tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31069882.post6468693026232449396..comments2023-12-16T16:17:43.886+00:00Comments on Fr Ray Blake's Blog: Pastoring PastorsFr Ray Blakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05584140126211527252noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31069882.post-53608025759927006332017-07-09T16:54:20.414+01:002017-07-09T16:54:20.414+01:00Lord provide for your priests Lord provide for your priests UDE, FRANCIS ARINZEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05593169174936675579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31069882.post-21173561924153400642017-07-07T15:19:22.398+01:002017-07-07T15:19:22.398+01:00This notion mystifies me. Priests have ample oppor...This notion mystifies me. Priests have ample opportunities for support, friendship, and collaboration. But those are often with lay people. The people I studied with are also scattered to the four winds, but I'm given the opportunity to make connections with the people I serve. My best and closest friends have often been those in my choirs or those I've assisted in their parish ministries.<br /><br />If priests in Ireland are really feeling isolated, perhaps some are not taking advantage of the opportunities with the lay professionals on their staffs. Or, if they are serving in small parishes, with key leaders in the community. Certainly, some guys are introverts. Some may be less skilled in social graces. But the connections exist; they just have to be engaged. If retirement is really a fearsome things, at worst, there's always the Luke 16:1-13 tactic.Todd Flowerdayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10803336311192004287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31069882.post-60124641277679948722017-07-07T13:05:43.090+01:002017-07-07T13:05:43.090+01:00Housekeepers are not the answer; I am glad those d...Housekeepers are not the answer; I am glad those days are gone! And most priests baulk at the idea of living in community. We all have to be mature enough to ensure we have a robust spiritual life and find the necessary ongoing formation from somewhere (Opus Dei, for example, is excellent at this). From that flows all other things necessary. I certainly don't want a housekeeper - nor to live in community!Ave Domina Angelorum!https://www.blogger.com/profile/05579996869073364240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31069882.post-56711982293587064972017-07-07T12:54:42.433+01:002017-07-07T12:54:42.433+01:00This is an excellent reflection! Adding to what yo...This is an excellent reflection! Adding to what you have written is the decimation of active clergy by the sexual abuse crimes. Unfortunately, too many bishops have little 'life' experience and are incapable to lead as we need them to! Unfortunately as well, many are, as one of our deceased priests referred to as 'churchman' and not pastors.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31069882.post-2504435565453213122017-07-05T13:20:06.974+01:002017-07-05T13:20:06.974+01:00Scribe,
Yes, it is the Community aspect we have lo...Scribe,<br />Yes, it is the Community aspect we have lost, most parishes under the Old Rite had at least three priests to act priest, deacon and subdeacon for Solemn Mass, some even have a spare normally an older priest for 'the box' during Mass. Now a single priest can say Mass most of us live on our own and become rather eccentric with it.Fr Ray Blakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05584140126211527252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31069882.post-81712430685999222102017-07-05T11:09:00.500+01:002017-07-05T11:09:00.500+01:00Delighted to see you back, Father. My parish is ru...Delighted to see you back, Father. My parish is run by the Redemptorists, and we have ten priests, some of whom are very old. They all seem fully inspired and committed, and all of them preach first-class sermons. We have over a thousand communicants at the Sunday Masses. I think secular clergy should be encouraged to live in community like this; loneliness is an appalling disease, and in these times when few priests seem to have houskeepers, community life needs to be given serious consideration.Scribehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04264379572686048595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31069882.post-74928135065078495972017-07-05T09:40:11.407+01:002017-07-05T09:40:11.407+01:00Sadly I see this in my own Parish, our PP was '...Sadly I see this in my own Parish, our PP was 'retired' on ill health grounds a few months ago as it turns out he has the same genetic illness (non physical) from which I suffer. I don't think that anyone from the Parish has seen him since. <br /><br />Personally I think that it would be a good idea (if we insist on retiring Priests) that we ensure that they live somewhere in community. An idea might be that (assuming we have enough Priests) that Father X continues to be the 'official' Parish Priest and says Mass and gives spiritual direction, whilst a younger Priest takes over the day to day running of the Parish. <br /><br />I also think that we need to bring back live-in housekeepers. Just another mad Catholichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10503510474554718305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31069882.post-22945981950148530502017-07-05T02:45:12.860+01:002017-07-05T02:45:12.860+01:00Part of my daily morning prayer routine:
O Jesus, ...Part of my daily morning prayer routine:<br />O Jesus, I pray for Thy faithful and fervent priests, for Thy unfaithful and tepid priests, for Thy priests labouring at home or abroad in distant mission fields, for Thy tempted priests, for Thy LONELY and DESOLATED priests (...)<br />Annahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02850242474869074295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31069882.post-89406227845607737732017-07-05T00:50:33.875+01:002017-07-05T00:50:33.875+01:00Sometimes it is those we perceive as not been insp...Sometimes it is those we perceive as not been inspiring ,who come to the fore when the chips are down,or perhaps the bishop in question is a better pastor than being a bishop ??Matthiashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05456674919360020280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31069882.post-71888140865298941342017-07-04T17:44:47.567+01:002017-07-04T17:44:47.567+01:00A friend who is a PP here in Ireland had a differe...A friend who is a PP here in Ireland had a different experience. His bishop, when the PP's mum died after a long illness, took over the weekend Masses in his parish. Then he celebrated the funeral Mass and then arranged supply for the parish so that the priest could stay with his dad and siblings, so they could grieve together. I've never found that particular bishop exactly inspiring but he was, you might say, paternal when it counted.Éamonnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11560394580179348894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31069882.post-16219933003353597552017-07-04T15:12:41.700+01:002017-07-04T15:12:41.700+01:00O Lord. This is tragic. The Apostles had holy wo...O Lord. This is tragic. The Apostles had holy women to assist them didn't they Father? Why don't they have housekeepers any more? At least they might be someone to complain to who would give encouragement and help in illness, holy old ladies who would work for nothing. Surely women in their congregations or even retired sisters would be willing to help in whatever way they could if they would ask? There are homes for old priests here in US, but I don't think most want to end up there. Old age is so difficult, even for lay people who don't have families. Prayers daily. Osusannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17182930197449324545noreply@blogger.com