Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages.
Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”
- Luke 10:3-7
Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”
- 1 Timothy 15:17-18
(FFA) - Fr Dionisi Nalitov (Church of Great Martyr Panteleimon, Hartford, CT) "If young men knew what kind of life awaits them, they might not want to join the clergy..." Think about these words next time your parish decides on whether or not to give your priest a raise.
Posts
With the average student loan debt for new college graduates at about $30k, clergy salaries will become more of an issue. Even assuming no debt from seminary, a newly ordained married priest and his wife will arrive in the parish already $60k in debt. I'm not sure how many couples will be able, literally economically able, to afford to serve the Church full-time under these conditions.
ReplyDeleteThe part-time priest and distance learning models (like St. Stephen's course) are becoming more and more prevalent. Of course, when a parish only has one priest (as is the case with most parishes) part-time is not really an option, especially for family men.
ReplyDelete