Who is a diocesan priest?
A Diocesan priest is a parish Priest. “Diocesan” comes from a Greek word meaning “to keep house,” and “parish” (also a Greek word) means “A dwelling beside or near.” A diocesan priest is the priest involved in the day-to-day lives of people. He “lives near them” in every way, and helps the local bishop to “keep house” in the family of God, either as an Associate Pastor or as a Pastor (and sometimes in ministries like teaching, or serving as a campus minister, or as a chaplain in a hospital, a military base, or a prison). A parish priest in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is committed to the family of God living in the five counties of Southeastern Pennsylvania.
