Priestfit and the 2017 Priestfit Presentation Challenge

 So, this has been a loooooong time coming! I've been waiting for a reboot after a transfer to become the Administrator of my former parish, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Springfield. This past year has been filled will blessings, including becoming a spin instructor! I can't tell you how amazing it feels to be able to train other people, let alone marathon runners and fitness models (I'm not either!) Lately, the stress of the holiday season, together with being in charge of the whole operation at the parish, has led to some overeating, those liquid calories from craft beer, and about 20lbs of weight gain.

I have been talking with a brother priest from Florida, Fr Casey Jones from the Diocese of Venice, for some time now about forming a ministry for priests who struggle with food, weight, and fitness. It pains me to see the trends among my brother priests, as I know the amount of stress that the institutional church can bring. It's my hope that advocacy in the church, especially with dioceses and bishops, might start to change the conversation for the multidisciplinary treatment these issues require. A support group is the first step.

Introducing Priestfit, and the 2017 Priestfit Presentation Challenge


We are a band of brother Catholic priests who wish to help each other while witnessing to others who struggle in the areas of health and fitness. 

The Presentation Challenge:
"Be eager to present yourself as acceptable to God, a workman who causes no disgrace, imparting the word of truth without deviation." 2 Tim 2:15
Jan 2-Feb 2, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. The prophet Malachi asks us, "who will endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears?" As priests we are called to offer due sacrifice to the Lord. Desiring to better our health and fitness in the new year, let us be refined in the refiner's fire. Like Jesus, let us also be tested through what we suffer so that we will be able to help those who are also being tested. With the help of the Holy Family, we will become strong, and we will be more able to serve the King of Glory and his holy church.

The Presentation challenge is a check in with our brother priests on the following goals:
Start/end weight (not necessarily about loss, some may need to gain or maintain)
Eating clean
Physical Exercise
Spiritual exercise (sacrifice)
We will offer a daily reflection to help in this journey. The goals are to be presented with the Lord in a new way on this sacred feast and to ignite a community of brothers who wish to carry forth a message of wellness in our presbyterate.

Please like our fb page if you would like to follow our reflections. The support group is a closed fb group for priests.

I ask all of you to pray for this new endeavor. It's our hope that this develop into a much needed and amazing ministry in the church.

-Fr Ryan