The vocation of a priest is a rewarding and blessed calling.
From the sacraments and liturgy, to being a leader and guide, priests have many roles they are called to fill in a community. However, in the life of every priest, particularly in parishes, there are situations that the seminary just didn’t prepare you for.
A priest is often called on to help people cope with tragedy, parents concerned with their children’s behaviour, marital problems, illnesses, personal conflicts, leading teams and councils, and many other difficult and complex situations.
One tool that more and more priests are learning to help them become more effective in dealing with these myriad situations is by gaining an education in Psychology.
JUST SOME OF THE WAYS PSYCHOLOGY CAN HELP A PRIEST SERVE ARE:
Better serving people as a confessor by being able to offer advice based on a deeper knowledge of the whole person
Being able to build and foster personal relationships with parishioners and other clergy
Acting effectively in situations where de-escalation, negotiation, and crisis intervention are needed.
Helping people to flourish in their personal vocations and daily life.
Understanding when a person who seeks help from a priest for emotional issues should be referred to a therapist
Learning to manage teams and the varied personalities that make up a team
Better serving married couples
Being better able to help people cope with grief
Many of these skills are needed daily by priests, and yet most of them are not taught in seminaries. Adding skills rooted in psychology will help make priests more effective ministers of healing and mercy.
For priests who want to learn more about psychology and advance their education, but because of their limited time find it difficult to commit to a program, Divine Mercy University offers the only 100% online Masters Degree in Psychology* that fully integrates the Catholic understanding of the person.
Plus, for clergy, religious or parish/diocesan staff members, DMU offers the “Faith & Hope Scholarship” which will cover up to 50% of tuition.
This program seeks to develop advanced skills such as communication, interpersonal awareness, leadership skills, budgeting, program evaluation, and cultural awareness. Through DMU’s unique curriculum, you will become a transformational leader, strengthened by Catholic-Christian teachings on human dignity and informed by foundations in modern psychology. To learn more, click the button below to get a free course guide and explore how a M.S. in Psychology* can make you a more effective minister of Christ.
*Undergraduate Degree Required • © 2017 | Divine Mercy University
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