So, is there a priest shortage?

Fr. Matthew Kowalski's Home Page ^ | Fr. Matthew Kowalski OSB

[saradippity]

The way you refer to your community,and your apparent agreement that the priest shortage is very hard on Catholics is interesting. You seem to want to portray yourself as Catholic but you are not Catholic,are you?

As I remember from other threads you are Methodist. Yes or no?

BTW,I am happy to read the comments of non-Catholics,but they are infinitely more valuable when the poster identifies his religion as well as the diocese he/she is in.

To better help us fight the battle for Catholicism,Christianity and Western Civilization can you telll us what diocese you are referring to? Thanks.

[xzins]

I find it fascinating that you chose to say I used 2nd person singular pronouns when I only and ever used 3rd person plural pronouns.

I used their, they, them, etc. You said I used "you, your."

You are the one being disengenous.

There isn't a regular catholic on these lists that doesn't know me, and me, them. I ping them to catholic articles and they ping me to those that might interest me.

I'm a pastor of a methodist church in a community in s. Ohio. I spoke of the catholics in our community. I gave their information. Also, I'm a recently retired Army Chaplian. I've lived with the priest shortage for years and it's well known in the military because they want priests so badly.

Basically, you owe me an apology.

[ninenot]

Szymanski

[saradippity]

While more and accurate information is always to our benefit,the important numbers are less in the actual numbers unless you know the population,the population increases,the no.of Catholics in each year studied,the dates of the appointment of the present bishop and so on.

For those of us interested,the fact that the top dioceses regards ordination are orthodox and the floundering ones are headed up by pretty heterodox bishops is key.

Keep that in mind when you observe what's going on in the Catholic Church. It may help you in having your church hold the line.You are Southern Baptist,aren't you?

[ninenot]

And your Bishop is....????

[american colleen]

But how many priests does that equal in real numbers? IOW, gains or loses in percentages are even more impressive if we knew that, say, Atlanta had been ordaining large numbers of priests, even in 1991, and 123% was a really whopping increase.

Good point, however.... the (for instance) Atlanta diocese could indeed have been ordaining few priests in 1991 and I would posit that we should look at the bishop of the diocese at that time in addition to the numbers - you know what I mean? The point of the article is the relationship between the numbers and the leaders. It seems that orthodox leaders beget larger numbers of priest/seminarians.

As an aside, the diocese of Atlanta has welcomed the Legionaries of Christ and I presume they add to the percentage. It's interesting that even in the dioceses with a priest shortage, the Legionaries are not embraced to help with the shortage.

[american colleen]

For those of us interested,the fact that the top dioceses regards ordination are orthodox and the floundering ones are headed up by pretty heterodox bishops is key.

Do you think the above is on the bishop's investigative "to do" list before or after the part where they are looking into whether or not homosexuality played a part in the abuse cases of recent unblessed memory?

[Hermann the Cherusker]

But I can drive for 15 minutes in any direction and pass maybe 8 or 9 parishes.

I'm 7 minutes drive or less from 15 parishes. Of course, we have something like 45 Priests assigned to these parishes.

[xJones]

Keep that in mind when you observe what's going on in the Catholic Church. It may help you in having your church hold the line.You are Southern Baptist,aren't you?

Yes, I'm a Southern Baptist, and have numerouse wonderful devout Catholic in-laws. IOW, I'm a friend if you didn't know.

Your point is well taken, ac. There are many variables to be considered in numbers of priests, and of course, THE big point is that conservative Catholic dioceses attract vocations, liberal ones repell, which shouldn't surprise anyone.

[american colleen]

Basically, you owe me an apology.

I'm not sure why anyone would owe you an apology? When I read your post and you said:
"In our community they are consolidating the parishes and going from 3 to 2 priests in the entire county. "

I thought maybe you had converted.

And when you said this:
"Contrary to this article, it is viewed by the people as a problem and not a victory. "

It sounded to me like maybe you had attended Catholic meetings and were privy to the discussions of the Catholics there.

[american colleen]

Szymanski

Not even close.

[american colleen]

I'm 7 minutes drive or less from 15 parishes. Of course, we have something like 45 Priests assigned to these parishes.

Just for the record (and the peanut gallery)... is your diocese progressive or orthodox?

[american colleen]

THE big point is that conservative Catholic dioceses attract vocations, liberal ones repell, which shouldn't surprise anyone.

Well it might surprise more than a few people if the facts and evidence from the facts were presented in places where people would actually see them. This stuff is not written about outside of orthodox circles and the bishops certainly don't deal with it because their "collegiality" tends to result in non-controversial statements and issues so as not to offend themselves.

[JohnnyZ]

There is a priest shortage except for a few areas where there isn't. That about sizes it up, right?

The point is, it's not a big deal unless you demand that every town or neighborhood with 200 Catholics get their own priest, and that's with entire diocese not even trying to get vocations. You haven't addressed anything in the article, you've just said "there's a shortage, don't ignore it."

I have roughly 6 churches within 15 minutes of me, with over 20 priests and deacons, mostly priests. Where I grew up has one priest covering 8 small towns and two churches. It's what's called a "rural area".

If you've read "The Power and the Glory" -- that is a priest shortage, one priest for the whole of Mexico. We have an embarassment of riches wrt priests in the US.

[saradippity]

Sorry. When I read ""In 'our' community",I thought you were referring to the Catholic community,another reason I hate the term "community" that the Amchurch uses so liberally regards religion,to me it is so non defining and not at all helpful.Anyway,that's the way I read it and that is why I read it that way.

Truth is I would have not known that you were Methodist except so many of your posts are thoughtful and Christian and I almost always read them.

Finally,and my last excuse is I am grammatically challenged,and have always been.I have exasperated parents,teachers,professors,mentors,tutors,bosses and secretaries. I am also legally blind and my close vision is uncorrectable.

Can I ask again,what diocese are you living in?

[JohnnyZ]

Just for the record (and the peanut gallery)... is your diocese progressive or orthodox?

I guess I should add to the record, too. But it's hard to tell sometimes. Where I grew up never made any controversial or exciting moves in either direction. Where I live now is on balance orthodox, I guess, though it could be better.

[xzins]

I appreciate your integrity. Thank you.

I'm living in N. Adams county, in S. Ohio. My sense is that it would look either to Cincinnati or to Chillicothe or Portsmouth for its bishop.

[xzins]

See #'s 21, 22, 35

[ArrogantBustard]

I believe that would be the Arcdiocese of Cincinnati, ABp. Daniel Plarczyk. I once lived in Dayton, same diocese. It's not the worst cesspit of heterodoxy in the US, but that isn't saying much.

[sitetest]

Dear Colleen,

In the Archdiocese of Washington, we have over 140 parishes, and I'm pretty sure all have at least one priest. Many have more than one priest, and some parishes have three or more.

Of course, we cheat. A number of our parishes are staffed by priests of religious orders, and because we have the Catholic University of America, we have a lot of priests in residence in the archdiocese. Many of these live at the rectories of our parishes, and most are happy to assist with the Mass schedule. Some even do more than that.

We have about 300+ diocesan priests. In the mid-term, that will decline, as many are older fellows, near to retirement. But if the rate of ordination holds up, in the long term, it's likely that our number of diocesan priests will begin to increase faster than the Catholic population. I'm confident that we are the beginning of a long-term increase in vocations, as the number of "freshmen" entering the seminary is nearly double the number of men, who after five years, are now being ordained.

Conversely, the Archdiocese of Baltimore (not as orthodox, in my view) has at least three parishes, now, without priests. I'm not sure about ordination figures.


sitetest