OCCE clergy are involved in a variety of ministries as well as parochial; chaplains to industry, academic institutions, care homes and charitable hostels and other organisations as well as extensions of common pastoral ministry such as bereavement counselling and other specialist ministries in music, liturgy, retreat leading and missionary work.

All OCCE clergy carry Identity Cards with their photograph and contact details for verification of their sacerdotal status and license (permission) to minister and which are date specific. Do not accept the ministrations of anyone claiming to be an OCCE cleric without such proof of Identity and please report any such occurrence to the OCCE Chancellor (here).

The OCCE does not charge money for any services whether private individuals or corporations. Reluctantly OCCE clergy may accept donations for the benefit of a local ministry e.g. to help with the costs of running a Mass Centre but will not accept any monetary renumeration for their pastoral or sacramental ministry.

Sacramental ministrations such as anointing with holy oil, Confession, the Eucharist or Viaticum will only be administered to Confirmed persons of the Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, Orthodox Catholic or Anglo-Catholic traditions and then only when a priest of an individual's own church is unavailable or for some reason is expressly not preferred.

Emergency Baptism, and Viaticum (last confession, anointing and Eucharist for the dying) and Confirmation may be administered in extremis (i.e. in an absolute emergency, or in case of imminent death). As a matter of courtesy, any such sacrament so administered will be communicated to the person's regular parish priest of the tradition of their birth and place of residence.

OCCE clergy are CRB checked for regular ministry to vulnerable groups and will be happy to undergo CRB checking if required by an external agency i.e. youth organisation, school or nursing home etc for the purposes of ministering to people in that institution.

WORKER PRIESTS

Exactly because OCCE clergy are themselves employed they more fully appreciate the stresses and strains of daily life for most people. The constant weighing up of priorities, home and work life balance and the constant struggle to "find time" for oneself or family or friends. However, despite this OCCE clergy employ their spare time to facilitate their first vocation in life, the service of Christ and of His Church and to serve the servants of God.

OCCE clergy by virtue of their being or having been "worker priests," possess various professional qualifications and experience gained in the world of work. Some are trained health professionals, others social workers, some teachers and others small business owners, some have even been publicans, military service personnel or funeral directors! An individual OCCE priest may then be just as comfortable discussing the spiritual as the material problems of life providing a unique perspective on ministry that other mainstream clergy don't always possess.

Again because some OCCE clergy work full time, their ministry to local congregations and the work of the Church locally is assisted by Lay Ministers. These may themselves be employed or retired but give of their time to assist the pastoral ministry of the church. Lay Ministry within the OCCE is Licensed or Certificated depending on the extent of its support of the priest's ministry and the nature of the work.

For more information on vocations in the OCCE both Sacred and Lay ministry see "More Information" to the right of this column.