The priest shortage in the Catholic Church has been an ongoing concern for decades. The numbers are sobering: Between 1980 and 2012, the ratio of Catholics per priest worldwide rose from 1,895 to 2,965. Last October, the Vatican reported that this ratio is now 3,210 Catholics per priest.
The good news on the home front is that the Diocese of Orange won’t be in panic mode any time soon. While more clergy are always welcome to any diocese, the number of priests and deacons, as well as those in training, remains at a healthy level.
“If you compare [the numbers] now to 50 years ago, there is a discrepancy in the number of priests,” says Fr. Brandon Dang, the Diocese’s director of vocations. “And while overall we can always use more good men to answer the call to the priesthood, at the local level we’re blessed to have a good number of priests, relative to other dioceses.”
Fr. Brandon notes that an estimated 150 to 200 priests serve in the Diocese, and that 23 men are currently in formation to serve after they’re ordained. In addition, 148 active deacons call the Diocese of Orange home, says Deacon Frank Chavez, director of the Office of the Diaconate.
“Every parish in the Diocese – except for two – has at least one deacon,” Deacon Frank says, adding that the need for Spanish-speaking deacons in Hispanic neighborhoods is greater. “They can be bilingual or even monolingual.”
And what Fr. Brandon notes about the number of priests in the Diocese certainly applies to deacons: “We prefer quality over quantity.”
The next priesthood and diaconate ordinations will take place at Christ Cathedral on June 12 and October 23, respectively.
Full story at OC Catholic.
Remains at a healthy level because the number of Catholics is decreasing as people leave the church and Boomers die, so fewer priests will be needed as parishes close and merge. In the 70s and 80s it was common for parishes to have 2-3 priests. Now a pastor with a retired sacramental priest helping out is the norm.
Anonymous,
Your comment might be part of the reason. The main reason, though, is that the Diocese has focused on quality rather than quantity. While this focus definitely doesn’t guarantee quality at all, it does help to ensure that Orange’s priests are generally of a higher caliber than those of the surrounding dioceses.
Back in the 1980s when many dioceses were actively recruiting anyone they could, I heard that the vocations director for Orange was turning men away unless he felt they had a strong calling to the priestly life.
Define “quality”.
Frank,
I’m using the general definition — not any sort of specific definition.
In many seminaries, it’s defined as the ability to use a knife and a fork.
Their quality is yet to be determined.
Amen Mom.
While 23 men in formation sounds ‘good’, is this sufficient to cover retirements, resignations, and eventual deaths?
No one addresses the elephant in the room about “Deacons”.
They cannot celebrate the Holy Mass. They cannot administer the Sacrament of Penance.
What I see them do is dress up in vestments, swish around he church to make sure that they are seen, and, with no purpose, stand or kneel next to the Priest at Mass.
Oh. I forgot. They give 25 minute sermons on how their life is going. (Who cares?)
The traditional orders such as the FSSP, SSPX, institute of Christ the King, Who celebrate the Traditional Latin mass have waiting lists for young men to become priests. By the way what is that big dinner table doing in the middle? Doesn’t look like a high altar to me.
Waiting lists? I highly doubt that. And referring to the Altar of our Lord as. Dinner table? Seriously, you show yourself to be schismatic.
That word…. Schismatic…You keep using it… I don’t think that means what you think it does….
Romulus is schismatic since he doesn’t accept the legitimacy of Vatican II nor of the new Mass. In so doing, he refuses to submit to the legitimate authority of the church. That’s what a schismatic is. Plenty of us know full well what the word means.
You forgot to call me a deplorable as well.
Sir or Madam, you seem not to be aware of these Traditional orders, there are waiting lists and all are adding on to their seminaries to house all of these young men, while the Novus Ordo seminaries are either empty or closed; how sad is that? Yes it is a result of Vatican II. The truth is the truth and it stings to hear it so I simply tell the facts.
That dinner table probably costs more than your car.
Listen to yourself you sound like a high schooler, please converse with me as an adult. And yes it more than likely costs more than my car.
James, might I ask why you put deacons in quotes?
It seems you have may have a bigger problem with deacons than you indicate. If so, what is it?
(Maybe it’s a problem with the deacons at your parish? If so, I suggest you talk with them.)
