Diocesan News
Teamwork the remedy for burnout and we are part of Christ’s team
The Revd Tom O’Brien was ordained to the priesthood in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, on Sunday afternoon (September 30). Archbishop Michael Jackson presided over what is always a special service which was sung by the Cathedral Choir and attended by many of Tom’s clerical colleagues.
Tom’s wife, Daniela and their three children were present along with other members of their family and many friends. Tom was also supported by parishioners from Holmpatrick where he will serve as Curate and from Howth where he served as Deacon Intern for two years.
Tom has been ordained to self supporting ministry and will continue to work at his day job in the area of health and social work.
The address was given by Canon Professor Jim Lucey, Medical Director of St Patrick’s Mental Health Services in Dublin and a Lay Canon of Christ Church Cathedral. Canon Lucey looked at the issue of burnout and said that the occupational challenges of the clergy had much in common with others in the secular workforce.
He described the three features of burnout: emotional exhaustion, diminishing personal achievement and depersonalisation (or loss of belief in the value of the occupation). He said burnout is common and added: “Burnout is not a disease. It is an occupational injury. Looking after the clergy means considering their health and acknowledging their risks of burnout. It is our duty to seek proper remedy for those who are currently experiencing this disabling problem”.
Canon Lucey explained that most of the discussion about the causes and remedy of burnout concentrates on the negative impact of increasing stress and diminishing resources. This leads to a demand for more resources and directs people to do more for themselves by taking responsibility for work–life balance, time management and diet and exercise, he said.
“Although helpful, these measures will only address a portion of the difficulty. The most dangerous feature of burnout is actually ‘depersonalization’. This unprecedented cynicism causes the burnt out worker to distance themselves from the stressful demands of their job. The burnt out social worker or doctor or priest has one thing in common: they no longer ‘care’. Better time management and more hours spent in the gym will not remedy this fundamental break with their vocation,” he commented.
The remedy to this, Canon Lucey suggested, lay in rediscovering the value of relationships. He added that emotional exhaustion was understandable. Jesus was tired and could be worn down by the demands of his flock, he said pointing out that there were even times when he did not meet the expectations of his flock.
“If Our Lord could be tired and exhausted, if he could be worn down by the demands of his flock, then our priests should not reproach themselves for sharing the same experience. Too many of the clergy find it hard to sooth themselves in this compassionate way. In today’s hostile environment our priests can no longer presume on society for support. Many lament the passing of a time when as one priest I spoke to recently put it ‘the environment was full of external validation’. Today’s vineyard has become a hostile place for its labourers, and so you will need to be supported all the more,” he said.
The evidence suggests that worker burnout could be mitigated by teamwork and he proposed that this could work for the church too. Supporting priests and highlighting the role of the laity could restore our dialogue with Jesus, who although humanly exhausted at times never became cynical and his compassion never burned out, Canon Lucey said. “As Christians we share a common baptism and so we have been joined to ‘His team’. He is our leader. He can sustain our vocation. His leadership can undo our ambivalence. If we ‘arise with him’ His culture will maintain our labours in the vineyard,” he added.
For further information please contact:
Diocesan Communications Officer, Dublin & Glendalough
087 235 6472
Mrs Lynn Glanville
dcodublin@gmail.com