Importing Priests from Countries with Worse Priest/ Parishioner Ratios?

[spiritblows]

I’ve been reading that in actuality, the United States has a relatively good priest/layman ratio. In fact, our standard of spiritual care is higher that many countries. Latin America is known to have ratios of >10,000 to 1. Yet we import priests from some of these countries, which boosts our own spiritual care at the expense of others.

Its very similar to the brain drain we see in other fields. It’s an ethical controversy in healthcare, for instance, where western nations import doctors and nurses from poor countries with inadequete healthcare.

Is this all part of our sense of entitlement to a better standard of living all around? Is it right? I love some of these wonderful priests I’ve encountered. But, I wonder about the spiritual needs of those who still live in their countries of origin.

 

[otm]

The Hispanic priests who are being brought in are there for a specifi purpose: to adminster the Sacraments to Hispanics. It is hardly an “entitlement to a better standard of living”.

Priests from other areas, Africa in particular, are doing missionary work here, and as a matter fo fact, parts of Africa are experiencing a surge of vocations.

 

[jman507]

Those priest may gain more by going out and coming back, than just staying in the same place. They can admister to the people who immagrated. They can be a visable face of other countries to the parish they go to. Sometimes its good to be the literal stranger in a strang place, and also to take care of the stranger in a strange place. Also we can and do in the US exchange some preists as missionaries. All that said, there is something good about priest who care for those of their home area.

 

[vern_humphrey]

“We” don’t import priests. Bishops request assistance from other bishops.

Here in Mountain View, Arkansas, our little church is served by two travelling priests, one from Nigeria. He did not volunteer to come here, his bishop sent him.

 

[spiritblows]

I would then ask, why are Bishops sending priests from countries that need them more? Do they recieve American dollars as compensation? I’m just wondering the motivation, since otherwise it doesn’t make sense.

 

[bettyg51]

vern humphrey:

Here in Mountain View, Arkansas, our little church is served by two travelling priests, one from Nigeria. He did not volunteer to come here, his bishop sent him.

Hi Vern,
I grew up in Pocahontas, AR over in northeastern AR. My mom complains that they rarely have daily Mass any more because their pastor lives about 7 miles away, after 130 years of having a full time pastor. You’ve got it worse, by far.
When I camp in the Missouri Ozarks, we have to drive 30 miles to find a Catholic church while by-passing dozens of Baptist, etc. ones. The scarcity of priests makes it difficult to convert this area. That’s what makes me wonder whether having a part-time, married clergy would make a lot of sense, because these areas can’t support a full-time one. One church I go to has a traveling priest with only 10 parishioners. That priest goes to 5 cities in a weekend.

 

[tossolul]

spiritblows:

I would then ask, why are Bishops sending priests from countries that need them more? Do they recieve American dollars as compensation? I’m just wondering the motivation, since otherwise it doesn’t make sense.

I’ve been wondering your motivation also as of late. Why do you keep starting threads that only cause conflict?

 

[Brendan]

spiritblows:

I would then ask, why are Bishops sending priests from countries that need them more? Do they recieve American dollars as compensation? I’m just wondering the motivation, since otherwise it doesn’t make sense.

Some of these areas have many vocations, but few parishes to send their priests to.

We had a bishop from Uganda speaking at our parish a few months ago.

They have more vocations than they have room in their seminary (one of the appeals he was making was for an exansion to the semniary).

But there are no parishes to send them to after they come out. No buildings, no support for the priest.

One priest in our Archdiocese is from Nigeria. I remember him leading a fund raiser so they could build and fund construction of church in his home village.

 

[cmgeo]

Well
Assume that Green Dollars is one of the reasons or the Major reason.
Whats wrong with that any way. How are they to fund
their own missions if there is absolutely no source
of income
They cant get any money from their people
because the people themselves live in abject poverty
How do you think they can run schools, hospitals and do evangelizing?

It is a win-win situation any way
they get their money for apostloate and people over here get
their sacraments

spiritblows:

I would then ask, why are Bishops sending priests from countries that need them more? Do they recieve American dollars as compensation? I’m just wondering the motivation, since otherwise it doesn’t make sense.

 

[spiritblows]

I certainly am not trying to bring up conflict at all. However, I was reading some statistics about the priest/parishioner ratios, and it turns out that the United States has a superior one to countries that send us priests. I’m curious as to why we would be sent priests while Catholics in those countries don’t have them. I don’t know the reason, that’s why I ask.

Someone stated that the Bishops are sending them. I’m wondering, could it be a financial motive that brings back needed money to extremely poor dioceses? Or is there some other reason? I really don’t know, not being privy to the inner workings of church government.

Is there something wrong with this topic? If so, then the moderators can remove it, but it seemed innoculous to me.

 

[spiritblows]

Brendan:

Some of these areas have many vocations, but few parishes to send their priests to.

We had a bishop from Uganda speaking at our parish a few months ago.

They have more vocations than they have room in their seminary (one of the appeals he was making was for an exansion to the semniary).

But there are no parishes to send them to after they come out. No buildings, no support for the priest.

One priest in our Archdiocese is from Nigeria. I remember him leading a fund raiser so they could build and fund construction of church in his home village.

Now here is an answer that does make sense. Thanks for the information, Brendan.

 

[vern_humphrey]

bettyg51:

Hi Vern,
I grew up in Pocahontas, AR over in northeastern AR. My mom complains that they rarely have daily Mass any more because their pastor lives about 7 miles away, after 130 years of having a full time pastor. You’ve got it worse, by far.
When I camp in the Missouri Ozarks, we have to drive 30 miles to find a Catholic church while by-passing dozens of Baptist, etc. ones. The scarcity of priests makes it difficult to convert this area. That’s what makes me wonder whether having a part-time, married clergy would make a lot of sense, because these areas can’t support a full-time one. One church I go to has a traveling priest with only 10 parishioners. That priest goes to 5 cities in a weekend.

I’ve been to the church in Pocahontas – when I was running for Congress, I’d make it a point to locate the Catholic churches, and drop in if I had time on my hands and say the rosary.

The problem is really not lack of priests – we have a healthy and growning Catholic community. We cannot, however yet support a full time priest. We have ambitions to buy a house and 10 acres adjoining our church, and then advertise for a retired priest.