“Are you exercising the care of souls? Do not thereby neglect yourself. Do not give yourself to others to such an extent that nothing is left of yourself for yourself. You should certainly keep in mind the souls whose pastor you are, but without forgetting yourself.” — St. Charles Borromeo, Acta Ecclesiae Mediolanensis, 1599

We hear from Pope St. John Paul II in his seminal apostolic exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis (“I Will Give You Shepherds”):

Without priests the Church would not be able to live that fundamental obedience which is at the very heart of her existence and her mission in history, an obedience in response to the command of Christ: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19), and “Do this in remembrance of me” (Lk 22:19), i.e., an obedience to the command to announce the Gospel and renew daily the sacrifice of the giving of his body and the shedding of his blood for the life of the world. (No.1)

Reflecting further on the challenges of post-formation and post-ordination priestly life, St. John Paul II states:

Moreover, priests who have been actively involved in the ministry for a more or less lengthy period of time seem to be suffering today from an excessive loss of energy in their ever-increasing pastoral activities. Likewise, faced with the difficulties of contemporary culture and society, they feel compelled to re-examine their way of life and their pastoral priorities, and they are more and more aware of their need for ongoing formation. (No. 3)

St. John Paul II offered these reflections in 1992, 33 years ago. His words, and the realities they echo, retain their freshness and urgency all these years later.

The four pillars of formation — human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral — are described in the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis (“The Gift of the Priestly Vocation”). This document reminds us that “the formation of priests means following a singular ‘journey of discipleship’, which begins at baptism, is perfected through the other sacraments of Christian initiation, comes to be appreciated as the center of one’s life at the beginning of seminary formation, and continues through the whole of life” (No. 1).

Further, the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis states that “the entire journey of formation must never be reduced to a single aspect to the detriment of others, but it must always be an integrated journey of the disciple called to priesthood” (No.3).

We can look, therefore, to the USCCB’s Guide to Ongoing Formation for Priests (sixth edition, 2023) as a fraternal statement that integrates Pastores Dabo Vobis and Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis for our current reality in the U.S. Church. It stands as both an outline for the essential areas to address in priestly self-care and ongoing formation, as well as a source of reflection on priestly life and ministry.

The guide is grounded in a healthy theology of priesthood, as was developed by Pope St. John Paul II in Pastores Dabo Vobis, and is a fraternal reflection on the support necessary for a priest to strengthen his internalization of the four pillars of Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis. Finally, the guide offers concrete examples of various supports available to priests as they face the practical realities and demands of priestly life daily.

Doing More With Less

The Guide to Ongoing Formation for Priests is presented in the foreword as a “letter from the bishops of the United States to their priests.” The tone of the document is purposefully fraternal and encourages priests to take primary responsibility for caring for themselves across the four pillars of formation (Nos. 1-13).

The committee responsible for revising the guide, called into service by the USCCB Secretariat for Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, sought to create a document that supported the continuing integration of priestly identity and function for the sake of mission. The guide emphasizes the unique vocation of the priesthood as configuration to Christ (in persona Christi), to act in his person as leader and pastor of the Church and in the name of the whole people of God as conferred in the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Finally, the guide understands that ongoing formation is sustained support and enlightenment for every priest to be steady in his path of growth in Christ.

This theological reflection on history, identity and magisterial foundations informed the structure of the document and set the stage for the addition of practical suggestions and tools for priests to access as they take responsibility for developing their unique plan for ongoing formation. Grounded in self-care, this plan should support each priest to embrace with integrity his priestly identity and ministry with hope and joy as he encounters the difficulties and challenges of priestly life.

These difficulties, acknowledged by Pope St. John Paul II in Pastores Dabo Vobis, can be summarized as having to do more with less: fewer brothers in the presbyterate, fewer resources to draw from, less time for self-care, less trust in the ability of leaders to offer healthy presbyteral support, less confidence in leaders to offer viable visions and plans for the future, and less time to develop or maintain priestly fraternity.

Given these realities, and given the resources available for priests to embrace care for themselves, the questions arise: How are priests managing their wellness, and where are the supports to assist them in coping with the pressures and challenges of priestly life and ministry leadership? How can priests guard against trauma and fatigue?

Finally, how do priests stay fresh and holy?

More Resources

These questions were at the forefront in the minds of the USCCB committee charged with revising the Guide to Ongoing Formation for Priests and are addressed in its various appendices.

Appendix A offers a program for newly ordained priests and discusses the dynamics of the relationship between priest and bishop. It also offers a detailed and systematic review of the markers for priest wellness and the attitudes and approaches to build personal and ministerial resilience (see page 29).

Achieving a healthy ministry-life balance, or wellness, is a commitment to personal responsibility and discipline. Priests must make life-giving choices, informed by spiritual nourishment, spiritual accompaniment and accountability, acceptance of emotional support, proper care for physical health, regular examens of attitudes and behaviors, and a commitment to social support and rest.

Resilience is defined as the ability to successfully adapt to life tasks in the face of social disadvantage or highly adverse conditions. Resilience can be learned. It is a process, and it is grounded in an attitude of optimism, a belief that crises can be resolved in practical ways, and that our journeys of faith bring us supernatural hope. Over time, one can hone the ability to cope with or navigate around or through crises in priestly life and ministry.

