Dear Parishioners,
Last week Archbishop O’Brien met with the priests of Baltimore to discuss ministry in the Archdiocese in view of the declining number of priests, and how to do more with less. Some very interesting ideas and data surfaced in those two days which I will share with you today and over the next several weeks.
Between 2004 and 2020 there will be a 21% drop in the number of priests for parish ministry. 54% of those ordained 5–9 years are pastors and believe their preparation for administration is very low. 17% of all priests in the U.S. who began ministry since 1985 are foreign-born, and the number is rising (survey 2006). In 2007, 33% of new Ordinands were foreign born.
Parishes Catholics
1985 19,244 53 million
2010 17,958 65.6 million
(To be continued….)
- Fr. Carl
Rev. Stephen Hook is Pastor of the Pastorate of the Visitation which includes the Catholic Churches of Pasadena, Maryland: St. Jane Frances de Chantal (Riviera Beach) and Our Lady of the Chesapeake (Lakeshore). He is assisted by Associate Pastor Rev. John Belinki, Deacon Howard Klohr, and Deacon Rick Clemens. To learn more about our pastorate, please visit www.catholicpasadena.org.
