Ordinations Increase

[Maranatha]

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

 

[Maranatha]

Here is the full report.

usccb.org/vocations/ordination/2007/carareport.pdf

 

[francesco920]

This is good news! I hope this is an actual trend and not just a fluke. It seems to me that as the control of the Church is wrestled away from modernist forces, the situation regarding the number of ordinations improves.

Now just imagine what would happen if Rome would act more boldly and decisively against the modernist clergy and laymen…

Oh, the possibilities!

 

[vern_humphrey]

Our little community has started “adopting” seminarians. We choose one, and we send them letters (the children write them), send pictures, cookies, and other little things. We are able to budget enough in our Vocations account to pay their way to visit us on vacation, talk to the kids, stay with parishoners and so on.

 

[puzzleannie]

we did our share, ordained 4 yesterday in this diocese, all are from Mexico but will be serving here. two are named Juan Pablo, a very good sign, shows you when they were born (probably during the Pope’s first trip to Mexico).

 

[Nohome]

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.

A ray of hope? Yes. A cause for celebration? No.

Annual attrition rates of preists in the United States is currently right around 800. About 500 retire and another 300 die. So this “increase” only means a slower net decrease. In order to sustain any sort of growth, we would need about 1,200 ordinations per year.

Nohome

 

[rien]

A ray of hope? Yes. A cause for celebration? No.

Annual attrition rates of preists in the United States is currently right around 800. About 500 retire and another 300 die. So this “increase” only means a slower net decrease. In order to sustain any sort of growth, we would need about 1,200 ordinations per year.

Nohome

And is not a lot of this increase foreign born priests? It really means nothing IMO and that 60 million plus catholics can’t produce 1000 let alone 500 priests a year tells you the church is in collapse.

 

[TraditionalCath]

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

good news:thumbsup:

 

[Joe_Kelley]

And is not a lot of this increase foreign born priests? It really means nothing IMO and that 60 million plus catholics can’t produce 1000 let alone 500 priests a year tells you the church is in collapse.

See “People are calling them the new Irish”

About 300,000 – perhaps a third of all Vietnamese immigrants – are Catholics, or less than one percent of all Catholics in America; but Vietnamese and other Asian seminarians make up 12% of the men studying for the priesthood, according to Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.

 

[Nohome]

And is not a lot of this increase foreign born priests? It really means nothing IMO and that 60 million plus catholics can’t produce 1000 let alone 500 priests a year tells you the church is in collapse.

Presently, half of all priests ordained in the United States are foreign and one in six priests assigned to Parishes are foreign. The USA is well on its way to being a Catholic mission country.

Nohome

 

[Titus]

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.

 

[francesco920]

And is not a lot of this increase foreign born priests? It really means nothing IMO and that 60 million plus catholics can’t produce 1000 let alone 500 priests a year tells you the church is in collapse.

Well, considering that at least 75% of those 60 million reject or do not believe in what the Church teaches…

And yes there is a real problem but this is good news if it is a trend and it is our job to make sure that it IS a trend.

 

[mommyof4]

Our little community has started “adopting” seminarians. We choose one, and we send them letters (the children write them), send pictures, cookies, and other little things. We are able to budget enough in our Vocations account to pay their way to visit us on vacation, talk to the kids, stay with parishoners and so on.

I think that that is wonderful.

I’ve thought of sponsoring a seminarian through some agency, such as CNEW, etc. It’s only 60 some $$ a month, but I don’t have that much discretionary money in my budget at this point. I do want to get some other bills paid off first, and then redirect that $$ towards sponsoring a seminarian.

 

[PapaSquash]

Presently, half of all priests ordained in the United States are foreign and one in six priests assigned to Parishes are foreign. The USA is well on its way to being a Catholic mission country.

Nohome

Accoding to the California Catholic Daily, 80% of the priests in the LA diocese were foreign-born in the 40’s- 50’s (Irish) So depending on where you are, half might be a significant improvement.

Locally, (St Paul, MN) we ordained eight on Saturday, including my friend’s brother.

 

[rien]

See “People are calling them the new Irish”

I think the key is the admission that few American born Vitenamese would go to the prioeshood. This is an immigrant phenomena and it tells how desperate the church is if it has to rely om immigrants for vocationsw hich, the sarticle indicates, will likely disappear after the first generation.

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?

Thius news can be used to try to hide the crisis but really it can’t.

 

[rien]

Well, considering that at least 75% of those 60 million reject or do not believe in what the Church teaches…

And yes there is a real problem but this is good news if it is a trend and it is our job to make sure that it IS a trend.

Well, if 75% don’t belive does that mean there are rellly only 15 million or so Catholics in the US. Whicch makes sense as the almost 10 million Mormons, more than 10 million Muslims and tens of millions of pentocastals all seem to be having a far more profound, albeit not what it should be, effect than the so-numbered 60 million Catholics.

 

[Maranatha]

Presently, half of all priests ordained in the United States are foreign and one in six priests assigned to Parishes are foreign. The USA is well on its way to being a Catholic mission country.

Nohome

According to the report that I linked, 70% of this year’s ordination are caucasian. Where do you get your statistics?

 

[Nohome]

According to the report that I linked, 70% of this year’s ordination are caucasian. Where do you get your statistics?

It was just a stat off of CARA or something like that. Don’t you think it is a bit presumtous to assume that caucasion means native born?

Nohome

 

[Maranatha]

It was just a stat off of CARA or something like that. Don’t you think it is a bit presumtous to assume that caucasion means native born?

Nohome

The report also said that 2/3 were native born.

 

[Nohome]

The report also said that 2/3 were native born.

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