Disloyal Of Me?

We hope you enjoy your visit!
You're currently viewing Catholic CyberForum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our online cyberparish, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.
Join our community!
Messages posted to this board must be polite and free of abuse, personal attacks, blasphemy, racism, threats, harasment, and crude or sexually-explicit language.
If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Pages:
1
2

Disloyal Of Me?; Parish priest workload
Topic Started: Friday, 23. March 2007, 08:41 (317 Views)
John Sweeney	Friday, 23. March 2007, 08:41 Post #1
Posts: 1,739 Group: Members Member #68 Joined: March 20, 2007	I felt a little disloyal last night. Our parish priest, a good man, was explaining to us in advance of a public announcement in a couple of weeks , that the shortage of priests meant an even more radical shake-up for the Deanery. He is going to shoulder the burden for yet more of the surrounding parishes and obviously was dreading the extra pressure. I felt sorry for him but then had the disloyal thought that the same thing has happened to me over the last few years and indeed everyone I know in every other "industry" has come under the same sort of pressure. Even allowing for the unique nature of the priesthood, is the present rationalisation worse than anything the rest of us have had to shoulder? John



Derekap	Friday, 23. March 2007, 12:52 Post #2
Posts: 3,357 Group: Members Member #14 Joined: September 26, 2006	Some years before I retired my Branch Manager had to start forecasting how much business the office would do. He had to submit this to his area manager who in turn told him it was too low or too high etc, so he had to start again. He may as well have consulted an astrologer. The number of "returns" increased. When I started work the Branch Manager's job was naturally a responsibility but was a comparitively a quiet job, by the time I retired it was full time pressure - and not much of it constructive. Though disappointed, I was in retrospect thankful I didn't get higher than assistant Branch Manager. I think I would have had a nervous breakdown. I don't know how bureaucratic the administration of the Church may be but I can foresee that bureaucracy outside the Church, new laws etc may well make the parish priest's burden heavier than it used to be and less clergy to share it with.
	Derekap


Deacon Robert	Friday, 23. March 2007, 13:22 Post #3
Posts: 767 Group: Members Member #15 Joined: September 26, 2006	John, After having to deal with down sizing and in creased work load in my secular job, I would say that the Priests have more options when it comes to their increased responsibilities. There are many things that Priests do that can be done by qualified volunteers or part time employees. The problems are not usualy usually not Canonical but issues of control. If the Priest is overwhelmed with work, though regretable, he will not be fired people try to understand. If you neglect to do your job to your superior's satisfaction the consequences are probably more severe. Before I retired I had been assigned the work load of 6 other engineers who had been made to leave the company. I had to maintan the job output and quality. I had no other option but to do the job, quit, or be fired. After working for the company for 30 years I did not want to lose the pension and health benefits so I stayed until I could meet the minimum requirements for retiring.
	Dcn Robert


Ned	Friday, 23. March 2007, 18:18 Post #4
Posts: 674 Group: Members Member #61 Joined: March 1, 2007	From what I've seen of it here in London most of the older priests are already disgracefully overloaded with all sorts of worries and responsibilities. It's only my opinion but the younger ones don't seem to have such heavy burdens to carry. But then they have further to go. Year in and year out the responsibilities must be more burdensome than the actual work. I'd like to see some periphoral parish responsibilities - redundant property, for example - transferred to the diocese, and then contracted out to professional firms, under the supervision of professionally qualified laypeople employed by the diocese. You'll remember that in the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 6, it is recorded that the Apostles handed over some of their workload to deacons, one of whom was Stephen.



Rose of York	Friday, 23. March 2007, 19:16 Post #5
Administrator Posts: 14,099 Group: Admin Member #2 Joined: September 25, 2006	Derekap Mar 23 2007, 12:52 PM I don't know how bureaucratic the administration of the Church may be but I can foresee that bureaucracy outside the Church, new laws etc may well make the parish priest's burden heavier than it used to be and less clergy to share it with. Its up to the clergy to admit to themselves that they are not lawyers, planning experts or accountants. Pride cometh before a fall.
	$Posted Image$ Catholic and proud of it! Talk to God before Mass. Talk to each other afterwards


PJD	Friday, 23. March 2007, 20:19 Post #6
Posts: 2,337 Group: Members Member #11 Joined: September 26, 2006	I certainly have some sympathy with what John Sweeney has said. PJD



Deacon Robert	Friday, 23. March 2007, 21:24 Post #7
Posts: 767 Group: Members Member #15 Joined: September 26, 2006	Quote: You'll remember that in the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 6, it is recorded that the Apostles handed over some of their workload to deacons, one of whom was Stephen. Most of us who are "retired" or have the training have voluteered, but as I've said, there are control issues.
	Dcn Robert


Rose of York	Friday, 23. March 2007, 21:47 Post #8
Administrator Posts: 14,099 Group: Admin Member #2 Joined: September 25, 2006	What really annoys me is the reluctance of priests to seek our professional skills and local knowledge from their parishioners. Why do they try, and fail, to understand legislation, without first asking if there is a suitably experienced person who will volunteer to advise? They are NOT trained in every trade and profession. I offered to design a parish census forum, submit it to the priest, and print sufficient ies for all parishioners. I also suggested there would be a box for parishioners to tick if they wanted their form to be seen only by the parish priest, and I would be willing to make list of skills offered, and any kind of support wanted, from the non confidential forms. The parish priest said HE did not have the time. He is still struggling with the admin, getting behind with everything - including failing to contact parishioners known to be sick.
	$Posted Image$ Catholic and proud of it! Talk to God before Mass. Talk to each other afterwards


