The Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon has more funerals for priests than ordinations of priests each year for as long as I can remember. I don’t remember a year when that was not the case. If not for the priests coming in from other places, I don’t know what this diocese would do. It is such an “unchurched” state, we’d almost certainly lose more Catholics.There are currently 14 seminarians at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis MO, set to be ordained May of 2020. They are from various diocese in the US-- Wichita, Kansas City - Kansas, Bismarck, Sioux Falls - Iowa, Belleville IL , Knoxville TN, Springfield - Cape Girardeau MO, and Springfield - Illinois.
Vocations are up from 10 even 20 years ago so this is considered a great class.
The problem also has existed even back at the beginning of the last century that more economically prosperous families with few sons often discourage their sons from a priestly vocation.I do not think the “number of qualified men for the priesthood” based on education is much of a factor at all.
I agree with this.Indeed, a large part of vocational crisis is exactly what you say. A lack of vocations is an effect of a weak Catholic faith in a time or place. We watered down faith formation in the 70s, we abandoned the rosary, we abandoned Eucharistic adoration, we actively discouraged frequent confession, we allowed liturgical abuse to run wild, and guess what: vocations dropped like a rock. Its a hard cycle to break. But it has to start with the basics. Get people back to doing the basics and some of them will learn their faith, and some of their kids will become priests
Between artificial contraception, exhausted parents and just waiting much longer to marry, Catholic family sizes are much smaller. It takes more generosity to encourage your son to become a priest when you only have one son. More traditional couples also tend to have more children.Certainly a lack of formation in a family, and small families, contribute negatively towards vocations. The sentence of mine you quoted was a response to @jack63’s post, which (if I understood it correctly) seemed to imply a general level of education among the population of a diocese plays a significant role. If he was not referring to education in the Catholic faith specifically, and his post certainly implied that is the case, then I disagree with him strongly.
Indeed, a large part of vocational crisis is exactly what you say. A lack of vocations is an effect of a weak Catholic faith in a time or place. We watered down faith formation in the 70s, we abandoned the rosary, we abandoned Eucharistic adoration, we actively discouraged frequent confession, we allowed liturgical abuse to run wild, and guess what: vocations dropped like a rock. Its a hard cycle to break. But it has to start with the basics. Get people back to doing the basics and some of them will learn their faith, and some of their kids will become priests.
Having said that, my grandfather was born in about 1900 and I think had 9 siblings who married. Most had more than 4 children, but the one who had a son become a priest and a daughter become a religious sister only had three. You never know!I was born in 1964. My parents generation catholic families were usually large enough that at least one of the kiddos was expected to enter religious life.
There was a period of time, when families first shrank, that many Catholic parents discouraged their sons to be priests. It was easy to sacrifice the grandkids from one son out of half a dozen kids, but when you only had one or two kids, that was a little more difficult. A friend of mine who is a priest and a convert told me when he was in the seminary, his protestant parents were probably more supportive of him than many of the Catholic parents. But, being on the third generation of small families, we have moved beyond that IMO. Its not as much of a stumbling block because the cultural memory of happy old fold enjoying lots of grandkids is fading. If that makes any sense.I was born in 1964. My parents generation catholic families were usually large enough that at least one of the kiddos was expected to enter religious life.
Might overall point is that thinks have gotten better in places. There is no reason to suppose that those existing improvements cannot continue and that the same results cannot be replicated elsewhere.Sometimes I think it won’t get any better and at some point the Church is just going to have to ordain married men. Otherwise I don’t see how the Church will be able to survive.
@TheLittleLady …While this is certainly an interesting post, and I’m not upset you posted it, what you describe here actually upset me. Perhaps I’m missing something. I generally appreciate much of what your share, but this bothered me a great deal.Being aware of Vocations, the challenge for young men to begin discerning ought happen far before University.
Our Diocese makes a big deal out of Vocations. When a High School senior decides to enter the Discernment House there is a “signing day” just like the hoopla for HS seniors signing college contracts.