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bishop constitutes health and wellness committee for diocesan priests

Story and photos by LIZ QUIRIN
Messenger editor

Bishop Edward K. Braxton announced the constitution of a health and wellness committee for priests in a Sept. 27 letter to priests, deacons and parish life coordinators.

In the past, the health and welfare of priests has been the primary responsibility of a subcommittee of the Clergy Education and Formation Committee.

“However, for a variety of reasons, this arrangement has not been working as well as we would like,” the bishop said in his letter.

To provide better care and better communication about the health and wellness of priests, the bishop has established a Health and Wellness Committee for the Priests of the Diocese.
The Vicar General, Father Jack McEvilly, will be the chairman of the committee, and the six deans will be permanent members of the committee.

The bishop said he may add members to the committee if this appears advisable.
“In circumstances in which an intervention for the welfare of a priest would benefit from the assistance of an additional priest knowledgeable of the situation, he may be called upon by the committee,” the bishop said.

The bishop outlined 10 responsibilities of the deans as members of this committee. Following are those responsibilities:
1. Informing the Vicar General or the Diocesan Bishop immediately of the hospitalization of a priest and of any serious concerns about the health and well-being of a priest in his deanery.
2. Inquiring about the welfare of each priest on a regular basis, by phone or in person.
3. Maintaining regular contact with any priest with chronic health problems or other personal difficulties over and above the routine contact at a deanery meeting.
4. Noting the absence of priests from a deanery meeting, or major diocesan events; calling the priest to make sure all is well. This is particularly important since many of our priests live alone.
5. Manifesting a concern for the over-all well-being of our priests. This embraces more than physical health. This means being attentive to expressions of concern from others who suggest a priest might be overburdened, lonely, suffering from drug or alcohol addiction, depression or anxiety, experiencing serious spiritual and emotional challenges.
6. Initiating a crisis intervention, with the approval of the Bishop or the Vicar General, for the well-being of a priest who is unable or unwilling to address a serious health, emotional, or spiritual challenge.
7. Welcoming the overtures of a priest who may seek advice and support because of challenges he is experiencing in his life and ministry.
8. Respecting confidentiality and not speaking about the difficulties priests may be experiencing with inappropriate persons. Be mindful that some priests do not wish any information about their health, hospitalization, etc., communicated to others.
9. Keeping abreast of the welfare of priests in religious orders with an awareness that they have their own support system.
10. Attending to other matters concerning the health and wellness of our priests as directed by the Bishop or the Vicar General.

The bishop is also making changes to the manner in which communication is made between the priests in the deanery, the dean, the vicar general and the bishop to make sure he receives information in a timely manner.
The bishop outlined the process in his letter so that all those who attend deanery meetings will know how to communicate accurately and efficiently so that their questions can be answered in a timely fashion.

“These changes are intended to support communication within deanery meetings and promote better communication between the deaneries and the Chancery,” the bishop said. “Hopefully, they will also contribute to the Dialogue of Renewal.”