CARLO	Saturday, 7. April 2007, 00:36 Post #9
Posts: 1,648 Group: Members Member #27 Joined: September 28, 2006	Lots of very good points made by all in this discussion. It strikes me that the first thing Priests want to cut down on to deal with the pressures is spiritual work i.e. celebrating Mass and administering the Sacraments. Sorry but I do not regard celebrating Mass three times on a Sunday as either exhausting or too great a burden! On the other hand trying to cope with 1001 administrative tasks including several that you have not been trained to deal with certainly does amount to exhaustion and too great a burden. Veritas Truth CARLO
	Judica me Deus


James	Saturday, 7. April 2007, 01:26 Post #10
James Posts: 1,105 Group: Members Member #54 Joined: January 13, 2007	Ah now I know why it was ? I had a priest "bucking the system" that would have given any "time and motion anaylsis expert" grounds for more help rather than "cut backs" I went to confession to a certain cathedral about 4.30pm and there was one priest hearing confessions and about twelve waiting to go in. A sign said "do not join queue after 6pm.. Anyway I sat and he seemed to be spending a long time with each "sinner" and I began thinking about all the things they must be up to and advice needed to warrant all that time. Eventually about 5.40pm it was my turn and I thought , right, in and out in two minutes. In theory yes but then came a little chat and what family have you got and so on and so on. I came out about 5.55 and there was then about twenty waiting to go in. Fair play to the man. You can't have only one confessor when you need three or four. !!



CARLO	Saturday, 7. April 2007, 11:04 Post #11
Posts: 1,648 Group: Members Member #27 Joined: September 28, 2006	James Apr 7 2007, 01:26 AM Ah now I know why it was ? I had a priest "bucking the system" that would have given any "time and motion anaylsis expert" grounds for more help rather than "cut backs" James Yep he is going for quality rather than turnover! But is he providing value for money? And what are his profit margins? :rolleyes: Salva me Save me CARLO
	Judica me Deus


PJD	Saturday, 7. April 2007, 15:59 Post #12
Posts: 2,337 Group: Members Member #11 Joined: September 26, 2006	There does seem a tendency for priests nowadays to spend a lot of time on supervising administration etc. - and perhaps yes at a lack of concentration on spiritual matters. But I think they have presssure from the Bishops. PJD



CARLO	Saturday, 7. April 2007, 17:22 Post #13
Posts: 1,648 Group: Members Member #27 Joined: September 28, 2006	PJD Apr 7 2007, 03:59 PM There does seem a tendency for priests nowadays to spend a lot of time on supervising administration etc. - and perhaps yes at a lack of concentration on spiritual matters. But I think they have presssure from the Bishops. PJD :angry: Are they mice or men? No wonder the Green Cardigans take over! Salva me Save me CARLO
	Judica me Deus


Em.	Saturday, 7. April 2007, 19:11 Post #14
Posts: 755 Group: Members Member #69 Joined: March 24, 2007	speaking for myself, from a long and bitter experience, Parish Priests are ignoring their calling, they should give at least one day a week to their sick. It is not good enough to wear the shirt collar back to front and tell us they are holy, when they ignore people or telling them that over 65 one does not neet confession, as if age has also held their tongue. I have been in touch with Mgr Tully, on a different matter and we carried on to confessions, he does not share my PP's opinionJHe suggested that I give copies of his letter to ,my PP. If they were of interest I would post them here.
	Divine Mercy http://www.tinyurl.com/29p3vk


Ned	Monday, 27. April 2009, 18:29 Post #15
Posts: 674 Group: Members Member #61 Joined: March 1, 2007	I'd like to make a point that I've made before - the workload on priests is impossibly high, particularly as so many priests are over sixty.. I recently spotted this on the internet - http://www.ourlady-starofthesea.com/archive_apr08.html It's two letters. The lower one is a Parish Priest's letter of appointment, and it includes a Job Description - Quote: It is your first duty to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to those entrusted to your care, to preach and make available instruction in the Catholic Faith to all those who need to grow in the knowledge of Christ, giving special care to the young and those with little understanding of the things of God. It is through you that the faithful are nourished by the Sacraments, and so you must ensure that they are celebrated with the necessary dignity and enthusiasm, especially the Eucharist which is to be the centre of the life of the parish. In caring for the people, you are to give particular attention to the most needy, the sick, the distressed and those in any kind of difficulty. Above all, remember that like Christ, you come to serve and not to be served. You are to encourage the lay members of the parish in their calling to make the Church present and fruitful in the places and circumstances of their work and daily lives. You are to enable them to play a full part in the life of the local Church in all areas that are proper to them. In addition, I ask you to work with members of other Christian traditions towards the building up of the Kingdom of God. I ask you especially to co-operate with your brother Priests in the Deanery, and with me, as co-worker for the good of this Diocese. I don't know the parish but I see from the website that the PP is assisted by a Parish Pastoral Assistant and two deacons. But still it must be a very heavy workload. There are three canons that define the pastoral responsibilities of the priest. Canon 528 requires that a priest instructs, catechizes, fosters works of justice, shows special care for the education of children and brings the Gospel to those who have ceased to practice the faith. Canon 529 requires that he should come to know the faithful entrusted to his care, visit families, share their concerns, worries and griefs, help the sick and seek out the poor, the afflicted and the lonely. Canon 530 defines the sacramental responsibilities of the priesthood. My own belief is that every PP should be assisted by at least two curates. That will mean the closure of a great many parishes, but in the cities there are still a great many churches that are within walking distance of one another.



1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · The Mass , Liturgy, Sacraments, Priesthood · Next Topic »

Pages:
1
2