What makes a happy priest?

Who will tomorrow's priests be--and how happy are present ones in their work? Father Richard Marzheuser, academic dean of an Ohio seminary, sees several ends in today's seminarians, describing them as men who were deeply affected by their Catholic backgrounds (The CARA Report, Spring 2000). They also study and follow heavily what Pope John Paul II writes and says, and, inspired by the pope, root themselves in the pro-life movement. As a result, Marzheuser thinks, these seminarians' vocations do not really arise out of their sponsoring diocese--"their call is not local." Many of these seminarians also see the world as a place that tests and wears down faith, and they believe "the church must take the initiative to put good news and moral values back into the culture," which Marzheuser calls an "us versus them" attitude that seeks "comfort in a faith that transcends this world" and makes spirituality a piety of devotions such as the rosary, novenas, and eucharistic devotion.

As for pastors, those who lead parishes with many programs and large staffs tend to report the highest levels of job satisfaction, according to the results of a national sample of Catholic parishes released last May and noted in Catholic Trends (May 13, 2000).

Overall, 91 percent of pastors surveyed say they are satisfied with their ministry, and those who are "most satisfied" credit parishioners' involvement in parish life, parish unity, parishioners' spiritual development, and the work of parish pastoral and finance councils. They also cite large numbers of parish programs, especially outreach to people on the fringes of church life--such as the separated and divorced, those in hospice, substance abusers, homosexuals, or people with disabilities--as factors in the well-being of parishes and pastors.

A slightly different take on priestly ministry emerges out of a "Study of the Impact of Fewer Priests on Pastoral Ministry" presented to the U.S. Catholic bishops at their spring meeting in Milwaukee. The Catholic population is increasing, especially in the West and South, as is the number of permanent deacons and lay ministers, but the number of priests has not kept up with this growth, the study indicates. Deacons report being well-utilized but worry about the time their increased sacramental and liturgical ministry is taking away from their work of charity and service. Priests express frustration that administrative responsibilities and the sometimes unrealistic demands of parishioners give them insufficient time for the sacramental and interpersonal aspects of ministry they find so fulfilling. At the same time, three quarters of Catholics--especially younger Catholics--say they have been unaffected by the decline in the number of priests.