The Vocations Crisis

The recent pastoral letter, as evidenced by a recent post, has raised more than a couple of controversies of its own. Nevertheless it must be accepted as an honest attempt to address the increasing problem of priest numbers, a problem which, it seems, grows more grave by the day. I think Fr Simon has said that 2008 is the big year for the diocese with something in the region of 12 priests due to take their retirement after a long life of service to God and to their community (though I have no memory for numbers, so be warned, I may be way off beam there!). Sadly this is not mirrored by the numbers of those coming into the priesthood. What is more tragic is the startling number of younger priests that this diocese has lost through death and decisions to leave the priesthood. Meanwhile this places a heavy burden on those who are left behind. Is crisis too strong a word?

When I was younger and had not been married for very long I recall that there seemed to be a spate of marital breakdowns among my friends and colleagues. It was what I can only describe as a domino effect. At times I felt destabilised. Although I had no reason to feel unhappy in my own marriage, the radical departure from the seemingly happy domestic scene for so many people that I knew made me feel restless and question, rightly or wrongly, my own situation. I suppose I was in shock. Ask yourself, when people you know have divorced, could you always see it coming? Or from the outside, did it go from apparent domestic bliss to the divorce courts in one fell swoop? I say this to suggest that there may be a parallel with those who follow a vocation to the priesthood. Is there a support mechanism in place for our priests to talk about and deal with how they feel when a colleague leaves? Or are they just left to get on with it? Do we consider the implications on our priests?

I think I have been guilty of self-interest when considering the implications of the diocesan restructure. Perhaps I ought to consider the effects that the priest drain has on the morale of those who are trying to follow their vocation in evermore stressful circumstances and what I can do to alleviate the situation.

But I, as an individual, cannot solve such problems in isolation. Perhaps I am being unfair but I am perplexed that Rome appears to disregard the problems of vocations. Historically they have created a structure which relies upon the role of the priest in order to function. Can there be a Catholic church without priests? Whilst they are the only ones allowed to administer certain sacraments, no. Then why the inflexibility? I would say that some creative thinking is called for but actually we could all suggest potential answers; it is not, as they say, rocket science. But it would seem that Rome is happy to fiddle while the church in Britain burns. The vocations crisis will not be solved by a snazzy marketing campaign though this did not stop the Archdiocese of Indianapolis trying with the little bit of fun pictured above.


May I ask anyone who visits this blog this week, to pray for more men to have the courage to respond to God's call on their lives and to pray for strength for all who are trying to follow a priestly vocation. And perhaps for those at the zenith of God's Church on Earth to wake up and smell the coffee...Fair Trade, naturally!