(Both – one parish):
Service, service, and more service: They understand that the priesthood is about service to others, to the immediate parish especially. They do the daily giving/outpouring required to hear confessions, say multiple Masses, minister to their flock, provide for the many needs of young and old, but mostly…
They do not try to be all things to all people – in terms of role, that is. They understand that they can’t (nor probably would they desire to). They limit themselves to what is essential to the ministerial priesthood, and they do that in spades. At so many other parishes I see priests who allow themselves to be spread so thin – pulled this way and that in terms of social causes, functions, and people’s personal needs that go beyond the essence of priesthood. Half the time (literally) such priests are absent from their flock - not because of shortages in manpower, but because they want to do other things, or feel pressured to do other things. (Mostly those are social and political activities on behalf of parish groups.)
I love them also because both work tirelessly even probably when they don’t feel like it. I never hear them complain or act gruff. They are holy men. One is obviously very shy and sensitive, and I can tell it takes an effort for him to overcome that and preach, but clearly he works on earning those graces. That’s real love. He puts everything into saying a beautiful Mass, despite his introspection. The other priest is in his 60’s and works nonstop from early morning to late evening. The only time I’ve ever seen him take a day off was when he traveled to his European country of origin to visit his ailing relative.
They have their priorities straight (sacraments, sacraments, more sacraments – not activism, activism, more activism) and they must pray a ton, both of them. They provide all the opportunities we need to participate in the entire traditional liturgical year and all the devotions. I don’t have to hunt somewhere else to find a Mass on a feast day. They provide that comfort and predictable faith-culture that some of us were fortunate enough to be bathed in from very young years, but which has largely disappeared from most U.S. parishes.
It’s not that I exclusively admire and have affectionate for only them: there tends to be at least one fine priest in every parish that has two or more on staff, so I appreciate the qualities I listed above whenever I find them in priests.
The priesthood is hugely sacrificial – as is any other professional religious life. Anyone who can stay with that and pursue virtue in a life of mostly giving is someone I am grateful for! I pray for priests by name much more than I used to – in gratitude and in recognition of how difficult that sustained self-giving must be.
). Even the cantankerous old fart of a priest was a sweetheart.