How to Find a Catholic Priest

"Spirit of Counsel" by Joseph Antoniello

"The priesthood is the love of ... Jesus," said John Mary Vianney, the 19th-century French priest who is now the patron saint of Catholic clergy. This ideal --- to lovingly serve the faith community --- is the central focus of the church's ordained ministry, according to the catechism (article 1551). For Catholic Christians, priests are mentors, teachers and friends who celebrate both the ordinary and special events in their lives. Therefore, it is important to find the right priest to share these moments with you.

Instructions

1. Decide why you need the priest. They officiate at weddings, celebrate the other six sacraments, provide spiritual direction and offer aid in certain emergency situations. Priests also educate adults, converts and children about the Catholic faith.

2. Call or meet with your parish priest if you already belong to a church. In most circumstances, he can meet your needs or refer you to the right place.

3. Get advice from Catholic relatives, friends and co-workers who regularly practice their faith.

4. Contact the diocese if you are moving, do not belong to a parish or cannot find what you need there. Most U.S. dioceses have comprehensive online directories of parishes, religious orders, outreach ministries and family services.

5. Attend Mass at different parishes, Catholic hospitals or monasteries to meet new priests. Listen to their homilies, and see how they interact with others.

6. Make sure the priest's spirituality style complements yours. Within the 1-billion-member Catholic Church, different spiritual approaches include Marian, Franciscan, Carmelite, charismatic and traditional.

Tips & Warnings

• A priest will hear your confession and offer emergency help even if you are not his parishioner. To locate a priest from your past, provide diocesan and religious order officials with the most current information possible.

• Priests receive authority to celebrate sacraments from the bishop, according to the catechism (article 1567). Those conducted by other parties may not be recognized by the diocese. Get your pastor's permission before you invite another priest to celebrate sacraments at your church.

References

• Catechism of the Catholic Church
• Catholic Encyclopedia: Priest
• Saint John Mary Vianney

Resources

• Bishops and Dioceses
• CatholicWeb.com
• An Online Guide to Religious Ministries