The month of July will bring changes of assignment for about 20 of our priests in the Diocese of San Angelo. This presents an opportunity to reflect on the transition of priests. When a priest is moved, it has an impact on the parish he is leaving, the parish he is entering, and on the priest himself.
In many ways, a parish community is like a family system. Each member fits into the community in a certain way. There is some shifting of relationships when a new member comes into the community. Especially when there is a new leader, the system has to adjust.
When the community loses a member, there is a natural process of grieving. It takes time to grieve the departure of an important member of the family system. If your priest is leaving your parish, I encourage you to take the time to express appreciation to him for what he has meant to you personally, and to give thanks for the good things he has done for the community. He has planted seeds that will bear good fruit for generations.
Priests come in all sizes, shapes, colors and perspectives. Every priest who comes to a parish brings his own unique set of gifts and talents. He’s not exactly the same as his predecessor. Therefore, we should not expect him to lead in exactly the same way. Each priest builds on the foundation of his predecessors and helps the parish to grow in new ways.
When a new priest comes to your parish, give him a chance. Get to know him. Support him. Pray for him. Be open to the talents, insights, and experience that he brings. Let him be himself, rather than constantly comparing him with his predecessor. Help him to learn names and to become familiar with the various parish ministries. If you have concerns, share them with him directly. Give him the opportunity to allow his words and actions to speak for themselves. Be open to the many ways God will use him in this, the next phase of the life of your parish.
He will baptize your children, absolve your sins, visit you when you are sick, console you when you are hurting, and rejoice with you in moments of celebration. He will teach you, train you, and encourage you. He will seek to earn your respect by serving honorably.
Remember that a parish thrives when the priest and the parishioners work together in constructive collaboration, being patient with one another, listening to each other, and speaking with respect. Every member of the parish is called to contribute in an active way to build up the life of the Church. We all have gifts and talents to share as good stewards of God’s manifold grace.
This is a good opportunity to review what our Church teaches about the role of a priest. A Catholic priest is ordained to serve the people of God by preaching the word of God, explaining the teachings of our faith, celebrating the sacraments, and exercising pastoral leadership by shepherding the community that has been entrusted to him.
In the ministry of an ordained priest, he acts “in the person of Christ.” This means that the priest possesses the authority to act in the power and place of Christ in the sacraments of the Church. Through the priest’s ecclesial ministry, Christ himself is actively present to his people as the teacher of truth, the high priest of the redemptive sacrifice, and the shepherd of his flock. That is an awesome responsibility.
Because of the sanctity of the one whom he represents, whenever a priest’s words are uncharitable, or his behavior is selfish, or his actions are neglectful, or he takes advantage of his position for his own personal gain, it hurts more. Because of the sacredness of his ministry, the priest is called to grow in personal holiness by carrying out his duties with generosity and enthusiasm.
The priest is not just a mid-level bureaucrat or a CEO. He is a spiritual father, a “doctor of souls,” applying the spiritual resources of Christ’s Church to bring healing and hope, and to help people get to Heaven.
The priest is not God. Sometimes little children get confused about this. They see the priest presiding at the altar in the Mass, where the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Then, after Mass, as they greet the priest at the door of the church, some of them will say, “Hi, Jesus.” It’s cute, but it’s not accurate.
The priest is a human being. He is a shepherd, not a messiah. He’s not perfect. He makes mistakes. He sins and needs to go to Confession. He seeks to grow in holiness through his ministry.
The priest is not a robot. He has feelings. His heart can be broken. He mourns and grieves his losses. He sometimes gets hurt, tired, or discouraged. Sometimes he cannot live up to people’s expectations.
In his human brokenness, the priest becomes a “wounded healer.” Because he has suffered, he can relate to other people in their suffering and help them get through it. When he joins his own hardships to the Cross of Christ, it helps him to become a more compassionate instrument of Christ’s love.
A priest has hopes and dreams. He has joys and friends, hobbies and pastimes. A priest has a family. There are times when he misses them, and he needs to have a chance to see them sometimes.
A priest comes from a particular background, culture, and generation, and all of that helps to make him the wonderful person that he is. But the Church often calls him to go beyond his personal roots, to love and serve wherever he is needed. This means a priest sometimes has to learn languages and customs that stretch him beyond his natural comfort zone. He seeks to bloom where he’s planted, in order to bear good fruit for the Kingdom of God.
In this time of summer assignment changes, let us lift up all of our priests in prayer, asking the Lord to guide them, sustain them, and draw them ever closer to his loving heart.