www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Parish Life & Evangelization Length of Priest in Parish

This may or maynot be the correct place to ask, but what is the common length of time a BC priest stays at a parish? Up until recently we had about a 5 year tenure, but the current priest has been w/ us for 20 some odd years, which is nice... but... well, after so long complacency sets in. In the nearly 100 years of our Parish we are at an all time low in numbers and morale. While I'm not blaming our current priest nor is he doing anything wrong, I'm just concerned over the longevity of decline in general and how to stop the downward spiral.

Thoughts? Comments?

Thanks.

One can lie awake nights trying to think of the ideal solution. In the Old Country (no, I don't mean Pennsylvania!), a priest would often serve in a particular parish from the time that he became pastor until he died. This at least assured the parish of some continuity.

Some Bishops and dioceses like to have a set amount of time (usually five years) as the length of tenure of the parish priest. This is supposed to give the parish access to some new ideas and approaches, and keep the parish integrated within the diocese.

Linked to this is the question of how and by whom the parish priest is chosen. Among Catholics of whatever stripe, this is normally done by the Bishop. In many - but not all - Orthodox jurisdictions, the faithful of the parish have considerable input. In a few countries, the government gets involved.

For all these matters, I suggest relying heavily on prayer!

Fr. Serge

The problem is when you get a dud. Life tenure for such?
Could kill a parish.

Edmac

My length has been 6' 4" since I was thirteen years old. It has remained so in the two parishes I've pastored.

Fr David Straut

P.S. By the way I was pastor of my first parish for twelve years and have now been rector in the second for just about ten years (with no signs of being ejected at the moment ). But perhaps this information is not pertinent to the discussion because I am not Greek Catholic.

Since we all share the problem, the information (for which please accept my thanks) is relevant to all of us!

Fr. Serge

Dear Father David;

is there some corelation between the length of your tenure
and the length of you?

Edmac

Then you must not really be a Married Priest afterall. A real wife would have taken you down a few notches by now....

Don't let Matushka read this...we don't want her to get any ideas!

This is all quite a stretch.

That's me Fr Stretch. Or as my Great Uncles Charles used to call me: "High Pockets."

Fr David

Do you have to sort of squinch up to do prostrations in the
Altar?

Edmac

My feet stick out through the Holy Doors (which are just curtains in our case) at the moment. But they will soon be enlarging the altar for big ol' me.

Fr David

Dear Father;

Slava Bogu! It's taken them long enough. Feet poking out
through the Holy Doors does not add to the solemnity of the
service, although one suspects that the Lord gets a chuckle
out of it. No doubt it was a question of $$.

Ed

I have never seen 6'4" priests as a problem. It's nice to have the occasional priest a touch taller than me

hawk

I have always been 6'5" in my parishes (I longed to get that one in!)

In the Archeparchy of Winnipeg, the length is supposed to be every five years. The previous Archeparchy tried to follow this rule as best he could. I would rather see a five year term automatically renewed for another five. After five years in a parish, everyone has really become accustomed to one another and can work together (although this may occur earlier). If the pastor is ineffective after 5 years, the bishop has opportunity to move him where he can be effective.

I'm feeling short at 6'3" - but as a former defensive end and very healthy eater I probably have the weight matched... or exceeded. Yes, Nikita, I need a very big stikhar...
FDRLB