How to Congratulate a Priest on the Anniversary of His Ordination

Spiritual counselors take many forms, priests being among them. Priests are ordained to perform sacraments and may be "secular" (diocesan, or belonging to a diocese), meaning that they attend to needs of church members, or they may be "religious," meaning that they may teach, work as missionaries or live in monasteries and do religious work. It takes about eight years to reach ordination--four years of an undergraduate degree in addition to four years of education at a theological institute. Therefore, it is likely that ordained priests would appreciate being congratulated on this milestone in their life.

Reach out and shake the hand of a priest celebrating an ordination anniversary. Put a personal, face-to-face emphasis on your heartfelt congratulations with a handshake to acknowledge the special day in person and show that you remember and care.

Send a congratulatory card to signal that you consider your priest's ordination to be a cause for recognition. Sign the card with your name and an encouraging comment of appreciation such as "Thanks for the work you do and congratulations on your ordination anniversary."

Bring a small gift to the priest's office to commemorate the anniversary. Ask the church or diocese secretary for hints about the priest's favorite things. Deliver a cup of coffee, if that is a favorite thing, to the office in the morning. Offer to take your priest out to breakfast or lunch in order to celebrate the special day.

Telephone to express your congratulations on your priest's ordination anniversary. Leave a cheerful message if you reach a message-recording device. The message will be received later, and your priest will likely be touched by your efforts.