12th Oct 2026
Dear Diary,
Msgr. Tommy told me something the other day about priest morale being pretty low. I think he’s on to something. Priests don’t laugh like they used to, even when they’re together for something fun like a convocation or a vicariate meeting. Lots of tension. I try being myself with them, but it doesn’t seem to work. I sense the younger guys are rolling their eyes behind my back but, heck, we did that too do back in the day. But they were those crusty old rigid guys who were in charge. I don’t get it. I’m not like them. Why don’t the new guys like me?
Anyway, had a free evening tonight so I decided I’d think it over and come up with some ideas. Brianstorm! Nothing really good on the TV. I made myself a nice stiff manhattan – not as good as Dozer’s, but it did the trick as always. What can I do to improve priest morale? I came up with some pretty great solutions, if I say so myself. I’ll have to work out the details before I spring them and how, but here are a few ideas.
1 – I’m going to move EVERYONE! I think some of the issues is that guys have gotten complacent. I’ve let some of them sit in the same place too long. That has to get boring. I’ve got some ideas about who goes where, starting with retiring McSwiney and putting Tommy at SnT.
2 – Masses are too long. Especially Sunday. Some of these guys are doing like three on Sunday and that adds up to almost maybe three hours? Work on changes. How do we get things down to 45 minutes tops? That’ll make people happy, I’m sure! Priests esp. Don’t ask Tommy!
3 – I hear there’s a lot of division between the old guys and the young guys, and some of it I don’t understand. Some of the young guys want to say the ad oriental Mass for some reason. I think it’s because they’re shy and don’t like looking people in the eye. They grew up on those phones and games. Anyway, I was talking to Bishop Fred, the Episcopalian over at Grace Cathedral and mentioned that. He laughed and said that that was a problem for them some years ago and he had some ideas. NOTE: Get in touch again.
4 – Guys complain that they have too much administration, and I have to admit, I don’t know if I could do it now. It’s not like when I was a young priest. All these computer programs, and reports, and filing this thing with this department, and that with that one. So, what if I have the diocese take over all the financial stuff in the parishes? Parishes send their collections to us every weekend? That seems pretty synodwal.
5 – Really important for morale is more syndonality synod stuff too. I know how to look like I’m completely listening and that’ll make the guys feel like their voices are being heard, even if we’ve already come to the right conclusion.
What’s next. I could do this with a series of decrees, maybe get Dozer’s people to help me to keep it out of the chancery staff. They’d wanna get involved and they’d leak for sure. Otherwise, we could have a big convocation, all the priests. I’d tell them my new ideas and then we’ll have some guy – or hey, maybe a gal! – show how modern I am – speak on syndonality synod.
jp60 on A matter of grave concern: People who pray together before or after Mass.: “Everyone in that diocese should show up at the bishop’s mass early to say a communal prayer, before the liturgy…”
