A Day in the Life of... A Parish Priest

The life of a parish priest-- especially the Pastor-- is probably one of the most interesting and diverse of all ministerial commitments. In nearly 25 years of priesthood, it has been my privilege to serve full time or part time in many Churches, and I was the Pastor in two of them. One of the advantages of being a Franciscan is that we are often called to move from one place or another, depending on the needs of the Church and the Order, and it has been my experience that each of my assignments has changed my life in a powerful way.

People often ask me when and how I decided to become a priest, and the answer is little more complicated than they think. For me there was not a single “moment” or a single “experience” that called me to priesthood, but rather a whole series of relationships and connections that led me to this decision which I have never regretted. I remember being an altar boy at St. Giles in Oak Park and thinking that being a priest would be a really good way to help people. And I remember being at Fenwick High School and finding myself drawn to go to Mass in the morning before school started. And I remember in college at Notre Dame talking to people, even at parties, about the possibility of being a priest, which led to some very interesting conversations. Always, for me, the idea of being a priest was associated with serving people, with helping them through hard times, with celebrating sacred moments in the lives of individuals and families.

And quite frankly that is exactly what my priestly life has been all about for the past 24 years. I was ordained on June 6, 1987 and celebrated my “First Mass” the next day, on Pentecost Sunday 1987. These years have been blessed by working in a variety of Catholic Christian communities, each of whom has called different gifts from me. Sacred Heart Church in St. Paul, MN taught me how to be a priest for the people. The St. Giles Family Mass Community taught me how to honestly collaborate and work along with laity in the Church. St. John the Baptist in Joliet stretched me to celebrate-- and even to preach-- in Spanish. And St. Joseph’s in the Back of the Yards taught me what it means to work as a “street priest,” even to this day getting involved in the lives of people who are affected by Chicago’s inner city gangs.

For better or for worse, I am one of those priests who sort of becomes a member of people’s families, who is there when the baby is born and when Grandma dies and at the First Communion and when they need someone to celebrate a distant cousin’s wedding, etc. I am not much of an administrator, although that is part of the Pastor’s role to be sure, and I am still learning about Facebook and Twitter and the like. But as it says in my “bio,” I am a man who loves to sing and tell stories, and more than anything I thrive on celebrating the sacraments of the Church.

So, what is a typical day in the life of a parish priest? It always has to do with people, with helping people to get their spiritual needs met. Usually a day begins with prayer, first personal prayer and then communal prayer, including the daily Mass. Then in the morning there is usually some kind of work to be done in the office, making sure that all of the people who are working for the parish have what they need to do their ministry. In the afternoon there is usually any number of visits to be made-- in people’s homes or in the hospital or on the street. Then in the evening, after more prayer and supper with the community, there is almost always some kind of parish meeting or prayer service, followed by opportunities to connect with people in a powerful way. Pastors will often talk about “the meeting after the meeting” in which the real work gets done, and I understand that dynamic quite well.

What I find most challenging about the priesthood is trying to respond positively and in an healthy way to all of the people I encounter. I used to tell the people who work in the Parish Office that when someone comes to the door of the Church or the Office, the answer to their question is “yes.” I told them, “Try to figure out how to say “yes” to them, even though it might not be right away or the way they want.” That really is a challenge, because sometimes people have really impossible needs, and they look to the Church for help in the most difficult of situations.

Finally, one thing that someone interested in the priesthood should know is that the next few years promise to bring a lot of changes and new challenges. The shortage of priests is beginning to effect even the biggest and most active of parishes, and we will need to find some creative solutions to those upcoming challenges. Hopefully we will find a way to work through these challenges which includes everyone in the Church, not just a few.

Paz y Bien!

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