Aleteia, J-P Mauro:
A new report from Vocation Ministry is examining the state of priestly vocations in the US, as the National Eucharistic Revival is underway. The report compares data from 2014 against fresh information from 2021, which has shown a diminishment in the clerical ranks, and attempts to explain the numbers through a variety of cultural factors.
The total number of diocesan priests in the US has fallen by 9% (1,468) since 2014, with religious priests falling further, by 14% (1,654). At the seminarian level, the rates only become more exacerbated, with the total number of seminarians falling from 3,853 to 3,012 (22%). The rate of seminarians reaching ordination has fallen by the highest percentage (24%), from 436 to 332. Report is here.
