American President Theodore Roosevelt’s “Man in the Arena” passage from the Citizenship in a Republic speech he delivered at the Sorbonne in Paris on April 23, 1910, has become a favourite of mine in recent years.

He said, “Credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds.”

Political leaders and first responders are often called the “Man in the Arena” because of the high stakes and pressure they face daily, but parish priests also belong in this category.

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Each pastor answered the call to devote their lives to aiding God amid the ongoing spiritual battle between good and evil. Clergymen preach the Gospel and offer sinners healing and solace through the sanctifying sacraments. Priests also strive to claim lives for Christ, an exceedingly difficult task in a world under the sway of the evil one.

And in a sense, their faces are figuratively “marred by dust and sweat and blood” as each priest is called upon to resolutely minister to individuals experiencing physical, emotional, psychological or spiritual distress. These men — not superhumans — steadfastly comfort the afflicted even though they have vulnerabilities and emotional burdens of their own.

It is too easy for parishioners not to even spare a thought about how often their priest interacts with various forms of human suffering each week. This should not be acceptable. We should reciprocate the care our earthly religious fathers give to us by being attuned to the challenges they navigate in their vocational profession.

I would bet a priest would appreciate being asked questions like, “how are you doing?” or “is there one thing I can pray specifically for you this week?”

The vast majority of priests try the best they can to be everything to everyone as they complete their administrative, financial and pastoral duties, but inevitably they cannot achieve that impossible benchmark because they – believe it or not –are subject to the same limitations as the rest of us.  

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Let’s acknowledge their efforts. And instead of just sniping grievances from the sideline, why not approach the parish priest to diplomatically share your concerns? And better than just laying a fresh problem in their lap, arrive with a realistic solution to the issue for him to consider.

Roosevelt made it clear in his speech that “it is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better.”

Placing more pressure points on your pastor without being willing to stand alongside him to figure out the best path ahead could lead to him feeling burned out.

Along with cases of priest burnout being a matter of significant concern for each of the men, it is foreboding for the overall health of the Church.

Yes, the Church is indeed experiencing a revival as parishes around the world welcomed record numbers of new Catholics. However, there is no concurrent rise in ordained priests and seminarians.

According to data as of June 30, 2023 — published in October 2025 — from Agenzia Fides, the news agency of the Vatican, the total number of priests in the world was 406, 996, a decline of over 700 from the year before. The seminarian pipeline also fell nearly 2,000 from 108,481 in 2022 to 106,495 in 2023.

There are more people desiring to fill the pews in many bishoprics, but we need to ensure there is the physical infrastructure to support the teeming masses in the future. That cannot be achieved if parishes are merged due to priest shortages.

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Instead of adding to a pastor’s yoke, let’s strive to relieve their burden. And to lessen the loneliness and isolation they have expressed in various surveys over the years, let’s bolster our resolve to invite each of our priests into our homes for a hearty meal and fellowship.

Lifting our pastors up as they strive to elevate us will go a long way to keeping their vocational passion kindled for more years, and it will also make entering the priestly arena more attractive to thousands of boys and young men across the country.