Ordinations, 1975: 4,149
Ordinations, 2010: 6,863
Catholic students in secondary schools, 1970: 7,667,000
Catholic students in secondary schools, 2010: 17,794,000
Catholic population, 1970: 653 million
Catholic population, 2010: 1.196 billion
Parishes without a pastor, 1995: 60,705
Parishes without a pastor, 2010: 49,172
Deacons and brothers, 1985: 77,749
Deacons and brothers, 2010: 94,229
Diocesan priests, 2005: 269,762
Diocesan priests, 2010: 277,009
What is so impressive about the increase in the number of priests is that the number has included retired priests. Due to the surge in the priestly vocations in Europe in the middle of the 20th century, there has recently been a fantastic number of retirement-age priests. Those priests are dying off by the thousands, yet the number of new priests is so great that the total number is still increasing.
Outstanding!
Bookmarking this page.
Am not a Catholic but increases by the clergy or students enrolled in Catholic Schools is a blessing. Only church schools will bring this nation back through young people. What is being taught in public schools is shameful. God bless the parents for the financial sacrifice they are making.
Thank you for posting the data that way. Impressive.
Is there a breakdown at the data source for just the US?