Question 4 U: What does a priest do besides saying Mass?

Thank you, Logan from Georgia in USA for this question!

I used to think priests were kind of scary.  The priest I grew up with, Father S, always smiled at me but he used to change bread and wine into Jesus' Body and Blood.  I thought Father S must have superhero powers if he could do that.

But one time I saw him shopping the grocery store.  He put Twinkies, ice cream, toilet paper and chocolate syrup in his basket.  OMG!  He's human.  I bet you smartie guys knew that priests are human but I didn't.

Every priest has different duties or things they do.

1.  Priests say Mass.  Father D, the priest at our church [or called a parish], does FIVE Masses every weekend.  Then he comes back during the weekdays and does Mass for the day!  That is a boatload of work already.

2.  They conduct the other sacraments [remember sacraments:  gifts that Jesus gave us] like marrying people, hearing confessions, doing funerals, going to hospitals to visit sick people to anoint them.

3.  Talking to people about becoming Catholic.

4.  Praying A LOT!  Every priest or nun [a woman who has married the church and lives with other women] read the Divine Office.  Now this Office is not place you go when you work.  The Divine Office is book with lots and lots and lots and lots of prayers.  People read it several times a day to become closer to God.

5.  Priests do take time off.  Father S used to hike.  Some priests have pets.  Some like to read and some like to play sports.  Although I don't think they watch Phineas and Ferb or the Transformers, some priests might.  They might be transforming Bumblebee from car to Autobot at this very moment.

6.  Running a parish.  Someone has got pay the light bill or the water.  Where would you go if you had to pee after Mass and there was no toilet?

7.  They go to meetings in the community or maybe the diocese office [A diocese is when you put a lot of parishes together that are in the same part of the country.  The pope hires a guy called a bishop or archbishop who is the boss of priests of the parishes in the diocese]

 

Archbishop Gregory of the Diocese of Atlanta.  See, no cape or tights.  He's human!

8.  They wash their dirty clothes, cook dinner, mow lawns or other stuff that you and I do.  Some priests go to school and learn more about God or Jesus or the Holy Spirit or how be a good priest.

So the next time you see your priest at the store or at Sonic, remember he is just like you and me.  He's not a superhero but he's as busy as one.