Tag Archives: Priests

Prayers for a priest after suicide. Priests, drugs, and you.

A terrible thing happened recently.  A young priest, almost certainly reacting badly to medication, committed suicide.  Fr. Evan Harkins, of the Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph, had been on medication for an ailment.  It seems to have affected … Read More

Posted in ACTION ITEM!, Priests and Priesthood | Tagged , ,
24 Comments

Letter of Francis to priests

Today, Sunday 4 August, in the Novus Ordo calendar Feast of St. John Vianney, Patron of Priests, a Letter of Francis to priests was released. Perhaps it was released in anticipation of the Feast of St. John Vianney celebrated on … Read More

Posted in Francis, Mail from priests, Priests and Priesthood, The Coming Storm | Tagged , ,
15 Comments

Wherein Fr. Z gives advice to new and to young priests

Congratulations, reverend and dear gentlemen and welcome to the priesthood.  We older guys are all for you, except when we are against you.  That’s going to happen, now and then.  If you are straight and you are faithful, some guys … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged ,
9 Comments

Because of so much darkness, there has never been a better time to be a young priest

 At Complete Christianity (a member of the new FOEDUS – League of Catholic Bloggers) Shane Schaetzel, a lay convert to the Church, wrote a post that I wish that I had written. Let me just say- as a forward to … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Four Last Things, Fr. Z KUDOS, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices | Tagged ,
15 Comments

15-18 July 2019: East Coast Priest Conference in Wheeling, WV – looks good!

I have heard great things from a couple priests about the St. Paul Center’s East Coast Priest Conference.   This year, 2019, it is to be held at Oglebay Resort and Conference Center in Wheeling, WV, which looks like a really … Read More

Posted in Priests and Priesthood, The Campus Telephone Pole | Tagged
21 Comments

ASK FATHER: My priest doesn’t carry the “emergency phone”

From a reader… QUAERITUR: What’s the deal with priests carrying their emergency cellphone on them? [Hmmm… I don’t know what the deal is!] I was disturbed to learn that our priest doesn’t keep it with him. When I asked him … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Lighter fare, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Priests and Priesthood | Tagged
29 Comments

PODCAzT 164: Open Letter From A Young Priest To Bishops

At Crisis there is posted an open letter from an anonymous young priest to bishops. It is a cri de coeur. Where Are the Bishops Who Will Defend Faithful Priests? I read this letter today, so that it will have … Read More

Posted in Clerical Sexual Abuse, Cri de Coeur, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Mail from priests, PODCAzT, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices | Tagged , , ,
9 Comments

NEW BOOK: Heroism and Genius: How Catholic Priests Helped Build—and Can Help Rebuild—Western Civilization

I recently received a book by Fr. William J. Slattery which has been truly intrigued. Heroism and Genius: How Catholic Priests Helped Build—and Can Help Rebuild—Western Civilization US HERE – UK HERE What’s this about?   Our author says: With stubborn … Read More

Posted in Hard-Identity Catholicism, Priests and Priesthood, REVIEWS, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged , ,
7 Comments

A priest’s prayers for before and after making his own confession

From an old prayerbook for priests which I’ve had since before my ordination.  They are dense with old wisdom. Here are two prayers, in Latin and English, for priests, for before and after they make confession their own confession. I’ve … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, GO TO CONFESSION, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Priests and Priesthood | Tagged , , ,
1 Comment

New Book of Benedict XVI’s collected sermons on the priesthood

This has gone immediately on my wishlists. It seems to be slated for publication on 1 August. Some of his books include an appendices of sermons. It will be great to have them in one volume. Get copies as gifts … Read More

Posted in Benedict XVI, The Campus Telephone Pole | Tagged , ,
11 Comments

Bad priesthood vocations numbers? Not by accident. Wherein Fr. Z rants.

I posted this last year, to the day. Any additional thoughts? ___ Originally Published on: May 3, 2016 ___ And yet, do other parishes and dioceses and religious groups change what they are doing? Not much.  It is if they really … Read More

Posted in Hard-Identity Catholicism, POLLS, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged , , ,
30 Comments

To a priest who learned the Traditional Mass and then quit because it was hard.

I have often written about how priests are never the same after having learned how to say the older, traditional form of Holy Mass in the Roman Rite.  Many priests have related to me about how, once they learned, or … Read More

Posted in ¡Hagan lío!, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Mail from priests | Tagged , ,
21 Comments

A Forty Hours Devotion and Prayers for Priests. Wherein Fr. Z rants.

I am in Denver, preaching for a Forty Hours Devotion following, of course, the Clementine Instruction in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. On Thursday we had a Sung Mass, after which I exposed the Blessed Sacrament, we had … Read More

Posted in Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged , , , ,
28 Comments

Advice to new priests in first assignments who suffer under liberal pastors. Wherein Fr. Z rants.

In June and into July, many newly ordained priests have reported to their first assignment as associate or assistant (as my old pastor used to say, “The first three letters are the same”).   These days we hear often the … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Liberals, Mail from priests, Priests and Priesthood, Semper Paratus | Tagged , ,
37 Comments

Our leadership: autocrats and authoritarians

This applies to priests as well. From LifeSite: Why some bishops behave the way they do June 14, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – Why can’t 40 Days for Life in my home town get any support from our local bishop? Why does … Read More

Posted in Priests and Priesthood, The Drill | Tagged , ,
30 Comments

ASK FATHER: Departing priest crooned a show tune at Mass

From a reader… QUAERITUR: One of our priests is moving on, and yesterday he gave his farewell at Mass. Instead of a homily, he talked up St. Francis’ contributions to social justice, and about how our faith is represented in … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Crackit Gaberlunzie, Liberals, Priests and Priesthood, You must be joking! | Tagged
26 Comments

ASK FATHER: Forms of 1st blessings by new priests

I’ve had a couple emails lately with questions about forms or texts of blessings by priests.  ‘Tis the season: new priests are darting about, leaving whiffs of still-fresh chrism in their wakes, imparting “first blessings”.  As it turns out, I … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Linking Back, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged , ,
9 Comments

ASK FATHER: Criticizing a priest’s homilies

From a reader… QUAERITUR: Father, our parish priest is a good man, well versed in Scripture, in the encyclicals. He is also charismatic. However, his preaching is dreadful. He uses the homily as an opportunity to teach and goes on … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Priests and Priesthood | Tagged , , ,
42 Comments

ASK FATHER: Moving priests every 6 or 12 years

From a reader… QUAERITUR: As you mentioned in one of your other posts, it’s the the season of ordinations. It’s also the season for priest transfers. Our pastor of 12 years is being transferred to a different parish in another … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Priests and Priesthood | Tagged , ,
52 Comments

Wherein Fr. Z gives a gift to his brother priests, confessors

Today I watched the video of the Pope who made his own confession before hearing the confessions of others. HERE That juxtaposition brought forcefully into my mind both the prayers I usually say before and after making my own confession, … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Mail from priests, New Evangelization, PRAYERCAzT: What Does The (Latin) Prayer Really Sound L, Priests and Priesthood | Tagged , , ,
2 Comments