At the blog of The Catholic Gentleman:
International Buy a Priest a Beer Day!
Did you know that this coming Monday, September 9, is International Buy a Priest a Beer Day? On this festive day, faithful Catholics all over the world take their priests out for a beer and get to know them better. It’s a beautiful Catholic tradition that goes back to the time of St. Hopswald of Aleyard, the first man to take his priest out for a beer.
Okay, if you’re getting suspicious by now, there’s a good reason. Buy a Priest a Beer Day is not a real holiday. But I would argue that it should be! [Do I hear an “Amen!”?]
Believe it or not, priests are real people, and they enjoy socializing over good food and drink as much as anyone. They also have a thankless and difficult job, a job that we couldn’t get to heaven without. Priests are the lifeblood of the Church, and they deserve some appreciation.
So with that in mind, I would challenge you to do something concrete to show appreciation to your priest in the month ahead. Yes, it could be taking him out for a beer, or it could be inviting him over to share dinner with your family. Be creative if you want, but give back to your priest somehow, and let him know that his ministry is making a difference.
Of course, your priest may be insanely busy and unable to schedule a time for a lengthier visit. That’s okay. You could offer a rosary or a holy hour for him and his intentions (or better yet, more than one), and let him know that you are regularly praying for him. At the very least, express to him your gratitude, in person or via a note, for his faithful ministry and his answering God’s call to the priesthood.
I fully expect there to be a lot of happy, encouraged priests by the end of the month. If you want to participate, leave a comment saying, “I’m in!” Ready, set, go.
Did you know that this coming Monday, September 9, is International Buy a Priest a Beer Day? On this festive day, faithful Catholics all over the world take their priests out for a beer and get to know them better. It’s a beautiful Catholic tradition that goes back to the time of St. Hopswald of Aleyard, the first man to take his priest out for a beer.My correspondent who sent me the link and alerted me to this sacred event, wrote:
Apparently, amazon doesn’t sell beer, so I dropped a $20 into your tip jar so you can pop out and choose something interesting.
;o)
I like that idea.
Here’s my donation button!
UPDATE:
Something fun happened. One of the gals who looks after us here (cleaning, laundry, finding useful stuff, reading my blog, etc.) came with a basket of clothes and …
And it’s cold!
UPDATE Monday 2020 GMT:
So far I have been given only ONE real, physical, beer.
However, I have been getting some donations and some have messages. Here’s one:
Enjoy your beer, Father! God bless you and your work. My family (siblings,parents,husband) and I check in on a regular basis to see what trouble you are stirring up. Keep it up. We could use more trouble makers, and I mean that in the best possible way. May Our Lady protect and bless you, always
And:
Specially for the “Buy a priest a beer day”. Greetings from Germany.
I assume that some of the others for for IBAPABD too. When you send a donation, send a message/comment, too!
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I’m in! However, the time here is 16:29, so I will offer father a rosary.
I’m in!!…If the priests will let me. All I can do is offer.
Perhaps there should be an International Buy A Deacon A Beer and International Buy A Seminarian A Beer days as well to help those with a religious vocation…
If your priest doesn’t drink alcohol, buying him a coffee or lunch would be fine I think. :)
We must have a sixth sense, because today my husband is taking our visiting Polish priest to the York (PA) Fair, America’s first fair which began in 1765. Produce grown in this area including a 45 lb. watermelon and a 500-plus pumpkin, farm animals (some giving birth as one watches), delicious local food (pumpkin funnel cake, fireman’s steak sandwich, Stolzfus’ PA Dutch ham & cheese sandwich, soft pretzels, pulled pork, bloomin’ onions–the list goes on) all bring in people from all over central PA for ten days. This year’s highlight is a helicopter ride over the county at $40/person, and there is always a line for it. Showing our priest a bit of Americana is a way to say “thank you” to this particular priest who is so interested in life in the USA. BTW, I will be manning the Pro-Life table in one exhibit hall, so I can’t make the rounds with them. I often send notes and e-mails thanking priests for an especially helpful homily or other contribution to my life and to that of “our parish family.” My newest habit is to say–at the close of Confession– “Thank you for being a priest.” Once I asked a priest if frequent thank-you’s diluted the message and he responded, “You can never say thank you enough to us.”
