Being a priest teacher

Dear Friends in Christ,

The next question I wish to present is: "What if you want to be a teacher as well as a priest?" This is a great question. In the college level, there are many priests who teach full time. They mostly teach religion and theology, but it isn't limited to that. In fact, you can be an English teacher, or a math teacher, or anything really.

In the high schools here in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, there are a good number of priests who are teachers. They evangelize and spread the Gospel through their teaching, and it is their full time work.

But even if you don't teach full time, part of the priest's very identity is that of being a teacher. He teaches the people about Christ and His Church. As a result of this, every priest is a teacher by virtue of the office of the priesthood. If you don't teach full time, you can always do some teaching at the grade school of your parish, or you can teach CCD. A priest can also lead Bible Studies at his parish, or Catechism classes.

Having an interest in teaching is important if you are discerning the priesthood, precisely because teaching is so pertinent to the life of a priest. A priest is always teaching, and you don't always have to be in a classroom to teach. So, if you want to be a teacher, remember that it isn't incompatible with being a priest.

Take care, and may you stay close to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.