Cardinal Bernard Law ordained him to the priesthood at Holy Cross Cathedral on June 9, 1990 and assigned him as parochial vicar at St. Paul Parish in Cambridge. In 1995 he served for one year as parochial vicar at Gate of Heaven in South Boston, the next year Cardinal Law named him Director of the archdiocese's Office for Worship and Assistant Director for Liturgical Catechesis in the archdiocesan Office for Religious education. He held both offices and lived in residence at St. Timothy in Norwood until March 2001 when he went on a period of priestly renewal. From June 2001 until his appointment as pastor in Melrose on May 3, 2002, he served as a member of the archdiocesan Emergency Response Team.

During his very short tenure as pastor in Melrose he developed a very close relationship with his people. Among those gifts which seemed to be foremost in people's minds were his reverent celebration of the liturgy, his appropriate and well prepared homilies and his welcoming style and collaborative efforts in many areas of parish life.

Cardinal Seán O'Malley was the principal celebrant of Father Field's funeral Mass at Incarnation Church in Melrose on July 16. Joining the cardinal as concelebrants were Central Regional Bishop Robert Hennessey; North region Bishop-elect Peter Uglietto; Father John Mulloy, Interim Regional Vicar of the North Region; archdiocesan vicar general, Father Richard Erikson; Father Richard Butler, present administrator of Incarnation Parish; Father Sean McCarthy who served as homilist; and priests from the archdiocese, other dioceses in Ohio and Louisiana, and classmates and friends of Father Field.

Following the funeral Mass Father Field was buried in St. Mary Cemetery, Salem.