Another question from a high school student: Can priests choose their parish? This question reflects not only on the nature of the priesthood, but also on the nature of the Church.  Ultimately, priests do not ‘choose’ their own assignments, but rather trust that God directs him where to go upon assignment by the Bishop.  In other words, we hear God’s voice when the Bishop asks us to do something. This reflects the very nature of the priesthood, in union with the Bishop.  As a priest, I do not have authority on my own, but rather … Continue reading →

Continuing our series of questions submitted by high school students during various presentations comes this frequently asked question: Is the food food at the seminary? There are a couple of different ways to answer this, maybe I should let one of the seminarians weigh in? On one level, the food at the seminary has to be mass produced, in that 50 or more all have to eat within a relatively short amount of time, so there is a certain ‘home cooking’ aspect that is missing from the Refectory (as we call the dining room) fare. … Continue reading →

A continuing series, answering questions submitted by high school students from around the Archdiocese of Cincinnati: Do you have to be a certain age to be a priest? Yes.  Accoring to Canon Law, the official law code of the Catholic Church, one must be in his 25th year prior to ordination to the priesthood. However, this usually is not too difficult, as in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, the minimum amount of time required in the seminary covers this age range: 4 years of undergraduate (18-22), plus five years of Major Semimary, brings most guys to … Continue reading →

Catholic Schools Week usually brings many unique opportunities to highlight the unique contribution that Catholic Schools make to our Church and our world. Archbishop Schnurr took the opportunity to once again meet with students at various high schools across the diocese in a videoconference, allowing them to ask him questions, and vice versa.  The Catholic Telegraph provides the following article. Catholic high school students ask tough questions of Archbishop Schnurr at videoconference.

I am in residence at a parish on the westside of Cincinnati with the full-time pastor of that parish.  Either in the morning as we catch up on local and national news while sipping coffee or in the evening as we wind down, the conversation turns: ‘What’s up for your next 24 huors?’ Yep, the old cliche comes out: no two days are the same. For me, and while my situation is somewhat unique in that I am not in a regular parish assignment, I think the principals guiding my day are fairly standard for … Continue reading →

Continuing our series, comes the following: “How often do priests get to travel?” I guess it depends, really, on the priest’s interests, but on the whole I think priests tend to travel somewhat frequently.  One of the perks of being a pastor is that there are tour companies that specialize in organizing pilgrimages to various sites around the world: Rome, Israel, Lourdes, Fatima, Ireland, etc.  Often for these parish trips, the priest/pastor is invited to attend to bring a spiritual dimension to the journey, to make it more than just a vacation. Here in Cincinnati, … Continue reading →

A return after a brief hiatus of the ‘Q’s from HS’ segment: questions collected from high school students on the priesthood, religious life, or just plain questions submitted to this humble scribe.  Today’s take: Do priests drink? In short, yes, not universally and hopefully in moderation, but simply there is not ecclesiastical law that prevents a priest from enjoying an alcoholic beverage. However, some cautions should be issued.  For a priest without a healthy grasp of celibacy, it is easy to ‘medicate’ on alcohol and turn there instead of to Christ for his sustenance, just … Continue reading →