I feel ashamed for liking a priest. What do I do?

[Overthinker0703]

So, I have been very involved in my parish for almost a year now. I first became a regular parishioner to now being involved in choir, lecturing and helping the priests out. I have recently come to the conclusion that one of the priests I have fallen for. I think my admiration for him has become something grander and just being in love with everything he does. His charisma, his personality, his smile, everything practically just makes me so happy. As I have gotten closer with my faith, I realize that I feel ashamed for this. I even cry when I first realized the shame. One of my closest friends said that she did notice the way my eyes light up when he enters the room, so if she knows, then he sure must know. He says he admires me, and usually if I'm not at the neighboring churches, he tells me that it feels empty without me.

He hasn't done much to distance himself away from me, but I feel as if I should go and run away from these feelings. I feel horribly ashamed, but the fact that just by looking at him just brings all those feelings back... I don't know what to do. I don't want to leave my home church just to leave the feelings, because then I worry that people may assume I left for the reason of the priest. But I want to let these feelings out and just throw them so I can move on.

[NamerOfStars]

Remind yourself that feelings are just feelings, and someone in a position of leadership who you interact with in a positive way in something deeply important is NATURALLY the kind of person you'll develop an attachment to; I don't think it's surprising at all that romantic feelings develop.

If you're Catholic, or of another faith where priests have to stay chaste, then you're not going to be able to act on those feelings, but there's no shame in having them.

[Luckycharms12]

It's okay to like people and perfectly natural. Acting on it would be the wrong thing

[Wise4myage]

I wouldn't stress over this too much.