Phenomenological Observations of a Priest Case Study

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Developmental Observations

The key theme of the article used for reference for this developmental observation is the psychosocial challenges faced by Catholic priests -- namely, depression, burnout, emotional exhaustion, defensiveness and repression (Galea, 2011, p. 858). The subject used for this phenomenological observation is a 45-year-old Catholic priest, known to the researcher socially as a result of the researcher's membership in the Church.

Psychosocial Profile

The priest is overweight, typically poorly groomed; he wears a white cassock, from his days spent abroad in India, where the costume was typical of missionaries, and it is usually dirty. His white cassock makes him stand out from other priests in the States, as clergy typically where a black cassock or black priestly suit coat and pants. He has a parish on his parent's property; since he has been expelled from his community, this serves as his base of operations; however, he also travels the world with fellow priests, visiting parishes and saying Mass.

His physical appearance is untidy, obese; he has no spouse but considers the Church his spouse. He has some education, having served 6 years in the seminary in his 20s. His home is in Kentucky, his neighborhood in a rural part of the state. His lifestyle is extremely busy, often hectic, as he is never in one place for more than a few days at a time at most. He constantly takes calls from people around the world day and night; his main activity is directing and organizing a new community of priests around the world to tackle issues they deem important in the Church today. His politics are conservative and his Church views are traditional and oppositional to current trends in the modern Church.

Summary of Scholarly Article

The theme of the study by Galea (2011) entitled "Healing the Healers: a Profile of Strengths and Weaknesses of Catholic Priests in Gozo, Malta" is that the psychosocial well-being of priests in Gozo are based on their social network, support systems, self-concept, self-esteem, and perception of self-competence -- all of which contributes to a sense of community.

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The main finding of the study is that priests in Gozo who have a strong support system experience less stress and a more balance lifestyle consisting of appropriate amounts or work and leisure.

The method used in the study is a cross-sectional survey of clergy in Gozo, Malta. The subjects are Catholic priests in the two dioceses of Gozo. The survey resulted in a 52% response rate. The study's exploratory focus allowed the researchers to describe the subjects according to four variables -- the psychosocial state, spiritual state, vocational state, and pastoral state. The study shows that these variables are interrelated in determining the priest's quality of life and psychosocial well-being.

What this phenomenological observation will focus on is the theme highlighted by Galea (2011) regarding the support structure of the priest in determining psychosocial well-being and overcoming challenges relating to vocation -- namely depression, defensiveness, burnout and emotional exhaustion. These themes will be assessed and referenced in the observation of the priest subject of this paper.

Summary of Developmental Observation

The location of the observation took place at the priest's parish; the circumstances of the observation were simple: the priest had come for Mass and was engaged in discussion with parishioners after Mass, telling them about developments in the Society from which he was recently expelled, as well as developments among the priests he is attempting to organize into a support system. Parishioners had questions and asked them and he answered them in a calm manner, always taking a firm and definitive tone and….....

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