At my mother’s knee, before other low joints, I learnt :
“Beer does more than Milton can
To justify God’s ways to Man”
(cf who milton was, dreadful prod, and his preface to “paradise lost”)
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This morning I gave a twelve-pack of Wisconsin’s own New Glarus Brewing Co.’s Spotted Cow to our suburban Columbus, Ohio pastor. A real treat in these parts!
Didja know that there is a gluten free beer from Busch called, Redbridge? It’s made from sorghum and tastes pretty good at that – for some poor priest who is gluten intolerant. Have a cold one!
Since yesterday was St. Corbinian’s day (the saint who put the bear on Pope Benedict’s coat of arms) make it some excellent Korbinian dopplebock.
Your comment Father: “So with that in mind, I would challenge you to do something concrete to show appreciation to your priest in the month ahead. Yes, it could be taking him out for a beer, or it could be inviting him over to share dinner with your family.”, brought to mind the example of my parents who for the past 40 plus years have invited the many pastors and their assistants over for suppers, lunches and or breakfasts on a regular basis, ( especially at Christmas and Easter time)a tradition they carried with them from their native Italy where the village pastor was truly part of everyone’s family. Sadly this is not so common anymore as we become increasingly estranged from our Holy Mother Church.
Anyway, thank you to the good and holy fathers for all you do for a mostly ungrateful flock.
I hate to pour cold water, or, better yet, cold beer on this whole thing, but it’s really “International Brew a Priest a Beer Day” (for the really, truly, holy priests).
I intend to do so.
Did you get the Sant Eustachio?
Palladio: YES! I received the package today. It is sitting on my counter. When it is gone, the can will be useful for ammo.
Hops out on the trellis are almost ready. It’s almost beermaking time!!
Pico bello!!!!
I’ve considered packing heat myself, but my better half keeps talking me out of it. I suppose it would help things along if I actually took shooting lessons first. [One of the very best things a person with questions about the whole issue can do is to take the class for the license. I suspect that some people who do come to the conclusion that it is not for them. They make an informed decision.]
May the very aroma of the coffee bring you back to the Eternal City. [For years I could walk out the door and, when the breeze was right, smell their coffee roaster.]
God bless.
“Beer does more than Milton can
To justify God’s ways to Man.”
Wow! Dear @mike cliffson, thanks you for that verse. I thin I’ll remember it.
I believe…that St. Hopswald (Confessor and Martyr to Thirst) has an Octave, so that the next seven days would probably also be OK to fulfil the duty…?
[Great idea!]
Wouldn’t it be St. Birinus and St. Edith Stein?
Fr. Z, if your travels ever bring you to the Louisville Kentucky metro area, I would be more than honored to take you out for 1 or 3 or however many beers your heart desires at our local microbrewery here in New Albany on the Sunny Side of the Ohio River!
[I’ve never been down that way. It would be a pleasure. Maybe one of these days there will be some event or a talk to give or Mass to sing, etc.]
Well, we don’t buy him a beer, but we (my husband and I and another couple) take our pastor out for breakfast almost every Sunday.
I don’t think beer goes well with breakfast.
You are with us at breakfast, Father Z. as we often discuss your blog and what you have posted during the week.
While not buying You a beer right now, I promise to do so on Your next visit to Germany, specifically to Regensburg (hint! hint!). How about visiting Georg Ratinger or the Pope Benedict Institute (http://www.institut-papst-benedikt.de/englisch.html)?
I’d propose some of the Bischofshof (property of the diocese) or Spital (half owned by diocese) beers. (http://www.bischofshof.de/bischofshof-bier/biersorten/ – http://www.spital.de/brauerei/biere.php)
Great idea. But better still, why not buy a priest a Trappist beer? All of the 8 European monasteries that brew and sell Trappist beers are listed here http://www.sacristies-of-the-world.com/?p=2132 at Sacristies of the World. E