BishopAccountability.org
	No Signs of Let-Up in Priest Shortage WHO July 18, 2007 http://www.whotv.com/global/story.asp?s=6803072 Iowa - The sex abuse scandal may be hurting the effort to encourage young Iowans to enter the priesthood. Recruiters in the Des Moines Diocese are hoping to turn around some troubling numbers. The number of priests has been in constant decline in the United States, down almost a third since 1970. The number of active priests in the Des Moines Diocese was 87 in 1987. Ten years ago, it was at 84. Today, the number of active priests in the diocese is down to 59. This, at a time when parish sizes are larger than ever, and help is not on the way. Currently there are 41 seminarians, or priests in training, sponsored by the four Iowa dioceses. But the last two years, the Des Moines Diocese has only sponsored a total of six seminarians, and three have dropped out.
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