• Chaplains and priests read scriptures to the faithful.The priest image by professional from Fotolia.com
  
  A priest is a clergyman associated with the Catholic church. A chaplain is a priest who is associated with a group that isn't associated with a church or mission, such as a hospital or military unit. A priest and chaplain thus have essentially the same duties, although they may work in vastly different environments.
  
  

Service Leadership

• The primary duty of a priest or chaplain is to lead worship services (masses) for Christians. During a mass, they may read verses of scripture, give speeches (sermons) based on the New or Old Testament of the Bible and lead the congregation members in singing or otherwise performing religious music. Priests and chaplains also may make announcements to the parish members. Priests and chaplains usually have one or two primary masses on Sundays, but they also may have masses on other days of the week and to observe special occasions like weddings.
  
  

Delivery of Sacrament

• The sacrament is a small wafer or piece of bread that Christians use to remember the reason why Christ died. A priest or chaplain will deliver the sacrament to members of their congregation during mass. They also deliver the sacrament outside of the church, such as when a person is dying.
  
  

Officiation at Ceremonies

• Priests and chaplains may preside over ceremonies such as funerals, wakes, weddings and baptisms. During these ceremonies, they may lead or perform specific prayers and rites. Some of these ceremonies, such as weddings, require that the priest or chaplain sign legal documents that demonstrate that the ceremony has been completed by a licensed church leader.
  
  

Counseling

• People may come to a priest or chaplain when they are going through difficult times. The priest or chaplain must provide spiritual guidance for these individuals. This may include debating what God would want the person to do and providing the individuals with scripture verses. If more than one person jointly comes for counseling, such as with couples, the priest or chaplain also may serve as an intermediary so that the people can communicate with each other effectively and solve their problems.
  
  

Administrative Duties

• Priests and chaplains have administrative tasks such as keeping track of membership in the parish, sending out church newsletters, working to balance the church budget, preparing programs for services, planning church and community events and coordinating with other leaders of the diocese to ensure that the church is meeting the standards of the denomination. In larger churches, some of these duties may be delegated to church coordinators, accountants or secretaries.