"There is no shortage of married men willing to serve the Church. There is, however, a shortage of celibate men willing to serve the Church.
What am I missing?"
The married men who are serving the Church need to get out there and recruit more celibate men to serve the Church.
Being a Deacon, a husband, a father, running a business, trying to put kids through education, and repaying a mortgage, can be a very good witness to single men as to why they shouldn't even think of attempting to combine marriage and priesthood - even if the Church were to allow it!
If one more parishioner writes to the bishop asking him why he can't ordain me as a priest I am going to start coating the hosts with chilli powder!!!
"Being a Deacon, a husband, a father, running a business, trying to put kids through education, and repaying a mortgage, can be a very good witness to single men as to why they shouldn't even think of attempting to combine marriage and priesthood - even if the Church were to allow it!"
Couldn't the church avoid the above problems by ordaining older married men whose children are already grown? I would bet that there are deacons who would volunteer.
"Being a Deacon, a husband, a father, running a business, trying to put kids through education, and repaying a mortgage, can be a very good witness to single men as to why they shouldn't even think of attempting to combine marriage and priesthood - even if the Church were to allow it! "
Excellent point Tantumergo.