Welcoming a new Priest

[StMikey]

Hello,

I hope I am posting this in the correct forum.

My parish is about to receive a new priest and I was wondering what I, my family, or my parish family could do to welcome the new priest.

Our parish is unique, in that we have had the same pastor for over 35 years. He is facing mandatory retirement in a year and I just learned we will likely be getting an assistant Pastor for that final year. The new Priest is very young, not even 30 I believe. So being around the same age as him I, know how traumatic it could be moving somewhere where there is nothing to do and knowing nobody.

Does anybody have any suggestions of a good way to welcome the new priest ? Would inviting him over for a picnic be a good idea ? July 4 is coming up and my family usually has a picnic. The trouble is, most of family is not Catholic, and there will be alcohol. Would taht be a problem ?

What about inviting out for dinner, just him and my wife ?

Any suggestions would be welcomed.

Thanks,
Mikey

 

[Epsilon_Omega]

Umm… I don’t know if I can help much, but baking him chocolate Chip or monster cookies would be nice. If I was in his shoes (eventually, I might be ) I would love getting welcome cookies. The picnic thing would be nice, but maybe warn him before hand about your family if it would be bad for the priest to be around them.

Maybe have him come over and eat like once or twice a month. He is around 30, (but me being 19 and not a fan of my own food), using stereotypes, he might not be the best cook. Different food from what he normally eats could be a somethig very meaningful to him.

I think the bigger the gathering the better, so the priest doesn’t feel like he is the focus of the meal. In a big group he would feel like part of the crowd, allowing him to be less uptight and overall more friendly.

I’ll just throw that out for now. Hopefully I helped you, but I dunno much

 

[mary_bobo]

Hello,

I hope I am posting this in the correct forum.

My parish is about to receive a new priest and I was wondering what I, my family, or my parish family could do to welcome the new priest.

Our parish is unique, in that we have had the same pastor for over 35 years. He is facing mandatory retirement in a year and I just learned we will likely be getting an assistant Pastor for that final year. The new Priest is very young, not even 30 I believe. So being around the same age as him I, know how traumatic it could be moving somewhere where there is nothing to do and knowing nobody.

Does anybody have any suggestions of a good way to welcome the new priest ? Would inviting him over for a picnic be a good idea ? July 4 is coming up and my family usually has a picnic. The trouble is, most of family is not Catholic, and there will be alcohol. Would taht be a problem ?

What about inviting out for dinner, just him and my wife ?

Any suggestions would be welcomed.

Thanks,
Mikey

Last year, when our new associate pastor came, we had a reception in the parish hall and many came. He was newly ordained, gave wonderful homilies and just exuded kindness and was extremely friendly, often going from pew to pew before Mass to welcome parishoners. Sadly, next Sunday we will be having another reception to say “good-bye” as he is being re-assigned (most of us think by his request). He is much loved and I do hope that circumstances will change so that he can cpome back again in the future if he do desires. He will be missed.

 

[under_the_dome]

Hello,

I hope I am posting this in the correct forum.

My parish is about to receive a new priest and I was wondering what I, my family, or my parish family could do to welcome the new priest.

Our parish is unique, in that we have had the same pastor for over 35 years. He is facing mandatory retirement in a year and I just learned we will likely be getting an assistant Pastor for that final year. The new Priest is very young, not even 30 I believe. So being around the same age as him I, know how traumatic it could be moving somewhere where there is nothing to do and knowing nobody.

Does anybody have any suggestions of a good way to welcome the new priest ? Would inviting him over for a picnic be a good idea ? July 4 is coming up and my family usually has a picnic. The trouble is, most of family is not Catholic, and there will be alcohol. Would taht be a problem ?

What about inviting out for dinner, just him and my wife ?

Any suggestions would be welcomed.

Thanks,
Mikey

I doubt that alcohol at the party would be a problem… (maybe though, if he doesn’t drink off the altar ).

One quote that has stuck with me, heard about a year ago: “We need priests that drink and smoke.” Lol… I believe it was a reference to some of the “softer” types that need to be balanced out…

 

[kage_ar]

Unless your new Priest is a Southern Baptist, the alcohol should not keep him from a BBQ

 

[ltbpoe43]

Great idea - invite him over to the BBQ. Let him decide if he should accept.

1. doesnt matter if some of the family isn’t Catholic - he’s not doing a mass - he’s eating BBQ
2. alcohol - no problem in moderation for all - we hope
3. language - if he comes not in collar - warn the guests to be polite - just in case that spicey joke gets out of hand.

Good luck and good eating.

 

[LightHearted]

Hi Mikey,

You are so considerate to be concerned about all this. There are many people to whom this wouldn’t occur.

Priests are normal people, like you and I. I’ve gone to a bar and had a drink with a priest friend, and have been out for breakfast with another priest friend. Please don’t assume that your new priest wouldn’t want to come simply because there may be alcohol, and because non-Catholics will be present.

My suggestion to you, would be that you tell him that you’d love to break bread with him. Give him the two options (picnic vs. dinnner out), and let him decide. That would be the perfect time to tell him that drinking and non-Catholics will be present. If it bothers him, you’ve already given him an “out.”

God bless, and good luck.

 

[m134e5]

Hello,

I hope I am posting this in the correct forum.

My parish is about to receive a new priest and I was wondering what I, my family, or my parish family could do to welcome the new priest.

Our parish is unique, in that we have had the same pastor for over 35 years. He is facing mandatory retirement in a year and I just learned we will likely be getting an assistant Pastor for that final year. The new Priest is very young, not even 30 I believe. So being around the same age as him I, know how traumatic it could be moving somewhere where there is nothing to do and knowing nobody.

Does anybody have any suggestions of a good way to welcome the new priest ? Would inviting him over for a picnic be a good idea ? July 4 is coming up and my family usually has a picnic. The trouble is, most of family is not Catholic, and there will be alcohol. Would taht be a problem ?

What about inviting out for dinner, just him and my wife ?

Any suggestions would be welcomed.

Thanks,
Mikey

Write him a letter, and tell him you are looking forward to him coming to the parish.

When he gets there, be sure to introduce yourself after his first Mass there.

Be sure to go to his installation Mass, if your diocese does them.

Give him a card at his welcome reception, and let him know he can count on you if he needs anything.

Invite him over for dinner sometime shortly after he moves there (and try to do that fairly regularly).

Always take time after Mass to talk to him some (even if just to say “hello”).

After several months or so have gone by, make it a point to tell him you are glad he came to your parish.

It can be very difficult for a new pastor (especially someone young) to be in a parish that had the same pastor for so many years. When no one in the parish under 40 even remembers any other pastor, it’s hard for people to get used to a new face, a new voice, a new personality, and a new style- and their expectations are often VERY high. When you are constantly being compared to the previous pastor, it can be discouraging.

 

[Khoria_Anna]

All of the above are nice and helpful. Make sure the Rectory is clean and stocked with “staples”.

Cookies or muffins are nice. An invitation to dinner or lunch – his choice, restaurant or home.

How about a basket with a map of the local area, or anything that the local Chamber of Commerce offers for newcomers – tourist information, health clubs, recreational areas, restaurants, malls, bookstores, etc. A subscription to the local paper. Anything that would help him get acclimated to the new territory.