“Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat”. St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Catholic priests who have been accused and removed from ministry often find themselves alone and feeling abandoned by family and friends and ostracized by the community and the very Church they served. Many Catholic priests who have been removed from public ministry are not permitted even to set foot on Church grounds — and if they are, it is often with restrictions. Because of this and similar attitudes and policies scattered throughout the social landscape, so many removed priests find themselves living a lonely, solitary existence and, in some cases, are even deprived of access to the sacraments.
Meaningful work too, or any employment at all, is next to impossible for those priests whose names and photos are repeatedly blasted over and over again in the media, on diocesan websites, and across the Internet. Very often these abandoned priests live a secluded life in small apartments, or modest family homes in economically depressed urban settings. In more extreme cases, they end up in homeless shelters.
At Men of Melchizedek, we believe that all priests, regardless of their past mistakes or current circumstances are loved unconditionally by Our Lord and that He calls us, His children, to do the same. MOM’s Priest Support Network exists to help removed priests with their spiritual and social needs — which are not as obvious as their temporal needs but no less crucial to their ability not merely to survive but to thrive and be the men the Lord has called them to be in their current situations.
The mission of the Priest Support Network is to make sure removed priests know that they are wanted, loved, and cared for, and that they don’t feel forgotten or alone. Helping a removed priest to be emotionally healthy and maintain a purposeful life are the main goals of the Priest Support Network. To this end, the Priest Support Network sponsors outreach events and programs which provide fraternal support to priests in their local areas. A Regional Coordinator — himself a removed priest — is assigned to oversee a specific area of the country. The work of the Regional Coordinator is to maintain contact with all of the Priest Support Network members within his region. He maintains regular phone and written contact with each priest and, as resources allow, makes regular visits to offer fraternal support and encouragement.
For some removed priests, their only real contact with others is through Men of Melchizedek’s national and regional priest coordinators. The comradery and mutual emotional and spiritual support these men experience is contagious — offering them energy, support and hope.
Regional Coordinators also organize social gatherings to help removed priests form meaningful connections with their brother priests. Simply meeting other priests who are in a similar situation is an intended goal of these events and can help foster the healthy and life-giving fraternity for which these men often long but seldom experience. This also includes Days of Recollection that are designed specifically for priests who have been removed from public ministry. These focus specifically on ways for them to dig more deeply into their spiritual lives and come to a better understanding of what their priesthood means outside of public ministry. To make participation more viable, the Regional Coordinators schedule these programs and events at different times throughout the year and in various locations throughout the country.
MOM’s Priest Support Network is vital for the spiritual welfare, fraternal support and the very survival of these lonesome priests.
If you are a Catholic priest who is in need of fraternal support, please call our toll free number (800) 674-9693 and press 1, or email us at contact@menofmelchizedek.org.