposes and other reasons. Mondays here in South Australia are usually our diocesan priests day off.

Barb

 

[chicago]

And another, completely unrelated question, does anyone know the reason there’s no fssp in louisiana? New Orleans is pretty much all Catholic, right? I mean…come on.

Members of any religious community can only be in so many places. Afterall, there are, ultimately, a limited number of them. Plus, it can all depend upon any number of factors, such as being able to support themselves, having some property for the community, the environment being a match of place where their services can be useful, are needed, and may be freely exercized to valuable influence.

Priests are not generally forbidden from having vacation time. In fact it might even be encouraged or required in certain cases, along with the annual retreat. Likely, you’d have the opportunity to attend major family events and all, if your personal and minsitry schedule allows. But in some cases, like a cloistered order of monks, it may not be excercized practice.

 

[Joannm]

Our diocesan priests get 4 weeks vacation, one retreat week and one study week. They often can take extra time if the parish has a few priests. They also get one day off a week but again can take another day if there is someone to cover the parish. We have 4 priests so there is plenty of time for personal stuff, but since three of our priests are foreign they don’t do many family things, but they do go out with friends during the evenings or afternoons if they are not on duty. On Easter and Christmas we usually close up shop after the last mass which ends around 1:45. Then the priests have the rest of the day off to celebrate with family and friends. One usually has the pager in case of emergency.

 

[BrooklynBoy200]

Ok thanks for all of the answers everyone. I don’t know if i should start another thread just fort his question so here: How do i get a recommendation from a priest? I don’t know my priest personally. I used to know my priest ok before i moved here about 5 years ago, but now he has probably forgotten about me, as i moved so long ago. How do you get to know a priest? I knew mine before i moved because i lived in a small town in Maine and everyone knew eachother. Right now i’m not going to church at all, people who’ve read my posts in the past know why but i won’t get into that now. So yeah, i wanted to enter Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary right out of high school but it now looks like i’ll have to go to at least a community college and go to church for 2 years every day or something and make friends with some priests. Help please.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Ok thanks for all of the answers everyone. I don’t know if i should start another thread just fort his question so here: How do i get a recommendation from a priest? I don’t know my priest personally. I used to know my priest ok before i moved here about 5 years ago, but now he has probably forgotten about me, as i moved so long ago. How do you get to know a priest? I knew mine before i moved because i lived in a small town in Maine and everyone knew eachother. Right now i’m not going to church at all, people who’ve read my posts in the past know why but i won’t get into that now. So yeah, i wanted to enter Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary right out of high school but it now looks like i’ll have to go to at least a community college and go to church for 2 years every day or something and make friends with some priests. Help please.

Hi there BB…Why not contact the Seminary and explain your situation and ask for advice as to how you should proceed? …Blessings - Barb

 

[freudmacher]

How do i get a recommendation from a priest? I don’t know my priest personally. I used to know my priest ok before i moved here about 5 years ago, but now he has probably forgotten about me, as i moved so long ago. How do you get to know a priest? I knew mine before i moved because i lived in a small town in Maine and everyone knew eachother.

I had to get 2 letters, probably the same amount you need. I orginally thougtht I would only be able to get one, but I ended up with 3…this is what I did.

The first priest, my parish priest. I asked him to lunch. I told him about my discernment process. We went out to lunch for a while, once a week, sometimes missing one or two if we had things to do. When it came time for him to write it, he was more then willing.

The second priest, the assoc. pastor. Never had talked to him, but I called and asked to meet with him. I told him, our parish is unusually large for Texas, except San Antonio of course, that I attended the church and that I needed 2 letters of recommendation. I did mention that I know we didn’t know each other well, but I was wanting to give it a shot. The converstation was something else. He asked me what order and other normal things, but then started asking all these other questions. Man, even ‘regular’ seminaries train them well, was my thought. We got to know each other so very well in that 1 hour I met with him. Not only was he willing to write the letter, but he was excited to write it and keeps telling me that he is praying for me. It was something else.

The third priest. I graduated HS 10 years ago and our prinicpal was a priest. After days of searching for him, I found him, but I felt so stupid for contacting him, never believing that he would remember me. But sure enought he does, and he told me he always thought I should be a priest. They know (meaning priest notice people that should, or are dealing with the same thing they dealt with)

Give it a shot. God’s asking you for something, they are answering their call and are willing to help with yours.

