to invite priest to celebrations after christening, or not?

[couldsleepforahundredyears]

Hello

Our DS is getting christened in July (RC) in my old parish.

I have started attending my old parish as I've moved back in with my parents. I'd been away from the area around 15 years.

Anyway, my old parish priest has moved to another parish, not too far away. I absolutely love my old parish priest...as a child and young adult he was a great inspiration. He lead the drama group which I attended for many years.

So...the new parish priest will be away on the date of the christening. I took the opportunity to ask whether my old priest might conduct the christening. Long story short, my old parish priest will christen my son. I'm over the moon!

Anyway the question here is, should I ask the priest back for some food and drink after the ceremony? Considering he has made special arrangements to come back to his old church and I haven't seen him in over 15 years? To be honest I'd rather not, as my DP is not religious and is not really that into getting DS baptised anyway. Also not sure I'd feel that comfortable with him being there as its going to be quite an intimate do.

I don't want to seem rude or ungrateful though. What do you think?

Also, what's the score on hugging priests? I know I might want to hug him at some point, but would that be inappropriate? !

Sorry for long post and thank you in advance to anyone who replies xxx

I think it would bea nice gesture to invite him, we invited the vicar to our wedding celebrations. Didn't hug him though.

Haha I must sound like a bit of a loon wanting to hug him! But its been 15 years and I really love him lots, he was like a friend to me all those years ago...

We did.

The one who did the 2 DS was a hoot, another who did DD was rather hard work. Yours sounds more like the former. I didn't hug them though! But have hugged various monks who didn't mind.

i think you should invite him.

you're not inviting him in this instance because he's the priest, but because you view him as a friend.

I'm a bit worried about my DS's reaction if I invite him. It took 9 months to convince him to agree to a baptism and we compromised by agreeing we would not make a big deal out of it...we are only inviting the grandparents and godparents. I think he would explode if I told him the priest was coming to dinner!!

Although at the end of the day its my decision as I wear the trousers haha I just can't cope with another bout of arguments about it.

If your DH is that uncomfortable with the idea, perhaps you should reconsider the christening in the first place - after all, why are you doing this?. It would be rude NOT to invite the priest back - the chances are he will either decline, or only stay for a short time if it is a small family gathering.

That should read DP, not DS

You are right, algebra. It would be very rude not to invite him. I might just tell DP that inviting the priest is just something we do in the catholic church and he'll just have to deal with it.

I've never done it, but I've only had a passing acquaintence with my parish priest and all our christenings have been really small. But your priest sounds more like an old friend.

Oh I've hugged priests before , one I've known forever and one when I was crying like a big eejit and he was nice to me

but I would take your partners views into consideration. If your son's christening has suddenly turned into a bigger thing than you have previously discussed then I wouldn't be having a row, just so as not to appear rude.