Foreign-born priests becoming more common in US
December 09, 2011
Among the Catholic priests ordained in the US in 2011, nearly one-third were born in another country.
The proportion of foreign-born priests serving in American parishes has been rising steadily for a decade, as immigrants form an increasing proportion of seminary classes and dioceses invite religious orders to send priests from abroad.
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Posted by: -
Dec. 10, 2011 5:27 PM ET USA
Real simple - Christianity always has been and always will be a religion of the poor. For the last 2,000 years as the economic success of a country increases, the number of religious vocations decreases. There is also a very practical aspect: if I had the choice of being a priest or working in a coal mine 14 hours a day 6 days a week, priesthood starts looking pretty good. As America's prosperity increased, there were many other options for Catholics.
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Posted by: Defender -
Dec. 10, 2011 11:41 AM ET USA
Seems like a lot of things aren't working. Decreasing numbers of Catholics, schools and priests in the United States presided over by bishops who don't address the real issues that make us Catholic. Further, when one attempts to correct or question why things are not done correctly, one is summarily dismissed as a trouble maker. Things have got to change.
