Day to day life of a priest,

[WillT]

Basically, I am decerning a vocation to the priesthood and would like to hear from either some of the priests here, or someone else who is decerning who has talked about this with a priest.

I've already seen/heard people talk about/thought about myself in the "fun" part of being a priest (celebrating the sacrements, giving blessings, all of that sort of thing), but now I want to hear about the day-to-day life of a priest. Things like what is the daily schedule like?, What's the hardest part of the vocation?, Do you ever get lonely?, all of that sort of thing that may not come up in the personal decernment process. I plan on speaking with my priest about all of this, but I thought I would get as many answers as I could so I put it here. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[daveybe]

I'm just a seminarian, but currently serving a full-year pastoral internship at a parish. It's been enough to show me the good, bad, ugly, and sublime of parish life.

[quote name='WillT' date='Oct 19 2004, 11:45 PM']I've already seen/heard people talk about/thought about myself in the "fun" part of being a priest (celebrating the sacrements, giving blessings, all of that sort of thing), but now I want to hear about the day-to-day life of a priest. Things like what is the daily schedule like?, What's the hardest part of the vocation?, [/quote]
The daily schedule here starts early and ends late (7AM Mass, then meetings go till 8 or 9PM). But there is a good chunk of free time after breakfast, and again in the afternoon. It's crucial to take that personal time when it comes, otherwise stress and frustration arise.

Here's something i find difficult: weddings where people don't care about the Catholic faith, and don't respect even the church building. Sometimes you get the groomsmen sipping from booze flasks in the sacristy beforehand (my pastor delays the wedding for an hour if he sees that, till they sober up). People stand on the pews to get good picture shots. The priest says "The Lord be with you!" and you hear the crickets chirping in response. That can be aggravating, yet we have to be patient, hoping to bring them to conversion.

[quote name='WillT' date='Oct 19 2004, 11:45 PM']Do you ever get lonely?[/quote]
Yup, sometimes. I'm a lone wolf by nature, but sometimes it is lonely. Some days are emotionally exhausting, and you want to tell somebody about it, but there's no one you can call cauz of confidentiality and stuff. Prayer helps then, especially in front of the Tabernacle. Having friends who are priests is also extremely important.

The really great part, though, is that all the stuff that i [i]thought[/i] would be hard or scary, really isn't. Visiting prisoners in jail, finding a homeless person at the door who has no shoes, standing up and speaking in front of hundreds of people. Somehow, Christ is SOOO present at those moments! And what should be terrifying is actually precious!

May God Bless Your Discernment,
D.Be

[WillT]

Thanks for your reply! That was exactly the kind of stuff I was curious about.
Does anybody else have any experiences to pass along?

[cappie]

I joined the Capuchin Friars in 1976 and was Ordained in 1983. I spent 6 years as an assistant priest and the past 15 years as a parish priest.

I rise at 4.50am go to the parish church at 5.30am and celebrate the 6am Mass. After Mass is finished there is Morning Prayer in the Church and then some quite meditation.

I go to the office about 7am and make some breakfast, read the paper, watch the morning news and feed the cats. The principal of the school usually arrives at 7.30am and we have a meeting.

Sometimes people come to the door with deliveries etc. about 8.30 I go to the school on my way to the church for the 9am Mass. After Mass I sometimes have confessions for the school children or perhapa a Mass or visit one of the classrooms. If I don't have Mass then I visit one of the other schools, There is one other primary school and a High School for meetings etc.

There are also Funerals to conduct, meeting with the families doing the service etc.

We have Midday prayer at 12 noon and then lunch.

The afternoon is taken up with visiting the nursing homes, hospitals etc.

Of course ther are meetings with others plus the "unknowns" such as sudden deaths illness etc.....

The late afternoon is for reading, prayer, meditation ,walking, thinking. Evening Prayer is about 5pm.

I try to get something to eat and catch the evening news. The evening is taken up with meetings, bible study, youth planning, marrage prep baptismal prep, RCIA etc.

Later I leave the office go home and watch a bit of tv say night prayer and go to bed about 11pm.

I don't have time to be lonely although I get tired a lot!!!

Still I enjoy being a priest I wouldn't have it any other way...

(The weekends are even busier but there is lots of time for prayer and meditation if you are serious and of course posting here!!!!!!!!!!)

[Paladin D]

Very good question, and thank you [b]Daveybe[/b] and [b]Fr. Cappie[/b] for the responses! Though there is something I just thought about...



Would it be accurate to say that Religious priests don't feel that lonely compared to Diocesan priests? Considering religious priests usually live in the same building with others, while diocesan priests usually live separately?

[cappie]

Yes that is trus to a point. i am the only one working full time in the parish, but I do live with 2 other friars.

