A Day in the Life of a Catholic Priest (by Fr. Pierre)

     Someone at St. Monica suggested that I compose an article about the ‘day to day’ activities of a Catholic priest.  While every parish is unique, the core mission remains the same: to serve the faithful and administer the sacraments.  To properly ‘serve’ the faithful, it’s necessary to include (and to balance) the necessity of prayer, administration, pastoral care and leadership.   A typical day for the average priest is to strike a balance act between contemplative silence and the noise of the world.   Priests normally have one day off per week, with one month of annual leave.

Morning: Prayer and Preparation

After unlocking the church doors and setting up for mass (if the sacristans are unavailable), I expose the Blessed Sacrament (Eucharist) for the faithful from 8:00am-8:45am.   During the Holy Hour, I will hear confessions, prepare my morning homily, and try to pray portions of the Liturgy of the Hours (which I vowed to pray each day on the morning of my ordination in 2001).  It takes about an hour to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, which I split up at various moments of the day.  Daily morning masses are on Tuesdays, Thursday, Fridays and 1^st Saturdays of the month.  I enjoy praying the Rosary when I’m on the road, travelling from place to place.   Prayer is an important part of a priests’ life, since it strengthens his spiritual life and helps when interacting with parishioners who are facing life’s spiritual challenges.

Administrative Duties

Following prayer and Mass, the morning often shifts to administrative duties. I am lucky to have an Accountant/Bookeeper and a responsible parish team to help me implement my responsibilities.  These are some of the duties that fall on my shoulders.

• Scheduling: preparing the presider’s mass schedule for the 3 priests and visiting priests at St. Monica and St. Andrew, Coordination of the Sacraments of Initiation of children with our Sacramental co-ordinator, preparing for funerals, preparing wedding files and celebrating weddings, helping with the coordination of parish events, evening healing masses, reconciliation services, reconciliation nights, parish socials and movie nights.
• Correspondence: Responding to emails, letters, and phone calls from the diocese and parishioners.
• Financial Oversight: Reviewing budgets, approving expenditures, and ensuring the parish remains financially solvent.
• Staff Management: Meeting weekly with our clergy and office staff (usually on Tuesdays or Wednesdays)

 3 Nursing Homes & 5 Seniors Homes: Celebrating mass monthly at each of our 5 senior homes and 3 nursing homes, while our deacons and pastoral teams will celebrate the Liturgy of the Word and distribute communion on a weekly basis.  These are the homes that we minister to: Court at Barrhaven, Prince of Wales Manor, Barrhaven Manor, Carleton Lodge, Longfield Manor, Southbridge and Westpointe.  During the rest of the month, priests make themselves available for emergency sacraments at the homes.

10 Elementary Schools & 2 High Schools: meeting with the principals at the beginning of the year, Ministry of Presence at the schools as time permits, celebrating Sacraments of Initiation (1^st Reconciliation, 1^st Communion and Confirmation) in collaboration with the parish Sacramental Co-ordinator.   These are the schools that come under St. Monica and St. Andrew parishes: Msgr. Paul Baxter, St. Benedict, St. Cecilia, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Emily, St. Juan Diego, St. Luke, St. Patrick, St. Monica, St. Andrew, St. Joseph HS and St. Mother Teresa HS)

• Counseling: During the week, people set up appointments to see the priest for pre-marital interviews, grief support, spiritual counsel, etc.
• Crisis Intervention: Being available for community emergency response (such as being present for the children and educators at Msgr. Paul Baxter school 2 years ago, following the Barrhaven murders)
• Meetings: Attending priest council meetings at the Diocesan Centre (every 3 months), Pastoral Day meetings at the Archdiocese (every 3 months), Knights of Columbus, of Columbus meetings, parish leadership meetings, finance council meetings, the new (828 River Rd.) church property meetings, AGM planning meetings, Liturgy and Social Life meetings, etc.

Evening: Community and Sacraments

• Evening Masses: setting up for mass, eucharistic exposition, confessions, Our Lady of Perpetual Help devotion on Wednesday
• Confessions: Hearing the sacrament of Reconciliation from 6:15pm-6:45pm
• Parish Events: Parish dinners, hosting movie nights, outdoor patronal feast mass

The Unseen Work

Beyond the visible schedule, a significant portion of a priest's time is dedicated to preparation. This includes homily preparation for Sunday Mass, continuing education to stay current with theology, canon law, and pastoral strategies, mandatory priest retreats every year and professional study days every 2 years.   There are also times when priests are called to minister to brother priests who are dealing with health issues.  As priests enter their 60’s, most of their immediate family members are deceased, so it’s important that priests are available to one another throughout their priestly lives.

Conclusion

The life of a Catholic priest is one of self-giving. It’s a vocation that demands flexibility and resilience. From the quiet moments prayer the Divine Office to the late-night visits to the grieving, a priest’s day is a continuous offering of service to God and neighbor. While the tasks vary, the goal remains constant: to be a visible sign of Christ's love in the world.

Fr. Pierre Champoux, Pastor