Abstract
This project focuses on the communication of American Catholic Priests gained from interpretive interviews with over 25 area priests. Analysis of the interview texts revealed that these priests utilize very similar communication patterns to deal with the day-to day strains of being on the front line of the Catholic Church. Their communication is determined by what communication realm in which a given topic resides. In this thesis, I identify three different types of communication priests use to deal with pressures from the Vatican and their own laity. Whether incorporating attribution strategies, accommodation strategies or a mixture of the two, it becomes apparent that priests go to great lengths to insure that they protect the image of the Roman Catholic Church. This illuminates the various reactions priests make to controversial issues and explains how they work together to create an acceptable world in which each priest can live.
Koegler, Shelley (1997). A communion of voices : an interpretive analysis of communication among American Catholic Priests. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -1997 -THESIS -K64.