Posted on 05/09/2006 1:50:59 PM PDT by NYer
Denver, May. 09, 2006 (CNA) - Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver will ordain 11 new priests for his diocese May 13, on the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.
The ceremony will bring the total number of ordinations for Denver this academic year to 14; three men were ordained in December. This is the largest number of ordinations in Denver since the 1960s. There were five ordinations in 2002-03 and seven in 2004-05.
The Archdiocese of Denver ranks third nationwide in ordination class size for 2006. According to the Official Catholic Directory, the Church continues to average between 400 and 450 priestly ordinations each year since 2003. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has cited a trend towards older and better educated ordinands; the average age of whom nationally is 37.
In Denver, their average age is 34 and many have had full-time careers in various fields. For example, Deacon Frank Garcia, 48, taught over 20 years in Colorado’s Jefferson County Public Schools before entering the seminary. Deacon Michael Freihofer, 42, was an officer in the U.S. Air Force for 10 years, where he taught calculus and coached the Academy’s women’s volleyball team.
When asked about their calling to the priesthood, many of the ordinands describe an attraction to the priesthood since childhood, while others experienced their calling in later years, usually during college or foreign missionary work.
Albany Diocese will ordain 3 priest on Saturday, May 20. One of them is the seminarian our Columbiettes supported. He's having his Ordination party at our Council Hall and the Columbiettes will take care of all the arrangements.
The conservative dioceses grow while the liberal ones die.
From your mouth to God's ears.
(2) find out what they're doing
(3) do it.
I never really considered the Archdiocese of Washington DC to be conservative, yet this diocese has 12 ordinands (out of 567k Catholics).
FWIW
A bump for Archbishop Chaput! It's wonderful to see the church blooming again under the leadership of these extraordinary and orthodox bishops!
I would agree with you there, however I get the impression that there is a certain draw to Washington, D.C., particularly among ex-military men.
If you check out the roles of Blessed John XXIII National Seminary you'll find a significant number from D.C. who are ex-military who retired to the area before heeding the call.
Fair enough.
But are you saying that people with vocations gravitate to DC and Southern Maryland, then contact the ADW vocations director?
Or are you saying that diocesan priests ordained in other dioceses then transfer to DC following their ordination or during their seminary formation?
If the first is true, then good for ADW! The other dioceses should figure out how ADW attracts them.
If the second is true, then how is it that the seminarian's/ordinand's ordinary releases them to do the transfer? Particularly with the current shortage of priests?
Not trying to start something, it just doesn't make sense to me.
Well, my understanding is that the seminarian is sent to the (hopefully) appropriate seminary by the diocesan vocations director. That seminary may or may not be within the diocese. For example, in ADW, a few seminaries that are used a lot are Mount St. Mary's (Archdiocese of Baltimore) and Redemptoris Mater (Denver), as well as the North American College (Rome).
I don't know about other places, but before being considered, a potential seminarian must live at least one year within ADW. Considering there is exactly one seminary (Theological College) within the diocese, I don't see how that is possible on a practical basis.
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