My former pastor who logs almost 100k miles a year between assignments at parish and 3 missions, and 2 full time diocesan jobs, drives a 2006 Chevy Suburban, gift of parishioners who took up the collection when the pastor of our neighboring parish was killed in a head-on collission in his compact car in a freeway construction zone. since more than half the mileage our pastor regularly drives is under construction, and we decided we would like to keep him around for a few more years, we were glad to make the gift, since we only paid cost through a local GM dealer who is a parishioner.
his only “vacation home” is when he visits his parents or sister, or goes on retreat to a local monastery. there are priests in the dioceses who have bought into assisted living arrangements for their retirement, usually with the help of family money, and others who have been given favorable prices in local retirement communities (Valley is home to at least 500M Winter Texans already with over 500 retirement parks and homes).
Some priests do own cabins or hunting leases on ranches elsewhere in Texas, or boats for bay fishing etc., they are entitled to recreation and vacation as anyone else is, but they pay for them from salary and savings, they are not given any perks by the diocese.
did I mention our former pastor with the big car also is the one who drives other priests to assignments and meetings, seldom drives alone, and almost always has the car loaded up, if not with passengers, with food, clothing and donations to the poor in the colonias, deliveries to diocesan offices, or other cargo.
coincidentally I was publicly criticized by a parent, in front of an entire HS class, last week because I drive a 5 yr old pick-up, (which looks great because I take good care of it, it is probably the last new car I will ever guy). His point was I am being paid too much if I can afford this car. Because my philosophy is never complain, never explain, I did not bother to tell him that I got the car when I was driving to Mexico weekly to deliver food, commodities, clothing, appliances and building supplies for a local ministry over the border, over rough terrain, and because my long commute was also through construction zones which literally destroyed my 12 yr old compact car. My husband did take the man up short, however, and asked him to drive along, in my truck, while deliveries of furniture and household items were made to St. Vincent clients, but the man declined. DH has my truck now making a Sams run to by food for our weekly Lenten meal for the parish. I also get no mileage allowance from the parish or diocese altho some DREs do get their gas paid.
Anyway, poverty is an evangelical counsel, not a commandment. This debate was waged about 700 years ago by some over-zealous Franciscans and was definitively settled by Pope John XXII.
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