If you ask my family they will tell you that, in their opinion, I have quite the life: I work just one day a week, Sundays. I frequently hear this quip from them. Typically they will see me on my day off, a day that I may have spent on the golf course, so in their opinion that’s what I do most of the time. Of course, they like to tease me; they know that priests work more than one day a week and, in fact, are some of the hardest working people that they know.
What a priest does on a daily basis, however, remains a mystery to many of the faithful. Some people may really believe that his busiest “work” day is Sunday and that he spends the rest of the week twiddling his thumbs waiting for the mass rush (pun intended) on Sundays. Nothing can be further from the truth.
One of the great aspects about being a priest is the diversity of the life: no day is the same. Diocesan priests are truly some of the hardest working people that I know. It is not uncommon for their day to begin very early and end very late.
What is a typical day? Again, there really isn’t a “typical” day. There is the daily Mass offered for the people, but after that our schedules can vary depending on the demands of ministry. Hospital visitations, nursing home Masses, visits to the school or religious education classes, meetings with parishioners seeking counsel, meetings with engaged couples, wakes and funerals, meetings with grieving families who have just lost a loved one, emergency calls to anoint a parishioner who is dying, staff meetings, parish council meetings, youth group meetings, RCIA, baptisms, weddings — the list goes on and on. Oftentimes, the priest is simply asked to be present at various parish activities and functions. This is not to mention all of the administrative duties that belong particularly to hardworking pastors: dealing with finances, buildings and staff. Also, a very important part of the priest’s day is spent in personal prayer and homily preparation for the weekend.
Just reading the above list can make you tired. Besides being a very busy life, it can also be a spiritually and emotionally demanding life. That’s why most diocesan priests will tell you that they treasure their time for rest, which is typically one day a week. It is crucial for a priest to have his time away from his parish or diocesan ministry so that he can be renewed.
What do priests do on their day off? Again, it varies. Some will go home to be with their family or friends; some will spend time with brother priests going to a movie or out to dinner; some will go golfing or hiking or fishing; some will go to a retreat house to spend a quiet day in prayer; some will just spend the day relaxing, reading a book or taking some time to stroll around a mall or shopping center.
Even as my brother priests read this article I’m sure some may be thinking, “But you forgot to mention this….” That’s true. There’s so much more to the life of priest than what I’ve mentioned in this article. That alone should show you — and my family — that a priest works more than one day a week. So, the next time you see your priest, be sure to thank him for all of the hard work he does for the church.
