Priest Shortage Poses Challenge for Catholic Church
By Bob Smietana
The Tennessean
May 25, 2008
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080525/NEWS06/805250412/1023/NEWS01
When the Rev. Joseph Breen first arrived at St. Edward Catholic Church in 1984, he found a thriving parish. There were 750 families, 300 children in the parochial school, and two assistant priests on the staff to keep things running smoothly.
"Now we have over 1,200 families, 480 children in the school, and one old priest, 73 years old," Breen said, referring to himself.
St. Edward illustrates the problem the Catholic Church in America faces. While the number of Catholics continues to grow, topping 64 million last year, the number of priests continues to dwindle. Since 1985, the number of diocesan priests has dropped from 35,052 to 27,971, and the number of parishes without a priest in residence has tripled. In 2007, 3,238 parishes — or one in six — were without a priest.
For Breen, one solution to this crisis seems clear. The Catholic Church, he says, needs to allow married men to become priests.
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| The Rev. Joseph Breen, 70, worries there will be no priests to take his place when he retires from St. Edward Catholic Church. Photo by John Partipilo |
He points out that many married men already are leaders in the church as permanent deacons.
"I would hope the bishops would find the courage, the nerve, the leadership skills, to tell the pope, for the good of our church, we have to ordain these married men to become full-time pastors," Breen said. "They would be a tremendous asset to the church."
But Mark Sappenfield, who will be ordained as a priest next week, believes that marriage and the priesthood don't mix.
A Marine Corps vet who worked as a certified public accountant before going to seminary, Sappenfield says marriage, like the priesthood, is a calling. Balancing the two would be impossible, he believes.
"If you pay attention to your marriage, then you will neglect your flock," he said.
"If you pay attention to your flock, then you'll neglect your marriage."
3 to join priesthood
Sappenfield, along with Nicholas Allen and Anthony Lopez, will be ordained May 30. They make up the largest class of new priests in more than two decades.
Rick Musscahio, director of communications for the local diocese, says there also are more than 15 other potential Nashville priests in seminary.
Still, the numbers are daunting. Of the 87 Catholic priests in Nashville, only three are under 40.
Twelve local pastors are in their 70s. And the diocese has had to import 23 pastors from overseas to serve.
Sappenfield admits this is a challenging time.
"Things may not change for a while," Sappenfield said. "The Church has been
around for 2,000 years, and there have been a few rough centuries. This may be one of them."
But the privilege of serving God and parishioners, he adds, will outweigh any difficulties. With prayer and God's grace, Sappenfield hopes to be faithful to his calling. "Being a priest means leading people to Christ," he said.
Burden has grown
Breen believes that young priests are being asked to take on an impossible task.
"There is little or no support for a celibate priesthood," he says. "Thirty, 40, or 50 years ago, it was altogether different."
When Breen was ordained 46 years ago, the world was very different. A Nashville native, Breen says the local Catholic community was a tightknit place. Families were larger, and mothers often stayed home. And, there was always a place at the table for the priest.
Today, parishioners and priests are too busy to build close relationships, Breen says.
"That seems like a small thing, but it's very important," said Breen.
Also, new priests have few colleagues to help shoulder their burdens. When Breen arrived at St. Edward in South Nashville, he had two assistants to help manage the parish. The three priests also lived together in the parish rectory, building camaraderie that helped make the challenges of the priesthood easier to bear.
Without strong relationships with lay people and other clergy, he believes, priests can be overwhelmed by their work.
"You have to deal with the tragedies in life," he said. "But then you have to be wise enough to surround yourself with strong, healthy relationships. Otherwise you can burn out."
Despite his age, Breen still relishes his work as a priest. Anytime he feels discouraged, he pops over to the elementary school. Being around that many young people keeps him going.
"I hope I have two or three more good years in me," he said. "It has been a struggle all these years, I have been 46 years a priest, but for the most part it has been a wonderful journey."
Contact Bob Smietana at 259-8228 or bsmietana@tennessean.com.
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