Catholic Church's Challenge: a Worsening Shortage of Priests
By Deena Yellin
Over the past half century, the number of priests across the U.S. has dropped by about 38% — from nearly 60,000 diocesan and religious order priests in 1970 to 37,192 in 2016, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. The archdioceses of New York and Newark have about half the number of diocesan priests than they did during the heyday of the 1960s and 1970s. "There's been a net decline in priests every year because more pass away, and there are more that leave than enter or get ordained," observed Mark Gray, a research associate at CARA. "We've also had a graying of the priesthood. The average priest is 67 years old." In addition to there being fewer priests, some pastors have been removed from their positions after facing allegations of misconduct, often leaving their parish without a permanent leader. The ensuing investigations can take months, and dioceses are often unable to assign a new full-time priest. Temporary administrators or substitutes often fill in at those churches on a revolving basis. The number of parishes without a resident pastor nationwide has grown from 571 in 1970 to 3,363 in 2018. Fewer hear the call The Catholic Church has long asked young men to listen for a vocation to the priesthood, believed to be a calling from God. But a variety of factors have greatly reduced the pool of men willing or able to listen for a call. The scandals related to the sexual abuse of minors by clergy, starting with the Boston scandals of 2002, have sullied the church's public image in immeasurable ways. And the recent passage of laws in New York and New Jersey that will extend the statute of limitations for sex abuse victims could mean deeper trouble, as an unknown number of victims will likely bring their abusers to court. Catholic Church's challenge: A worsening shortage of priests Deena Yellin, Poughkeepsie Journal Published 6:00 a.m. ET June 13, 2019 CLOSE Rev. Msgr. Emmet R. Nevin, the pastor of St. Aedan Catholic Church in Pearl River, talks about the Priesthood. Mark Vergari, mvergari@lohud.com CONNECT TWEET COMMENT MORE The Rev. Tom Ivory assumed that when he retired from his position as pastor of Church of the Presentation in Upper Saddle River five years ago, he was through with the rigors of active church duty. But every few weeks, he receives desperate calls and emails from a local church begging him to fill in at a Mass or hear confessions when a priest is sick or on leave. Sometimes, he helps out. "When I was ordained, I was the fourth associate pastor at my church," recalled Ivory, 80, who lives in a retirement home in Caldwell. "There's no such thing anymore." His story is increasingly familiar as the Catholic Church is facing a worsening shortage of priests, and the aging of those who remain. The Newark Archdiocese ordains six new priests at the Cathedral Basilica of The Sacred Heart on Saturday, May 25, 2019. The Newark Archdiocese ordains six new priests at the Cathedral Basilica of The Sacred Heart on Saturday, May 25, 2019. (Photo: Michael Karas/NorthJersey.com) Over the past half century, the number of priests across the U.S. has dropped by about 38% — from nearly 60,000 diocesan and religious order priests in 1970 to 37,192 in 2016, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. The archdioceses of New York and Newark have about half the number of diocesan priests than they did during the heyday of the 1960s and 1970s. "There's been a net decline in priests every year because more pass away, and there are more that leave than enter or get ordained," observed Mark Gray, a research associate at CARA. "We've also had a graying of the priesthood. The average priest is 67 years old." In addition to there being fewer priests, some pastors have been removed from their positions after facing allegations of misconduct, often leaving their parish without a permanent leader. The ensuing investigations can take months, and dioceses are often unable to assign a new full-time priest. Temporary administrators or substitutes often fill in at those churches on a revolving basis. The number of parishes without a resident pastor nationwide has grown from 571 in 1970 to 3,363 in 2018. Catholic school in Wappingers Falls to close after 125 years $1.5M settles claims against Hudson Valley priests Fewer hear the call The Catholic Church has long asked young men to listen for a vocation to the priesthood, believed to be a calling from God. But a variety of factors have greatly reduced the pool of men willing or able to listen for a call. The scandals related to the sexual abuse of minors by clergy, starting with the Boston scandals of 2002, have sullied the church's public image in immeasurable ways. And the recent passage of laws in New York and New Jersey that will extend the statute of limitations for sex abuse victims could mean deeper trouble, as an unknown number of victims will likely bring their abusers to court. But there are other lower-profile reasons that priests are in short supply. Experts assert that the lifelong commitment, long hours, and demand for a celibate life are among the factors deterring American men from seminary. Plus, with fewer priests, and the aging of those who remain, young Catholic men are less likely to find young role models in the clergy.
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