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I was wondering, roughly, how much a priest makes in stipends each year. I know they do not pay for food/shelter, but I know they get money each year, almostlike a salary. Also, would a priest be restricted from having any kind of money making job on the side, lets say, like being a part time accountant.

Priests don't make much at all. Secular(diocesan) clergy are allowed to own property, but any money they have is likely be from their pre-seminary lives or from an inheritance.

I don't remember if part-time work is expressly forbidden--Jesuits tend to have lots of priests with their own work--but you'll be a priest 24/7/365. There will be days when you're on call like a doctor for people on the edge of death. Any jobs will be "hobbies."

If after I am ordained, and something happens that changes my life, like me meeting a great woman, would I be allowed to leave the clergy and honorably attend church, or would I face a penalty, such as excommunication?

Laicization would be the only thing that would allow you to leave the priesthood, and the Vatican has been very stingy about granting such things in the past two decades.

I dobut this is true in fact, but your post sometimes sounds like you're placing conditions on what kind of priestly life you'd accept. If you really have all these "conditions" you need to have met, you need to reconsider whether you're really fit to adopt the *sacrificial* state of life that is the priesthood. A lot of this reconsideration can take place in the seminary, of course.

If you have serious trouble, theological or otherwise, with your bishop or your pastor or various other priests, you'll have to get over that right quick. Any clerical life is one of special obedience, and you can't obey easily if you're constantly hunting for heresies or liturgical missteps among your superiors. Likewise, you'll likely be serving with such bishops or priests throughout your life.

Are you in contact with your diocese's vocation office? I find it very odd that you come to FR for this kind of information. If you don't go through a religious order, you'll likely be applying as a candidate for your diocese.

You'll also need letters of recommendation from a few priests, and since you're asking about this on FR, it looks like you need to get to know some. They'd be better sources of information, too.

Anyway, the biggest Latin Mass community is the FSSP, whose seminary has a web site here. This is a fraternity and not a religious order, so I believe priests are under the authority of their local bishop and not an FSSP superior.

They are not necessarily conditions, but more like problems I need help in overcoming. I could live without all of those things, but I was just curious, more or less, about the constraints they entail. Alot of people have been taking exception to my question about stipends. I am not out to make money, not by a long shot, I am concerned with the cost of living, and really just want to know where the "survival" money is coming from, and what I should expect from it.

I have not contacted the vocations office. I chose Free Republic as a first-step to get the opinions of others, and information. Also for the prayers. I also don't want to get the hopes up of my family and priest, who want me to be a priest. I certainly feel a calling, but I make the decision, and it wont be for my family. The part about my family was for prayers in overcoming one of my vices.

I will eventually talk to the diocesan vocations office, and to some priests. I wanted to hear the thoughts of others first. You make a lot of sense, and I know I am not yet ready for such a decision. I am going to weigh everyone's advice, and look into all the information that I get. I appreciate your time! Thank you.

I find it very odd that you come to FR for this kind of information.

I don't find it odd. As a single male Catholic, I can tell you the second 'priest' or 'seminary' is uttered in the context of your vocation you're subjected to a stampede of priests, nuns, and devout ladies pressuring you and promising daily prayers for you etc etc etc. It's a much worse atmosphere than buying a used car, and imo not conducive to the proper prayerful consideration of one's vocation, priestly or otherwise.