I know and have known many deacons and I’ve never known any who “swish around he church to make sure that they are seen, and, with no purpose, stand or kneel next to the Priest at Mass.” (And, as is sometimes misunderstood, most deacons, more than 90 percent, are not employed by the Church. We’re “volunteers” in that since, so we don’t do it for the money.) It seems you lack an understanding of the diaconate. Of course, we do not preside at Mass, administer the sacrament of Penance or Anointing of the Sick. We are not priests. And, we are not “mini-priests” or “glorified altar servers.” We are deacons. We were ordained to diakonia; ministry or service, as the Church needs. The first deacons were appointed by the apostles and the diaconate actually precedes the presbyterate/priesthood. The Church has had all three of the Holy Orders; bishop, priest and deacon, since the beginning. (Though later, in the West, the diaconate was limited to men pursuing the priesthood, until it’s restoration after the Second Vatican Council.). Deacons were the Holy Spirit’s “idea” and the first martyr was a deacon. See Acts 6-7. I hope this helps explain it. And, James, please pray for us deacons. Saint Stephen, St. Francis, St. Lawrence, St. Ephrem and all deacon Saints, pray for us.
But you still didn’t answer the question.
What do you do?
I know that you are a volunteer, but no one put a gun to your head to do this. You chose to do it.
And I certainly see no St. Stephens or St. Lawrences running around these days.
Deacons, in the Acts of the Apostles, distributed goods to the poor.
No mention in there about a liturgical function. That is a post Vatican II invention.
What a ridiculous comment. No one holds a gun to the head of anyone who ministers to the Gospel, at least not in the free world. It is certainly a pertinent question as to what the role of the ordained diaconate is, that’s fair game. We need more Deacons to minister to Gods people and here you are belittling them!
James, I was called to be a deacon, It is a vocation. You misunderstand the diaconate. Our liturgical function goes back to Acts of the Apostles. You’ll see deacons preaching and baptizing (Stephen and Philip, for example). Like other deacons, some of my service is based on the needs of my parish or diocese. So, that varies. Like other deacons, I serve at the altar, the primary Table at which we’re called to serve, proclaim the Gospel, pray the litanies on behalf of all, and preach. Part of the.confusion likely relates to the suppression of the diaconate as a stable order (“permanent” is really not the most accurate term) in the Latin Church, until the Second Vatican Council. Eastern Catholic Churches have always had deacons, yet our roles are different than my brother deacons in the West. Due to our sacramental practices and theology, I do not baptize or witness the sacrament of marriage, as Roman deacons often do. As an Eastern Catholic deacon, I do a lot more during Divine Liturgy (Mass) than my brothers in the Latin Church. Pray that you will see more deacons more like St.s Stephen, Lawrence, Francis and other holy deacons. If you’re interested in understanding the diaconate, I recommend an article by a deacon scholar called “Challenging Long-Held Beliefs. I’ve linked it below:
https://www.the-deacon.com/2020/10/15/challenging-long-held-beliefs/
I’ve tried to answer your question. Will you answer mine: why “deacon” in quotes and what are your issues with deacons (and are they specific to deacons you’ve encountered or all of us in general)?
Thank you.
@ JR – I have read most of Deacon Craig Anderson’s comments on this site, and I can tell you that he is a credit to his diaconate ministry in his faithful spirituality of service within the Church. He is also an inspiration to me, as I am sure he is to others on here as we seek to have a deeper understanding of our own faith. His parish is fortunate to have Deacon Craig as a vital part of their ministry.
It is the duty of the deacon, according as it shall have been assigned to him by competent authority, to administer baptism solemnly, to be custodian and dispenser of the Eucharist, to assist at and bless marriages in the name of the Church, to bring Viaticum to the dying, to read the Sacred Scripture to the faithful, to instruct and exhort the people, to preside over the worship and prayer of the faithful, to administer sacramentals, to officiate at funeral and burial services.
https://www.rcan.org/short-history-permanent-diaconate
Also:http://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/motu_proprio/documents/hf_p-vi_motu-proprio_19670618_sacrum-diaconatus.html
Yes, they fancy themselves junior priests. It’s an ego thing with too many. Not all, but too many.
Romulus Augustus: add Norbertines in Orange County. They have a wait list, also.
Quite a few deacons in the Diocese of San Jose are heterodox. One of them teaches gay marriage and socialism at the Catholic high school. San Jose sure doesn’t live by the quality over quantity motto.
Unfortunately, that is true.
Do you know if the high school where he teaches still plans to install a supporter of abortion and homosexual “marriage” as its new president?