When I was assigned by the Archbishop of New York in 1959 as a Parochial Assistant to an old established large Manhattan parish, I was the “3rd assistant”. The assigned clergy staff consisted of the pastor, an elderly monsignor; the “1st assistant”, an older priest, but not yet old enough to be a pastor; the “2nd assistant”, a somewhat younger priest; and me, the junior, only one year ordained.
There also were an elderly Italian and a younger Cuban assistant priest in residence, having been engaged by the pastor.
We also had live-in lay staff: a cook, a waitress, and a maid. There was a separate staircase in the rear of the rectory that led to the servants’ quarters. The idea of a lay staffer engaged for other than housework—e.g., a secretary for processing mail, preparing baptismal certificates, attending to the parish office—was unthinkable.
The pastor delegated responsibilities to his priest assistants and clearly was in charge; however the first assistant assisted him as a sort of executive officer.
There were many Sunday Masses offered to accommodate the preferences and number of the parishioners; each priest would celebrate one, and occasionally two (utilizing a special permission or faculty to binate granted him by the archbishop)
That same Manhattan parish today has one priest assigned to its care as pastor. He speaks English and Spanish. He lives a solitary life in a rectory that once accommodated nine persons.
Priests like him often celebrate two or more Masses on weekdays and three or four on Sundays. They do their best to recruit part-time priest assistants from the dwindling pool of available clergy.
Their myriad responsibilities include fund-raising and the management of a complex and declining physical plant.
No matter how committed, holy, and dedicated they may be, most share a common affliction—and it’s not their fault. It’s commonly called “burnout”.
The term was first used in psychological circles in 1974 to describe a group of symptoms resulting from long-term, unresolved, work-related stress due to excessive work demands.
Burnout involves emotional and physical exhaustion, and may lead to headaches, sleeplessness, irritability and feelings of negativism and cynicism, reduced feelings of personal accomplishment, and depression.
Burnout is often associated with work overload in situations of downsizing, where fewer staff members are required to realize the same organizational goals. Other causes of burnout include:
– Not enough time to accomplish what needs to be done.
– Lack of communication or support from one’s manager or immediate superior.
– Lack of clarity about what one is supposed to be doing and priorities.
– Unfair treatment regarding, e.g., evaluation, promotion, compensation.
– Working too much without enough time for socializing or relaxing
– Lack of close, supportive relationships.
– Perfectionist tendencies, the need to be in control, and reluctance to delegate.
In “Network,” a 1976 satirical film about the television industry, a frustrated newscaster invites his listeners to open their windows and shout, “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!”
A pastor may feel like that sometimes, but he’s not likely to do it—and it’s no solution.
29 September 2019