Posted on 04/08/2015 6:35:16 AM PDT by marshmallow
595 men are expected to be ordained to the priesthood in the United States in 2015, an increase of 24.7% over last year’s figure of 477, according to data released by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The number of men ordained to the priesthood in the US fell steadily from 994 in 1965, to 771 in 1975, 533 in 1985, 511 in 1995, and 454 in 2005, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.
Good News!
I would think this is a lagging indicator, considering how long it takes to go through the study process before ordination—meaning that this is a trend that has been building for some time, in spite of the usual “everyone’s leaving Christianity” narrative.
So despite this recent 25% improvement, ordinations are still down 40% overall since 1965.
Good News ping ...
And not enough to replace those retiring or dying.
Congratulations, you've demonstrated the ability to perform 4th grade mathematical calculations.
One of them will be one of my friends. He’s a later in life priest. His wife died a few years ago and he heard the calling. He gets ordained on May 30 and he’s gonna be a wonderful priest!
Progress, even in small steps, is still progress.
An ability seemingly impossible for Catholic World News. Can't have any "anti-Catholic" statistics!
The Church in the U.S. has gone through a rough patch created by trendy 60s/70s bishops who didn't adhere to the faith and thought they could create a "new church" that would be basically Unitarians with fancy vestments and do all the cool social justice stuff. They used VCII as an excuse to do this. The result was not the howling success they hoped for - it resulted in a huge drop in Mass attendance and vocations. A certain notoriously liberal diocese didn't have a seminarian for 10 years. After all, if the Church is only about fellowship and social justice, that's more easily done without getting involved in the Church.
The good news is that the trend is turning around with a return to the core beliefs of Catholicism (amazing - be what you are with all your might, don't try to be something else, and they will come.)
Now: a word to the wise.
I don't hang around on the Calvinist or Dispensational or Evangelical threads just to give people a hard time.
Being unable to live and let live is the province of the rabid 'progressive' busybodies (see, Memories Pizza, Hugo Awards, etc. etc.)
We understand that you dislike the Catholic faith and apparently believe its adherents to be hell-bound. Good for you. Take it someplace else.
“So despite this recent 25% improvement, ordinations are still down 40% overall since 1965”.
Thanks to morality gone to hell in a hand basket in all faiths. Courtesy of the birth control pill and legalized abortion.
I think the Pharisees said something like that about Jesus. They didn't like Him coming around either.
Not only busybodies, but delusions of grandeur.
You couldn't make this stuff up if you were trying to caricature the offensive busybody.
This is excellent news, as the shortage is really starting to be felt. Of the priests in my parish, one is about to retire, and the other two are in failing health.
Nope, just choose good company.
Great news, hope there are no pedophiles among them.
Hopefully there will be more information out soon.
Great post. I appreciate your thoughts.
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