“The total number of seminarians in formation in the U.S., after stabilizing at around 5,000 in the mid 1990s, began to drop again over the last decade and is now below 4,000.”
pillarcatholic.com
On vocations, asking is key
During the month of November, the U.S. bishops’ conference asks Catholics to pray that young people will respond to vocational calls, especially to the priesthood and to …
The "Francis Effect". Our Archdiosecean seminary, 155 yrs. old in Merion, Pa., in closing in 2024. Down to 100 seminarians ( only about 40 studying for Philadelphia Archdiocese.) . There were about 490-590 from about 1937-62 at the seminary. There were between 35-65 ordinations for the Archdiocese every year during the same period. With regards to nuns, 400-600+ young girls joined the 5 major large …More
The "Francis Effect". Our Archdiosecean seminary, 155 yrs. old in Merion, Pa., in closing in 2024. Down to 100 seminarians ( only about 40 studying for Philadelphia Archdiocese.) . There were about 490-590 from about 1937-62 at the seminary. There were between 35-65 ordinations for the Archdiocese every year during the same period. With regards to nuns, 400-600+ young girls joined the 5 major large religious Orders of teaching/nursing sisters every year(combined totals) for the same period, and maybe 150 combined joined 10-15 other Orders that used to have novitiates in Philly Archdiocese. By the 1970's, the Seminary was down to 225 seminarians, with maybe 15 ordinations a year....but nuns really suffered....about 60 combined entrances for the big Orders thru the early 1970's...and less as the decade went on. Today, all the novitiates for nuns are basically closed, with median ages in all 5 of the once big major Orders at 82+ The seminary had a mini-Renaissance during the very last years of JPII, and all thru Benedict XVI's reign...going from 155 in 2000 to about 235-240 when Benedict XVI resigned in 2013. There was no talk of closing/selling. Last year there were 98 total seminarians. This year, they are all "happy face" because they boast an enrollment of 100. The funny thing is that apparently 30 guys from Phila. Archdiocese and others entered this Sept, which means that over 20+ must have resigned over the Summer if the enrollment is only 100, and 98 last year. The Francis effect.
Though perhaps an unpopular view by some here, I believe the slight increase was due to the somewhat conservative papacies of John Paul II & Benedict XVI (and yes, I know that these 2 men had their problems and might not have been as conservative as they were regarded). I was in seminary then, and no matter how much crap was thrown at us by our liberal professors, knowing that 'at the top' the faith …More
Though perhaps an unpopular view by some here, I believe the slight increase was due to the somewhat conservative papacies of John Paul II & Benedict XVI (and yes, I know that these 2 men had their problems and might not have been as conservative as they were regarded). I was in seminary then, and no matter how much crap was thrown at us by our liberal professors, knowing that 'at the top' the faith was still taken seriously was a lifeline. Many just felt if they hunkered down until ordination things would improve. With Francis and his persecution of traditional Catholics, that's all gone now. It's no wonder that young men have no desire to enter the priesthood!
You’re absolutely right. Those who went into seminary back then believed in the “hermeneutic of continuity,” even if the term hadn’t yet been coined. Nobody believes in it anymore, for obvious reasons. But, for a while, we could be forgiven for thinking that the Church was becoming Catholic again.
It’s more accurate to say that vocations modestly increased between 1995 and 2010 (after having been declining almost continually since 1965), and have fallen precipitously over the past decade. The Novus ordo Church will never see a real rebound in vocations, because it doesn’t really care about the salvation of souls.
