In an attempt to reverse the terminal decline in vocations to the priesthood, the Catholic Church in Yorkshire has published a calendar featuring twelve current clerics and their off-duty pastimes.

The calendar was the idea of Father November – aka Simon Lodge – who reveals:

“If I weren’t a priest I’d be up to no good. Or at least more than I am already!”

This portrayal of the human side of the priesthood shows the poor, celibate and obedient ones following hobbies such as watching baseball on the telly, reading celebrity gossip magazines, and DIY. One learns also of frustrated ambition, as in the case of Father Matthew Habron, whose childhood dream was to become an astronaut.

Priests to be featured in an Irish version of the calendar include…

Father Dougal Mcguire likes to watch scary fillums such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Father Jack Hackett is a Master of Wines and household cleaning fluids

Father Ted Crilly keeps the world’s biggest collection of wankmags