What Priests Do

Priests do far more than celebrate Mass and pray all day. The life of a priest is active, demanding, and incredibly rewarding. The vast majority of priests live happy, fulfilling lives. They love the people they serve and, in turn, are loved by their parishioners.

A priest is tasked with imparting the truths of the deposit of the faith and combatting any prevailing errors that threaten the eternal destination of souls.

Fatherly mentorship and the tender care of the Good Shepherd lies at the heart of the priesthood. Therefore, a priest must guide, unite, and support his parishioners toward living a life of holiness. He administers the sacraments to sanctify the world and the people entrusted to his care, playing an indispensable role in the creation of future saints.

A given priest may have a very wide variety of tasks within the Church in order to fulfill this blessed objective. There are many specialized ministries within the priesthood such as chaplaincy in hospitals or the military, serving in a particular faculty at the diocesan office, or teaching in a seminary. The majority of priests, however, serve in parishes.

Their duties include:

• Celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and preaching the Truth in love.
• Hearing Confessions and providing spiritual direction.
• Leading the parish entrusted to him and helping the parishioners appropriate the Joy of the Gospel.
• Identifying gifts in others and raising up lay leaders.
• Bringing new members into the Church through Baptism.
• Helping youth and young adults to cultivate a personal relationship with Jesus, to stay close to the Sacraments, and to discover their own vocation.
• Participating in the life of the parish school, often through visiting and teaching his students.
• Preparing couples for marriage, and counselling married couples.
• Teaching people how to pray.
• Feeding the poor, visiting prisons, and advocating for justice.
• Accompanying people going through difficult times.
• Visiting the sick in hospitals and anointing them for healing.
• Presiding at funerals and burying the dead.
• Managing the temporal affairs of the parish.
• Praying daily for the People of God.