rathish,
i understand your question, ie priest has lost his wife ie a widower.
also, from your question, you have implied that there are lady priests. atleast that is the way i would prefer to understand it, because i cannot wait for the day, when we have female vaadhiyaars.
though, i think they will be tougher than the male vaadhiyaars, and would probably insist on going the whole 1001 times during avani avittam, and they will keep count.
the only reason i am saying this, is that one of my female relatives has got into deep religion and sampradaayams. also she has taken to learning katha kalakshebams. in any public function, marriage or sumangali prarthanai, she is right there ordering everyone including the priest as to how to do the proper thing.
nowadays, whenever she comes, my other relatives shrink and hide themselves wherever they can, in order to avoid her interrogation.
so dear rathish, i am all for female priests, widowed or otherwise. but i am not so sure the easy going brahmins of this forums, who practice the three cee variation of our faith, would be too pleased. i think they would prefer the male vaadhiyaar, widower or with multiple wives, i think would not matter.
thank you for a very introspective yet very possible query.