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An example of a priest's diary
It may be helpful to give you a sample of what could
happen in a "typical" week (in fact there is no such thing) to give
you an idea of the variety. The next week, of course, may look nothing
like it. Because we can have meetings or calls anywhere from early
morning to late in the evening, there may sometimes be a "split-shift"
with busy time in the morning and evening but with quiet time in
the middle of the day. Some days are a rush from one thing to the
next; others can be quiet and spaced out. It becomes n art for time
management.
I find it helpful to treat the
working week as if it begins on a Monday, since by the nature of
our work the Saturday and Sunday Mass schedule means that these
are really part of the same run of work)
The following schedule does not
include all meetings and administrative chores. In-between the things
below, we may need to write letters or phone or meet with people
or speak with various individuals and groups re different issues.
Monday:
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9am weekly meeting with Priests
and office staff to schedule and discuss the week.
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10am A photographer from the
local paper arrives to do an article on the Parish house, since
it was built in 1876. We cooperate in the publication of the
article since we feel it contributes to being part of the local
community.
-
10:40am meeting with family
about Baptism coming up in a few weeks.
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Answer phones calls and talk
with various people coming to parish office re questions, requests,
etc. Take bookings for meetings re baptisms, Weddings, funerals
etc.
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10:40 unexpected call to nursing
home to anoint man who has become seriously ill.
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(once a month I go to a special
meeting and dinner with a group of priests of different ages
and we meet and talk about priestly life and its joys and struggles)
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11:00-12:30 Special Talk at
high school re a subject they are doing on "The Church and Liturgical
furniture."
-
12:30pm lunch
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1:30pm meet family re a funeral
for Wednesday. Assist them as they choose readings, a person
to give a Eulogy, music. Ring various people to tee up the ceremony,
including organist.
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2pm go on day off (leave the
parish) (visit parents, meet friends for dinner and movie etc.)
Tuesday:
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Day off … return about
5:30pm.
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7:30pm Baptismal information
evening and Enrolment for families who are having their first
child Baptised.
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Write an article for the local
newspaper. We take it in turns with other churches to write
an article on faith and life. Try to be creative and informative,
thinking of catchy and relevant topics. I consider that we need
to put every bit of creativity and energy we have into communicating
the message and relevance of the gospel. We need to really be
truly "fishers of people" (Matthew 4:18) (putting time and creativity
into how to catch the imagination of people and help them make
connections with their daily life). To this end, everything
we do to communicate our message must be truthful, but we must
also be people who are as resourceful, creative and astute as
we can possibly be (Luke 16:8). We are also encouraged to be
as "cunning as snakes but as innocent as doves." (Matthew 10:16)
Wednesday:
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8am — answer calls at
office, follow up on mail, messages etc.
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9am — mass at Church.
Often someone at mass might tell us of someone who is sick or
in need of visiting or prayers. We then make time to see those
people.
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10am baptismal preparation
meeting
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10.30am called to hospital.
Anoint ill person.
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11:30 work on computer, start
preparing documents that I will use for baptismal, wedding and
other meetings. Start working on homily for weekend. (Sometimes
time gets away and this doesn’t happen till Friday or Saturday).
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12:30 lunch
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2pm — Funeral Mass and
drive afterwards to cemetery
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4pm. First meeting for a couple
planning marriage next year.
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7.30pm Special school mass
for one of the College Houses. (The planning meeting and discussion
for this occurred three weeks prior).
Thursday:
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9am Mass (with primary school
students). Morning tea afterwards.
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10:15 attend special morning
tea with the Catholic Women’s League. End up getting photographed
singing in a Barbershop Quartet. (Another Thursday I visited
a few parishioners to talk about a quarterly magazine we print
in the parish and discuss the articles needed and how to get
people to write something about their group).
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12:30 lunch
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1pm Meet a family re a funeral
to be held tomorrow.
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2-4 free time. Rest
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4pm Special afternoon tea
with parishioners who are in our parish rented units.
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7pm Parish Pastoral council/
or Finance Council/ or Liturgy Committee (all our major meetings
are on Thursday nights and each one is on a different Thursday
Night of the month.
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(One Thursday night a month
is free of meetings, may visit parish family who has invited
me to dinner or have quiet night or use the time to catch up
on prayer, paperwork, reading etc.)
Friday:
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9pm visit parishioner who
is unable to get to mass.
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2pm Funeral service
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4pm First Reconciliations
celebrated
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5pm Rehearsal for wedding
tomorrow.
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7-9pm Mass and refreshments
meeting people from whole Deanery. Other Friday nights (quiet).
Saturday:
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9:30 Reconciliations
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10:30 Meet a couple re their
future wedding
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11:30 Meet a couple for final
time before their rehearsal re their wedding coming up next
month.
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12:30-2pm finalise homily
and messages for weekend. Lunch.
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3pm Wedding at church.
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5:30 go over to church to
prepare for mass
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6-7 Weekend Mass
Sunday:
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8am Mass at St. Mary’s
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9:30 Mass at L-eichardt
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11am Baptisms (time varies
depending on mass cycle and week of month)
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12 noon visit adjoining parish
for lunch with priests and discuss parish life, etc.
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6pm Mass at St. Mary’s.
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9pm Work in office trying
to prepare an interesting and creative handout to give to students
re a presentation I will be making tomorrow. Work on Internet
site for a vocations website we are planning.
We are expected
to take annual leave of approximately four weeks. We are also expected
to put aside a week for a retreat.
We are often encouraged
to keep looking at our work and daily schedule to ensure there is
a good balance of action, prayer, reflection, rest, social interaction
and food. It is a constant challenge to ensure our work on administration
does not overshadow our pastoral contact with people.
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