Bishop Slattery: “I think something good is happening in the new generation.”

[JimG]

“There are three priests involved in the spiritual direction of our high school. They’re very busy. You really sense a difference there. I talk to other priests and bishops, and they tell me the same thing is happening in their dioceses. I think something good is happening in the new generation, and I have great hope for them.”

–Bishop Slattery, quoted in CWR

It’s always good to hear something nice being said about the young. And it’s true. I think the bishop is on to something.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I am inclined to agree with him. I think the younger priests have a tough job ahead of them, but I think their devotion to Church teaching is far greater than it is with some of the older ones.

 

[Lormar]

That is what I have observed in my diocese.

 

[Muzhik]

I attribute this to St. John Paul 2nd, for acting as an example of an active involved priesthood. I also attribute it to the greater number of more orthodox (I hesitate to say “conservative”) bishops, who seem to place much more value on developing the spiritual lives of their priests than some previous bishops.

It’s why a diocese like that of Lincoln (Nebraska), which covers the southern half of the state of Nebraska, is able to have more per-capita seminarians than Archdiocese of Los Angeles. By that I mean that, in 2014, St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Seward, NE had 47 seminarians, while St. John Seminary in Camarillo, CA had 96 seminarians, or twice as many. However, the Diocese of Lincoln has a Catholic population of around 97,000 while the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has a Catholic population of around 4,264,000. IOW, Lincoln has 2.25% the Catholic population of Los Angeles. Yet Lincoln produced 1 seminarian for every 2,064 Catholics, while Los Angeles produced 1 seminarian for every 44,41744,417 Catholics. To put it another way, Lincoln, NE, which is a much more orthodox diocese than Los Angeles, is producing 95% more seminarians.

I think Archbishop José Gómez has his work cut out for him.

 

[TCEL]

That’s because the recent seminarians are awesome, even if I don’t always relate with them. I was ecstatic to hear that a fantastic young priest filled the shoes of one of my most influential theology teachers at my old high school. He will be a blessing to those kids.