By Casey Bassett
We’re all pretty accustomed to seeing the familiar faces of our pastors and parochial vicars at Mass. But chances are you’ve seen other faces, too, filling in for the regulars on occasion. It’s likely these unsung heroes were a senior priest who has retired from day-to-day administrative life, yet remains active in his ministry as a priest.
But what does the life of a senior priest in our diocese look like? Let’s explore some common questions with some input from one of our senior priests, Father Gregory Tschakert, who lives in the northern part of the diocese.
We call it priest retirement, but a priest doesn’t stop being a priest. What are they retiring from?
Once a man is ordained a priest, he is a priest forever. Though they can be excused or removed from priestly obligations and practices, they ontologically remain a priest.
In the same sense, a retired priest remains a priest.
“I prefer the designation ‘senior priest’ rather than retired. I don’t think it’s possible to retire from ordination any more than we can retire from Baptism or marriage,” said Father Tschakert.
What a retired priest retires from is merely the administrative burdens of the priestly role.
“It’s another phase of ordained ministry where I am free from the day-to-day obligations of parish administration and free to respond to pastoral needs that are presented,” said Father Tschakert.
How and where do senior priests assist with needs in our diocese?
Nearly every ministry in our diocese is assisted in some way and at some time by one of our senior priests. While Sunday Mass substitutions are the most visible way, there are many other needs and roles these priests fulfill.
“I currently serve as an on-call chaplain at Avera St. Luke’s [Aberdeen],” said Father Tschakert. “I offer Mass on Mondays and Fridays at St. Luke’s and Mother Joseph Manor, and I spend some time at the Avera Addiction Treatment Center. I provide weekend parish coverage for a number of parishes in the surrounding area of the diocese. I have also assisted with retreats and days of reflection at The Abbey of the Hills.”
But his role doesn’t stop there.
“I continue to chair our local parish Social Concerns Committee as we look for ways to implement the recent apostolic exhortation of Pope Leo on outreach to those in need,” continued Father Tschakert. “I am also involved in the local St. Vincent de Paul Conference. Our local parish priests often welcome me to our local parishes for funerals.”
Why is there such a need for senior priests to help?
It’s clear from Father Tschakert’s list of roles that there are needs everywhere. If we focus on weekend Mass coverage alone, approximately 360 weekend Masses are covered by a senior priest each year. That means that nearly every weekend, somewhere in the diocese, a senior priest is offering Mass.
It goes without saying that while a lay person can offer a retreat and comfort the sick, only a priest can offer Mass and administer the sacraments, like the anointing of the sick, which can be needed urgently. As such, senior priests are a vital part of Catholic life in our diocese on a fundamental level. Their role is not diminished by age or reduced administrative responsibilities, but remains essential to the sacramental life of the Church alongside that of active priests.
What does a typical day look like for a senior priest?
With the removal of administrative burdens, senior priests often have more time to deepen their prayer life and involvement with the community.
“In this new phase of life, I find more opportunities for reading, for prayer and for regular physical activity,” said Father Tschakert. “Aberdeen also offers opportunities for theater and musical events. Since I live in an apartment, I am limited in how much gardening I can accomplish.”
It becomes evident that the life of a senior priest becomes fertile ground for cultivating a happy, healthy and holy life, concepts Bishop DeGrood has repeatedly stressed as vital areas of attention for both priests and laity.
Where do senior priests live?
Senior priests are free to choose where they are to live within the diocese. Many prefer regions where they grew up or communities that had a profound impact on them during their active ministry.
“I chose to locate in Aberdeen because I was fortunate to have been assigned here three times and am well acquainted with many people and community customs,” said Father Tschakert.
As priests grow older and less independent, they face the same challenges as anyone else. There are opportunities for priests to enter assisted living where they continue to live out their vocation in new and important ways.
An impactful journey
There wouldn’t be enough pages in a novel to hold all of the powerful stories of conversion, love and mercy that come from the laity who have been impacted by our senior priests. Countless still are the non-Catholics who, whether in the hospital or at the grocery store, shared a grace-filled moment with a senior priest. It would be a grave error and injustice to think of them as part of the past. Rather, senior priests, though often cloaked in quiet humility, play an active and important role in building the future of our diocese.
