Formerly known as the Office of Priest Personnel, the Office of the Vicar for Clergy works closely with the diocesan Bishop and in collaboration with the Priests’ Placement Board to help support the ministry and life of priests in the Diocese. Examples of our work would include: recommending names of potential pastors and parochial vicars to the Bishop; assigning priests to cover weekend Masses when needed; preparing parish profiles for vacant parishes; responding to requests from international priests seeking to work in the Diocese, and working with individual priests who are dealing with issues of health or difficulties in their ministerial assignment.
In 1998, following a Priests’ Convocation, our department took its current name and the additional responsibilities of being a voice for the concerns of priests to Diocesan administrative offices. In this capacity, the Vicar for Clergy works closely with the Priestly Life and Ministry Council and its related committees. The guiding norm is that the Vicar for Clergy is ultimately responsible to the Diocesan Bishop and serves at his pleasure.
The Vicar for Clergy works closely with the Chancellor for Pastoral Services and the Office of Pastoral Planning especially regarding the numbers of priests available for service in the coming years. The Administrative Advocate also sits ex officio on several diocesan committees and boards.