Question about diocesan priests (serve where you live?)

[stray bullet]

I heard that a priest who wishes to serve within a diocese must serve in the diocese he lives?

I was just confused by this. At my old parish, I thought one of the priests was an immigrant and I had thought came over here to be a priest with the diocese. We had another priest in another parish that was obviously from Africa, by his accent.

Does this mean if a guy is 40 years old, lived in New York City all his life and moved to some small town for a couple of years, he'd have to serve within that diocese as long as he was a diocesan priest?

If a diocese is in extreme need of priests, they can't sponser and take in someone from an outside diocese that has plenty already? If I want to serve in NYC for the rest of my life as a priest, I'd have to move there for a little while, enough to get recommended and into a seminary?

 

[fragmentsofdreams]

Most of my friends in the seminary are going to serve the diocese they come from. There are two exceptions. Both had trouble getting their home diocese to respond to their inquiries and eventually gave up and switched to the diocese where they were attending university.

I'm not sure but I think that the man from New York would be able to go back to New York. Going to a diocese in which he had not yet lived would probably be very hard although if he really wanted to serve in that diocese he could move their and live their for a while before applying to enter seminary.

 

[SandCrab]

Yes, if you are ordained a priest of a certain diocesis you stay there, unless you are elevated (yipee) or if you choose to become a third order of any religious order, but Id rater stick with diocese its easeir for me.

Blessings
Lg3

 

[Irenaeus]

Some Priests may choose to study in a seminary not in their native Diocese for several reasons, like their own Diocese lacks funds for a seminary, or so forth.

 

[poppinskw]

This is slightly different, but can you please help me here.

There is a man in this parish that has been married and had children, but now he is training to be a priest. He is not in a seminary, he is doing most of his training in the church here under leadership of the Priests. But I cannot think of his title ...... ?? what would he be called?



Les

 

[holyorders]

This is slightly different, but can you please help me here.

There is a man in this parish that has been married and had children, but now he is training to be a priest. He is not in a seminary, he is doing most of his training in the church here under leadership of the Priests. But I cannot think of his title ...... ?? what would he be called?



Les

He might be a deacon. The do not become priests but they do get a small level of Holy Orders.

 

[BillH]

This is slightly different, but can you please help me here.

There is a man in this parish that has been married and had children, but now he is training to be a priest. He is not in a seminary, he is doing most of his training in the church here under leadership of the Priests. But I cannot think of his title ...... ?? what would he be called?



Les

Probably a deacon, like holyorders said.

There's also a small possibility that he could be a former Anglican priest. Anglican priests who convert to Catholicism are sometimes allowed to become Catholic priests, even if they are married.

 

[BillH]

To answer Stray's question, when you're ordained a diocesan priest, you are ordained a priest of a specific diocese, and you are subject to the authority of that diocese's bishop.

I don't *think* that there's a general requirement that you go to seminary in a diocese in which you currently live, but once you're in a particular diocese's seminary program, it is expected that you'll be ordained a priest of that diocese. And once you're a priest of that diocese, you're expected to participate in the various ministries of that diocese.

It is possible to switch dioceses (or become a member of a religious order) once ordained, but in order to do so, you need the permission of your current bishop, and the bishop of the diocese that you're moving to. Or, as lg3 mentioned, being asked to serve as a bishop of a different diocese by the Pope would obviously trump everything.

 

[Tonks]

You're also forgetting one of the more ugly facts.....due to the overwhelming lack of seminarians / priests nationwide many dioceses are reduced to "importing" priests from overseas - particularly Africa and SE Asia.

 

[Gwendolyn]

Yes, if you are a diocesan priest, you are ordained to a specific diocese and serve there unless exigent circumstances cause you to move elsewhere. For example, our diocese has been receiving priests from other dioceses around the country and indeed from other countries because we are severely lacking. Also, my current associate was upset because he wanted to study at a Benedictine seminary in BC, but the diocese refused because we have a seminary here, so they wouldn't financially support him. Without the support, he couldn't go - tuition was $20,000CDN and he had just come out of a monastery, so he was literally poor.

 

[Annabel Lee]

He might be a deacon. The do not become priests but they do get a small level of Holy Orders.

Our church has an 'interim' deacon from the local seminary, who will very soon be a priest.

 

[NiteClerk]

After I converted I lived in rural Baptist country. Our priest were always from far away. I thought that it was some type of rule that the priest was reassigned every three years.

Bob

 

[fragmentsofdreams]

To answer Stray's question, when you're ordained a diocesan priest, you are ordained a priest of a specific diocese, and you are subject to the authority of that diocese's bishop.

I don't *think* that there's a general requirement that you go to seminary in a diocese in which you currently live, but once you're in a particular diocese's seminary program, it is expected that you'll be ordained a priest of that diocese. And once you're a priest of that diocese, you're expected to participate in the various ministries of that diocese.

It is possible to switch dioceses (or become a member of a religious order) once ordained, but in order to do so, you need the permission of your current bishop, and the bishop of the diocese that you're moving to. Or, as lg3 mentioned, being asked to serve as a bishop of a different diocese by the Pope would obviously trump everything.

Your diocese chooses where you go to seminary. One of my friends was quite happy when right before he entered his home diocese switched the major seminary they used to the one he wanted to go to.

 

[Tonks]

Your diocese chooses where you go to seminary. One of my friends was quite happy when right before he entered his home diocese switched the major seminary they used to the one he wanted to go to.

Indeed. However, some dioceses provide a variety of options on where to go and *usually* try to respect the seminarians choice.

 

[fragmentsofdreams]

After I converted I lived in rural Baptist country. Our priest were always from far away. I thought that it was some type of rule that the priest was reassigned every three years.

Bob

I think most dioceses regularly reassign priests every few years. Here there are exceptions for priests overseeing a major project such as building a new church and for retired priests (if they want to keep serving as a pastor, the bishop is happy to let them remain in a relatively easy parish).

 

[Gwendolyn]

Our church has an 'interim' deacon from the local seminary, who will very soon be a priest.

Yep. There is the 'transitional' diaconate, and the 'permanent' diaconate. Men hoping to be ordained to the priesthood are ordained to the transitional diaconate 1-2 years before their ordination to the priesthood. During that period they serve in a parish and get a feel for the pastoral duties of a priest... at least that is how they do it in my diocese...

Men ordained to the permanent diaconate are... permanent deacons. It is a separate vocation in and of itself.

 

[ikane]

[glow=purple]Enter[/glow]

 

[poppinskw]

Probably a deacon, like holyorders said.

There's also a small possibility that he could be a former Anglican priest. Anglican priests who convert to Catholicism are sometimes allowed to become Catholic priests, even if they are married.

This man has been Catholic all his life not a convert, and he will eventually become an ordainded Catholic Priest. I know he does most of his training in a church setting and I suppose study as well.... his children have grown up now.

I was just interested if this was common or maybe allowed because we have such a shortage of Priests.

Thanks for your help

Les

 

[fragmentsofdreams]

This man has been Catholic all his life not a convert, and he will eventually become an ordainded Catholic Priest. I know he does most of his training in a church setting and I suppose study as well.... his children have grown up now.

I was just interested if this was common or maybe allowed because we have such a shortage of Priests.

Thanks for your help

Les

Is he a widower? I know my diocese has a priest who was ordained after his wife died and his kids were grown.

 

[poppinskw]

Yes he is, his wife died some time ago now.