Appendix B addresses issues of compassion fatigue in priestly life and provides some practical evaluative metrics for determining when a priest might require peer or professional support. It also offers suggestions for managing ministerial environment problems.

Appendix C offers some unique reflections on the cultural considerations in ongoing formation. Most dioceses have invited priests from other cultures and countries into service, and the presence of international priests demands both cultural competency on the part of the receiving Church and acculturation to the local Church by the foreign-born or -raised priest. The give and take of cultural sensitivity, as well as the need for appropriate planning in receiving international priests, are points of discussion.

The guide’s last appendix, Appendix D, offers practical suggestions to address the development and practice of healthy ministerial and personal boundaries, which are essential to effectiveness in priestly life and ministry. These suggestions represent the convergence of wellness practices with safeguarding ministry, reflecting our growing understanding that embracing comprehensive ongoing formation can be the best preventative process to ensure the health and safety of both priest and faithful.

The Directory on the Ministry and Life of Priests from 1994 states that “permanent formation springs from a grace which produces a supernatural force destined to assimilate continually, in ever broader and deeper terms, the entire life and activity of the priest in fidelity to the gift received” (No. 69).

And finally, Pope Francis stated last year to the participants in the International Conference for the Ongoing Formation of Priests, “May all discover, through the witness of our lives, the beauty of the saving love of God revealed in Jesus Christ, who died and rose from the dead” (Feb. 8, 2024).

By practicing concretely the best practices in priest wellness, and by cultivating attitudes and actions that build resilience, bishops and priests can stay fresh and holy and embrace the true meaning of ongoing formation: to continue without reaching an end. 

Best Practices in Priest Wellness

A commitment to spiritual nourishment, as evidenced by:

• Daily Eucharist and Mass.
• Private prayer, intentional and reflective.
• Liturgy of the Hours.
• Rosary.
• Devotional prayer, novenas and lectio divina.
• Retreats and spiritual conferences.
• Spiritual reading.
• Nighttime examen.

A commitment to spiritual accompaniment and accountability:

• Meeting regularly with a competent, trained spiritual director.
• Availing myself of the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least monthly.
• Ceasing all serious sin.
• Practicing the direction of intention: inviting the Holy Spirit into daily activities and encounter.

A commitment to a daily “digital content examen” — how much time am I devoting to use of the internet, gaming, social media or “doomscrolling” on my cellphone?

A commitment to reach out for emotional support by attending self-help meetings, seeking out a ministry mentor or engaging in professional counseling, all as necessary to strengthen my human formation.

A commitment to care for my body through exercise, nutrition and sleep, learning from reading and conversations with my brothers the best practices in maintaining the bodily temple God gave me.

A commitment to health monitoring through getting an annual physical, following up with specialty care as necessary, and medication adherence; all according to the plan of care outlined by the health professionals who provide my primary physical care.

A commitment to simplicity of lifestyle and attending to my finances by living within my means and by asking for financial advice from a financial professional. This includes:

• Monthly budgeting.
• Pre-retirement planning.
• End-of-life planning (executing a will and advance directives).

A commitment to fraternal socialization with my brother priests with intentionality and regularity.

A commitment to take vacations, not “staycations.”

A commitment to make time for socializing with family and friends; many priests use technology such as Zoom or Facetime to maintain contact with loved ones.

Attitudes and Actions that Build Resilience

• Pray always; the Holy Spirit is a great source of strength and hope.
• Make and sustain connections with friends and family and in priestly fraternity. Reach out for support and practical assistance from those who care about you and will listen to you.
• Practice your diakonia, i.e., the ministry of service that drives the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. This will ground you in Catholic and priestly identity, in the virtue of humility that reminds us that we are called to serve and not to be served. We become more compassionate and humble by practicing acts of compassion. This strengthens us in our spirituality.
• Understand that responding to crises requires support. Crises are not insurmountable problems; it is OK to ask for help and/or to have a trusted brother act as a sounding board during difficult times in ministry.
• Accept that change is a part of priestly life and ministry. Our world is changing rapidly, and those whom we serve come to us for guidance and spiritual nourishment in the midst of their turbulent lives. Ask for the graces of patience and perseverance in navigating change. 
• Develop realistic goals for self-care and ministry. Take responsibility for embracing your wellness and ongoing formation.
• Take decisive actions during times of tension. Procrastination and conflict avoidance breed isolation and can lead to subtle depression or emotional paralysis.
• Listen for the openings when God is presenting you with new opportunities to grow in holiness and ministry experience; stay open and hopeful. A priest is always living Advent.
• Ask for the graces to maintain a positive view of yourself, as this will build confidence and minimize doubt and inaction.
• Keep ministry in perspective; every point of tension is not a catastrophe.
• In this Jubilee Year of Hope, be hopeful and visualize positive outcomes in life and ministry.

DEACON STEVEN DeMARTINO is currently the Director of Consultation Services at the St. John Vianney Center, where he serves bishops and vicars in the Church in their ongoing and fraternal support and care for priests. He was ordained for the Archdiocese of New York in 2005 and served there as the Director for Priest Wellness. Deacon DeMartino’s background and training is in health and behavioral care. He can be reached at sdemartino@sjvcenter.org.