How to Eat With a Priest

Posted by Tom Hoopes

Saturday, June 20, 2009 9:30 AM

flickr commons/intron

In our “Guide to Sunday,” for Father’s Day, my wife and I ask: Why not celebrate the man you actually call “Father” — your priest?

In Faith & Family magazine, April shared priests’ four tips about what they want when laypeople have them over for dinner:

1. Be normal, and do what you normally do. (“The last thing a priest wants is an awkward, self-conscious evening where he feels like a space alien.”)

2. Respect the priest’s position and duties.

(“Some priests love to have kids climb all over them,” said one priest. “I do, but others don’t.”)

3. Serve light food.

(Priests have many food-related events. A 300-pound priest told April that when he was ordained he was as thin as a rail.)

4. Don’t have an agenda.

(Priests don’t like dinner invitations that turn out to be gripe sessions.)

Filed under weekend commentary, year for priests resources