Ordinations Increase

[Maranatha]

2/3 = 66%, my report said 50%. Perhaps they are just different years data. Statistically, they are the same figure. The fact remains that America can’t produce enough priests to replace those that are lost to attrition.

Nohome

I don’t think 50% and 66% as statistically the same thing. Many, perhaps even most, priests who retire, continue to help for many years. They filling in for sick or vacationing parish priests. I would still like to see the source for your attrition numbers. I don’t doubt they are in the ballpark, but I’d like to see for myself. Thanks.

 

[tomarin]

Why are not native born American catholics entering releigious ife - like at all - and why are so many leaving the church for fundamentalist, Islam (especially among Hispanics) or secularism?

i would guess, in a word, affluence. american catholics, seen as a religious minority within the u.s. are more affluent and assimilated to the american mainstream than ever before. affluence works against faith (case in point: ireland, where church attendance and vocations have plummeted since its recent prosperity boom).

this means many american catholics are only nominally catholic and unlikely to raise children who would choose a vocation willingly and unlikely to support their decision if they do.

our religion is a victim of our own “success”.

also, the high number of “foreign-born” priests in the 1950’s mentioned by another poster suggests we have never had a large majority of native-born priests.

 

[CarolAnnSFO]

Why are people so negative. You’ll never increase vocations by saying ‘The church is in collapse’. So why say it? The church has enough doomsayers, it needs more people to go out there and encourage vocations, pray for vocations, and answer vocations.

:clapping:
Say something enough, and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Prayer is more powerful than doomsaying.

 

[Nohome]

I don’t think 50% and 66% as statistically the same thing.

I guess that depends on how you look at things. Both numbers indicate that the USA continues to depend on foreign priests. Think of it this way, who cares if your tank is half full or 2/3 full, you still don’t have enough to travel very far. In Chicago, only one of the 13 priests ordaned was from the USA.

Many, perhaps even most, priests who retire, continue to help for many years. They filling in for sick or vacationing parish priests.

This is a very good use of an available resource, but it isn’t sustainable. Old priests can only get older and must be replaced.

I would still like to see the source for your attrition numbers. I don’t doubt they are in the ballpark, but I’d like to see for myself.

Attrition is not easily calculated. The USCCB does not send out an annual press release like they do about ordinations. Here is one story that mentions 800/year.

Natural attrition during this period would average about 800 losses annually, approximately 500 from retirement and 300 from preretirement deaths.

findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1252/is_n7_v122/ai_16771690

 

[David_Zampino]

Ordinations Increase

Though still troubled by a shortage of priests, the Catholic Church saw the number of ordinations increase slightly this year, from 431 nationwide in 2006 to 475 in 2007, according to a study conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University.

The average age of the new priests is 35. The study also found that more men, about 60 percent, are entering the priesthood already having earned college degrees. Of those, 20 percent also held degrees in law, medicine or education.

more

The Archdiocese in which I live has seen a sharp uptick in ordinations (both priests and deacons) AND seminarians AND college seminarians in the five years we’ve had our new Archbishop. And frankly, the quality of these ordinands is outstanding.

We have reasons to rejoice.

 

[Maranatha]

I guess that depends on how you look at things. Both numbers indicate that the USA continues to depend on foreign priests. Think of it this way, who cares if your tank is half full or 2/3 full, you still don’t have enough to travel very far. In Chicago, only one of the 13 priests ordaned was from the USA.

This is a very good use of an available resource, but it isn’t sustainable. Old priests can only get older and must be replaced.

Attrition is not easily calculated. The USCCB does not send out an annual press release like they do about ordinations. Here is one story that mentions 800/year.

findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1252/is_n7_v122/ai_16771690

Thanks for the link. The1995 article from Commonweal is bleak and depressing. I disagree with the headline, “Numbers don’t lie: a priesthood in irreversible decline.” Twelve years ago, I can understand this perspective even if it was a bit sensationalistic. Irreversible is a strong word and the uptick in ordinations this year proves it false. Now that were twelve years on, perhaps the worst of the decline is over. I don’t have numbers for seminarians or attrition rates so I can’t be sure.

The 1995 article also says, “the steady immigration of Asian and Hispanic Catholics account for most of the growth” I believe this continues today. Since we have seen a steady increase in the Catholic population due to immigration, why is it surprising that we also rely on immigrants for some our our priests?

After some back of the envelope calculations, I agree with the 800ordinations/year number. If we want to sustain 28,000 priests and if each serves for 35 years, this would take 800 ordinations a year. That would put us 325 short for this year. One Thousand a year would be better, of course.

 

[OriginalJS]

Why are people so negative. You’ll never increase vocations by saying ‘The church is in collapse’. So why say it? The church has enough doomsayers, it needs more people to go out there and encourage vocations, pray for vocations, and answer vocations.

I agree with this observations. I have something else worthy of consideration. I think that reported church membership in the United States bears little or no relationship to the numbers who attend church. Last Saturday night I attended Mass in a small town where I was visiting relatives. That church has several hundred on the rolls but there were fewer than 30 present. A layman who is very active told me a sad story about the church finances. Lots of “catholics” in the town simply don’t come to Mass (possibly excepting Christmas and Easter, weddings, baptisms and funerals) and never contribute meaningfully.

Yes, if you take the reported membership and divide by the number of priests, it looks grim. But, realistically, the priest shortage probably isn’t as bad as it seems given the number of actual worshippers.

 

[Franze]

Happy news, there are a lot of problems but it´s positive the news.