But you can still be lonely in a crowd!!

[cappie]

Yes that is true to a point. i am the only one working full time in the parish, but I do live with 2 other friars.

But you can still be lonely in a crowd!!

[WillT]

Hey, thanks everyone! These posts are really great! It is exactly the kinds of details I was wanting to hear.

My priest was talking tonight about an experience he had with a lady from his parish. She was apparently depressed (although he says she would be the last person you would ever suspect that from) and she called him one night threatening to kill herself, so he rushed over. When he got there, she had actually broken a crucifix in half and used it to slit her wrists! Luckily, she only produced superficial wounds and a lot of blood, but I was wondering if any of you had ever experienced anything of that magnitude, and if so, how in the world do you deal with that type of situation? Are there any other gruesome things you have to deal with (stuff like car accidents or that sort of thing?), and how do you keep sane after having to see that type of stuff?

P.S. Sorry if this post is a little graphic, but I just want to be totally informed before making any decisions about the priesthood.

[daveybe]

[u]Regarding lonliness in the diocesan/religious models:[/u]
I think the greatest contrast between the two is in prayer. Like Fr. Cappie sez, community living doesn't always dispell lonsomeness. And i don't miss communal meals all that much (i actually enjoy eating alone - that's when i get my leisure reading in). The only place that i feel a [i]consistent[/i] lonesomeness is when i pray the Liturgy of the Hours. That's one place that religious life wins hands down over the diocesan model. The Divine Office was meant to be prayed in community.

To be honest, the loneliest i've [i]ever[/i] been was back in my swingin bachelor days, when i was living alone in an apartment, dating, and getting my heart broken every other Saturday night.

[u]Regarding coping with graphic scenes:[/u]
I'll leave this topic to others, since the most graphic thing i've had to endure in my ministry so far has been watching a parishioner "pull a calf" (little cow was stuck in momma's birth canal). And actually that was fairly wondrous to see the miracle of life happen.

[cappie]

When I was a seminarian we used to milk the cows, and get them inseminated as well as assist at the birth!!! A bit different from aristotelian logic or philosophy

[daveybe]

[quote name='cappie' date='Oct 22 2004, 02:37 AM']A bit different from aristotelian logic or philosophy[/quote]

I don't know though, potential and actualization are rather far-ranging concepts. They just might cover animal husbandry as well.

[Theologian in Training]

[quote name='WillT' date='Oct 22 2004, 12:30 AM'] Hey, thanks everyone! These posts are really great! It is exactly the kinds of details I was wanting to hear.

My priest was talking tonight about an experience he had with a lady from his parish. She was apparently depressed (although he says she would be the last person you would ever suspect that from) and she called him one night threatening to kill herself, so he rushed over. When he got there, she had actually broken a crucifix in half and used it to slit her wrists! Luckily, she only produced superficial wounds and a lot of blood, but I was wondering if any of you had ever experienced anything of that magnitude, and if so, how in the world do you deal with that type of situation? Are there any other gruesome things you have to deal with (stuff like car accidents or that sort of thing?), and how do you keep sane after having to see that type of stuff?

P.S. Sorry if this post is a little graphic, but I just want to be totally informed before making any decisions about the priesthood. [/quote]
I am a Third Year seminarian and although I have not had a lot of pasoral experience, per se, I do go to a parish every Tuesday and spent the past summer doing CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) essentially, hospital ministry. I also visited a hospice patient during my first semester of my second year. Although nothing I have experienced has been entirely gruesome, it has been challenging. I mean it is not easy to try and talk to someone on the Hematology / Ocology ward when you know he is dying of cancer and cannot speak to you because he has a trach in his throat. Or listening to a teenager tell you how she cannot believe in God. Or even talking to someone who has been paralyzed from the neck down for almost 14 years.

In all of those things it is quite easy to get discouraged and even easier to want to give it all up, yet, at the same time, God does not give you those experiences for you to face alone and without hope. In all them you come to realize how small and insignificant you are, and how much you need the help and grace of God to get through those moments, and to have something to say. You realize that what you do is not for yourself, but you are merely an intrument through which God works. The question is how much of an intrument you want to become, because no matter what happens, if you have not prepared through prayer, reflection, or a strong faith, then you deprive them of what they really need. Granted, you give them something, but God gives them more.

Your sanity is maintained in those moments through prayer, reflection, and sometimes just by doing something you enjoy. Granted, you don't make it a point of leaving immediately to do so, but sometimes you need to get away from the situation for a time otherwise you will hold it longer than it should be held. Essentially though, each person deals differently and that is what the challenge is for you.

Hope that helps a little bit.

God Bless