 

[cascherman]

Certainly in Australia our diocesan priests do get time off and also three weeks at least holiday. Some go overseas for study purposes and other reasons. Mondays here in South Australia are usually our diocesan priests day off.

Barb

Yeah, well this is the US, for some reason we feel like we have to kill ourselves working and then die. in that order, with no time in between.

So, if the American priesthood is anything like the American ‘dream’ then maybe you won’t get as much as you like. But, to be sure, I do not know. I imagine a religious vocation will not be like that.

 

[Lepanto]

I’m believe that priests are required to take 30 days time off per year according to canon law. (This is in addition to a customary weekly day off). Look it up – there is canon law online.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Yeah, well this is the US, for some reason we feel like we have to kill ourselves working and then die. in that order, with no time in between.

So, if the American priesthood is anything like the American ‘dream’ then maybe you won’t get as much as you like. But, to be sure, I do not know. I imagine a religious vocation will not be like that.

Being a mere female and hence not knowing much at all about the priesthood as it actually is…only as it appears surfacewise - of course I have no idea what a priest does on his Mondays off…the Archbishop may have him working at something, I wouldn’t know. I do know one parish priest that is actually on 9 committees!!! - the poor man must have superhuman powers I am sure. He is also a parish priest and holds a chaplaincy and not an easy one either. He is our youngest priest at 50+ and I should imagine under 55…hence he is worked to the absolute limit is most obvious.
As for holidays overseas for study or some other reason…that is about all we get to hear about - for all I know he may have to fully qualify with a Masters Degree in six languages in three weeks Such as I would not know the actual details.

I do know my director/confessor retired about four years ago and probably has never worked so hard in his life as he always sure looks tired.

I have never been since V2 under any sort of illusion that the life of our dear parish priests is in any way at all an easy one. Prior to V2 such things as the life of a parish priest in the day to day was clouded in great mystery and to my mind absolute secrecy.

I be the mere female of the species …and happy to be so!

Thank you for the comments enabling me to ‘get real’ about the potential actual life of a parish priest. Although I would not want to discourage anyone. In honesty, I really would not know other than what is officially stated. I do hold absolutely though, that to work hard…you do need time to relax or that hard work will not be the best work and sincerely hope that our Archbishop (another great mystery as to the reality) has the exact same concept for his brother priests in his charge and sheparding.

Blessings and my regards…Barb:thumbsup:

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Having been for a short while in monastic life…and still that mere female…the way to go to my mind is do all your homework and research well and truly prior to actually applying to any religious order or seminary and go into the life with your eyes open not with head in the clouds. Ask all your questions of the actual Order or seminary and get your answers and from the ‘horses mouth’ as it were, not hearsay and second hand knowledge…look them over every bit as much as they are looking you over and this is your right and to my mind the wise and mature way to progress…be discerning and God’s Blessings always…Barb

 

[Leopard]

Our bishop requires that all his diocesan priests take all their vacation time every year, as it does neither them nor their parishes any good to have the priests burn out from overwork.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Our bishop requires that all his diocesan priests take all their vacation time every year, as it does neither them nor their parishes any good to have the priests burn out from overwork.

 

[BrooklynBoy200]

My church is Franciscan, but i would like to be fssp. Can i still get advice (and a recommendation) from my franciscan priests? And a better question, should i? The Franciscans and the Fssp don’t have a long dislike of eachother or anything do they? Do the recommendations have to come from a latin mass church or anything? thanks.

 

[Rebelecka]

Right now i’m not going to church at all, people who’ve read my posts in the past know why but i won’t get into that now.

No I haven’t read previous posts, sorry. But you haven’t been receiving the Eucharist?

I think that not attending Mass might be a bit of a problem in getting a recommendation to religious life/seminary.

 

[freudmacher]

No I haven’t read previous posts, sorry. But you haven’t been receiving the Eucharist?

I think that not attending Mass might be a bit of a problem in getting a recommendation to religious life/seminary.

That’s true…

 

[BrooklynBoy200]

No one in my family is religious, so i have no way of getting to church. I plan on going regularly once i get my license though. And i beg my parents to take me all the time so they may get fed up and bring me any week now. But no, i don’t recieve any sacraments. But i mean, i get my license in febuary so thats a few months before i graduate high school. And i could also go to community college or something which would give me like 2 years to go to mass regularly. So yeah…that’s my plan.

 

[BrooklynBoy200]

I still listen to homilies on my ipod and read the bible and CCC regularly though. And i pray spiritual communion prayers. But yeah, im doing my best to get myself to church.