by Bradley Nassif, Ph.D. Originally titled “The Apostolic Mission of Bishops: A Short Reflection, the purpose of this brief, and incomplete, reflection is to focus on the centrality of the gospel in the ministry of a bishop. It is not intended to promote a partisan perspective on any issue f … [Read more...]
“A Priest’s Chief Joy is That He is a Priest”
While I do not personally agree with some of this priest's statements ("The Church should always come first, even before one's family"), this interview offers an otherwise intimate look at the life of the priest, and the Orthodox priesthood. In recent months, Russian media outlets have given much … [Read more...]
What Do I Say To My Priest?
So you've decided that you are actually considering the priesthood or the diaconate. What next? The next step, of course, is to talk to your priest. But what do you say? I'd recommend starting by asking him to lunch or to sit down in a relaxing environment for an hour or so. Tell him, briefly, … [Read more...]
Pastors Courageous
by Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon Originally published in July/August of 2005, this article always has kept a special place in my heart. As a priest of "The Church Militant" I've always felt that clergy must, first and foremost, be men, and men must be courageous. The Necessity of a Military … [Read more...]
Continuing Education Isn’t Optional; It’s Self-Care
by Fr. Basil Biberdorf In the course of the past couple of weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to attend by the SVS Symposium (topic: “Hellenism and Orthodoxy”) as well as the Acton Institute’s Acton University 2010. Both have given me significant opportunity to reflect on a number of the issues we’ … [Read more...]
A Bullseye On Their Back
Another gem from the Ministry Best Practices webblog. It's not easy being a pastor. Here are some stats why: 50% of pastors’ marriages will end in divorce 80% of seminary graduates will leave ministry in the first 5 years 70% of pastors are grossly underpaid (compared to the amount of work t … [Read more...]
Heeding the Call
How do I know when I am called? All the baptized are incorporated into the Church and so called to be holy. The struggle is to determine which call is truly ours amid the many vocations God has for his people. One way to think more carefully about whether or not you are called to the priesthood is … [Read more...]
