Individual priests have a very wide variety of tasks within the Church. There are many specialized ministries such as being a chaplain, working at the diocesan offices, or teaching in a seminary. But the majority of priests serve in parishes. Their duties include:
- celebrate Mass and preach the Gospel
- lead a parish of Catholic Christians
- bring new members into the Church through baptism
- hear confessions and provide spiritual direction
- help teens and young adults come to know Christ
- prepare couples for marriage and counsel married couples
- teach people how to pray
- feed the poor, visit prisons, and advocate for justice
- counsel people going through difficult times
- visit the sick in hospitals and anoint them for healing
- perform funerals and bury the dead
- manage the temporal affairs of the parish
- pray daily for the People of God