Your Parish Priest Needs You. Here’s How You Can Help

Remember when you were a young kid and thought your parish priest only worked one day a week? Our parish priests work tirelessly 24/7 to offer the Sacraments, hear Confessions, and tend their sheep, their parishioners.

Today Fr. Mark-Mary shares with us 3 practical tips for supporting our priests each and every day!

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[maryweisenbacher]

I am the cook for two priests in our parish. My favorite thing to do is pray for them while I'm cooking. Of course I always try to make their dinners healthy and delicious but about once per week, I will bake a cake or pie that I know they like. I know they can do without but I enjoy doing it. They don't know but I fast from food for them every Monday. When my stomach is growling, that reminds me of their own sacrifice for the Church and I'm happy to feel the hunger pain. I'm reminded that they are responsible for my reversion two years ago. I hate to think of where I'd be right now!

[jenlovesjesus]

Wise words, Father. I would also add that, if someone doesn't like their pastor, pray for them. Don't gossip about them.

[sme]

My Pastor who is all by himself works so tirelessly for our parish, and he is so lonely, but he does a great job, and I do pray for him and I give him verbal support to let him know he is doing great, and well. He has brought in extra Holy Mass Hours, and confession extra on Friday all this for one PRIEST.

[vf]

Thank you for this reminder, father. We often forgotten that we should see Jesus in our Parish priests and give them encouragement and support. Keep them in our prayers and ask our Blessed Virgin Mother Mary to protect them from the devil.

[victorialavefalk]

I often think about the difficulties and pressures priests face on a daily basis. They need our love, prayers and encouragement. I feel truly grateful for our priests and all that they do and thank you for giving us insight on how important it is to support them. God bless you all !

[JevgenijsMusic]

This video did find me in a perfect time, Father! In a time when I wanted to accuse and fall into sin, it helped me to see the situation and think how to help. God bless You, fr.Mark-Marry! Praise the Lord!

[marianniezayas]

I work as the Director of Parish Services (basically the secretary) and this is so true! There is one priest assigned at our parish and my dad is the deacon. The parish is in the inner city with a mainly latino population. These men tirelessly work to make sure the people of God are fed and taken care of.

[monikamoldvay]

Dear Fr Mark-Mary, seeing this video today was totally providential. The Lord has been working to show me how important clergy is to Him and to us. Thank you for noticing the hardships of parish priests and calling our attention to them. I wholeheartedly agree with each word you said in this video.
God bless you for your kindness and ministry.

[eyesofamessenger]

Keep them we pray Thee Dearest Lord
Keep them we pray Thee Dearest Lord
Keep them for they are Thine
Thy Priests whose life burns out before
Thy consecrated shrine
Keep them Thou knowest, dearest Lord
The world, the flesh are strong
And satan spreads a thousand snares
To lead them into wrong

Keep them for they are in the world
Though from the world apart
When earthly pleasures tempt allure
Shelter them in Thy heart
Keep them and comfort them in hours
Of loneliness and pain
When all their life of sacrifice
For souls seems but in vain

Keep them and O, remember, Lord
They have no one but Thee
Yet they have only a human heart
With human frailty
Keep them as spotless as the host
That daily they caress
Their every thought and word and deed
Deign dearest Lord to bless. Amen

[rdd]

Thank you Father. We all need to be reminded of all our priests do for us. Praying for you today.

[dawnlapka]

I belong to an Apostolate. Seven Sisters, Seven Brothers. We pray for priests. We're just consecrated lay people. We also offer our personal sufferings for those priests. I have a lot of hope that my future husband will have the desire to join me in prayer, suffering and just living a good and life for others just because we care. God bless you Father. Thanks for this post. Prayers for you, and the priests and Bishops that are Dads to me tonight.

[AquaFrost]

I feel so sad for that poor parish priest who got yelled at by that man. That's heartbreaking. I pray for my parish priests and their intentions with every Rosary.

[ginger]

This is an absolutely beautiful message, thank you father. My prayers go out to all of our priests and religious. Mother Mary help us all.

[jennjo]

After stumbling on this I literally and immediately text my priest to tell him thank you and how much he means to me 🙏 thank you

[elizabethmarkian]

I’m a victim/ survivor of priest sex abuse. He groomed me. He was a vicar. He had lots of time to look for victims like me and my family to prey on us. I had met wonderful priests before him until I met him. I like many of you praised, believed, try to encourage him in as much as I could. He had other intentions. He abused his power. Parishioners many a time don’t care for the victims. They ostracized the victims and want nothing to do with them because they only want to believe the priest.
When someone’s, as many of you have stated, a priest is like Jesus. Jesus would never lure children to hurt them and robbed them of their innocence. And this priest goes on hurting other children and vulnerable adult. And the parishioners don’t know and if they do they point the victim as an instigator as the person who lured the priest to do wrong. Ignoring and choosing to find in the victim the culpable of the evil act of the priest .
My believed in priests is shaken. The few times that I get to attend church, I pray to God to give me the belief that this priest that I am watching with the Eucharist, is a true follower of Jesus or another one dressed in sheep’s clothes to pray on the innocent, vulnerable and hungry parishioner who want to be close to God. And yet I wonder: is this a good one Lord? Please! , please answer me!
Please pray for victims. We struggle now in trusting because we were robbed and abandoned at the same time. May God bless you all and bless the true priests. I am struggling as many victims do because we can never return to that innocence that we so happily offered before we met the impostor.

[sharonholmes]

My heart breaks for that poor priest! Yes, I pray for every priest from the pope all the way down to the deacons. Great ideas for making sacrifices for the priests as well as giving them support!!

[mark-bemq]

Every Parish should have a committed group or a parish practice dedicated being sure someone praying for their priest everyday.
They need the Love, Grace and support.
Even a priest perceived to be just "ok" or "bad" can become greater by daily prayers.
And how joyful will God be if one priest is saved from disaster because of the prayers of his parish "children".

[lotus]

So sad, when I was a kid we had at least two priests to a parish and they were well looked after by a housekeeper. A community of lay brothers lived nearby, also Catholic schools and the convent. A youth club, parish dances were regular events.my parish had a very successful boxing club and gentlemen's club (the latter a bit of a drinking den) but the priests, nuns and lay brothers were respected and the focus of the Catholic community. How times change Father Mark Mary. I fear we take our priests for granted, many of them in the UK are very elderly and must be worn out.
I will pray for all our priests and let my pastor know he does a great job and is is appreciated 100%

[zombiechik]

Thank you Father. I want to share, my step dads testimony. his adopted son lite himself on fire to commit suicide, the preist refused last rites which greatly hurt my step dad dearly . Every Sunday he' still went to mass. Stayed being a knight of Columbus. other than an occasional eye roll at the mention of the preists name which happened at most 4x in 15 years. he never bad mouthed the preist
Please pray for the repose of souls for father schepee. And for David Fuller and all victims of suicide. For the families of the lost may they be comforted.

[kittyblaine]

I pray for my Priest every day …thank you for the sacrifice idea along with my prayers…also I drive 60 miles to attend Mass because this Priest during the “pandemic“ he gave me Communion on the tongue…and I’m forever grateful for what he did…I light candles every time I attend Mass as well and always for him and other Priests by name…