Enrollment in Seminaries Rising?

John continues, “Because of the age demographics of the priesthood, diocesan and religious, there are 5000 fewer priests in 2008 compared to 2000 with virtually no increase in the number of seminarians at the graduate level and yearly ordinations over the past eight years.  On top of that, the Catholic population in the U.S. over the past eight years has gone from 59.9 million to 64.1 million.  Of the 18,479 parishes, 3,141 are without a resident priest in year 2008, about the same as in year 2000.  The overall trend in seminary enrollment is stagnant and cannot keep pace with the numbers of priests retiring or otherwise becoming incapacitated due to age.”

NOTE: To learn more about VOTF’s National Working Group for Priest Support, go to www.nwgps.org

Michael Paulson pointed to the same trends in his article by noting that despite the increase in seminarians in Boston, the number of priests expected to stay and serve in the diocese was far fewer than the number being educated there.