RENEWAL WATCH
By Fr. Wilson (articles ) | August 24, 2003 4:53 PM
Sobering figures on vocations from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee, which had 276 priests in 2002, projects that in 2015 it will have 138. That's a 47% drop over the next twelve years.
We recently got an informational mailing from our clergy personnel office in Brooklyn. Over the next 5 years it is projected that 25% of our active priests will retire; over the next ten, 40%, over the next twenty, 80%.
And, as I looked at those figures, I realized... I'm not even part of that eighty percent!
The last l'il Indian.
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Posted by: -
Aug. 26, 2003 1:13 PM ET USA
Even in parishes with enough priests they are not doing their job. 4 lay ministers are administering Communion on Sunday morning, and when you leave the church 2 of the parish priests are outside shaking hands with parishoners. Why not administering the Sacrament at Mass?
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Posted by: AveMaria580 -
Aug. 25, 2003 10:44 AM ET USA
All this emphasis on organizing parishes to do without priests. I wonder how much effort they are putting into increasing vocations to the priesthood. That, of course, requires addressing the issues that have gotten the Church into this sad state. Often the difference between the Mass and a communion service led by a deacon or the laity isn't seen. I went to a 6:30am daily Mass in my own diocese. The parish has 3 priests and what we got was a deacon leading a communion service.
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Posted by: -
Aug. 24, 2003 9:53 PM ET USA
I am not surprised about the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. When you have had poison being spilled into the faith of the Catholics of the region (for what, the past 20 years???), what do you expect? holy and pious young men to come forth to serve the community as priests? Archbishop Dolan no doubt has his hands fulls. But if he is anything like other good bishops in the country, he will be able to attract good men... the humble, the future, men in black.
