Tag Archives: vocations

These numbers suggest a seriously unhealthy Church. UPDATED

From this new study about vocations to the priesthood and ordinations in these USA: HERE I was told by a bishop that bishops say they do not hear that men have been inspired toward priesthood by Francis.  Of course the … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ACTION ITEM!, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices | Tagged , ,
33 Comments

ITALY: Vocations to the priesthood waaaaaay down

From VaticanNews.va in Italian: Italy, CEI: fewer seminarians, families may be a nursery for vocations [What’s….. family?] The data of a report by the Italian Bishops’ Conference reveal that in just ten years the decline in vocations has reached 28%: … Read More

Posted in Seminarians and Seminaries, SESSIUNCULA, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged ,
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NOVENA FOR SEMINARIANS – from Corpus Christi to Sacred Heart, with a Marian Consecration

From a priest: Dear Father, we have met several times, most recently last year at the Canon Law conference in La Crosse. I wrote a novena for seminarians to be prayed from Corpus Christi to the Sacred Heart, with a … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, HONORED GUESTS, Mail from priests, Our Solitary Boast, PRAYER REQUEST, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged , ,
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VIDEO: A remarkable vocation story.

A remarkable vocation story. Fr. James Mawdsley, FSSP. For years I’ve written about how learning and celebrating the traditional form of Mass forms a priest. This priest touches on this transformative experience. (He mentions that blogs played a role. I … Read More

Posted in Just Too Cool, Mail from priests, Priests and Priesthood | Tagged , ,
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How bad is the situation of vocations to the priesthood tragic Germany?

How bad is the situation of vocations to the priesthood tragic Germany? “In 2017, only 76 priests were ordained in Germany; in 2000 there were still about twice as many, namely 154.  When the German Bishops’ Conference tallied this number … Read More

Posted in Liberals, Lighter fare, Seminarians and Seminaries, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices | Tagged ,
6 Comments

“The solution is staring the bishops in the face”

The pastor of the parish where I came into the Church was downright disgusted with the Archdiocese’s approach to vocations and the priest shortage crisis that would follow. He used to compare the geniuses of the vocations office et al. … Read More

Posted in ¡Hagan lío!, "How To..." - Practical Notes, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices | Tagged , ,
8 Comments

“The Continuing Vocation Crisis in the United States”

Recently, I posted Liturgical worship… priestly vocations… Is what we are doing working or not? Tradition = vocations – It isn’t rocket science Ireland: manmade vocation wasteland Robert Mickens is exactly wrong about priestly vocations. Here’s why. Disaster in liberal … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged , ,
7 Comments

Liturgical worship… priestly vocations… Is what we are doing working or not?

I had mentioned that I was re-reading Robert Hugh Benson’s prophetic Lord of the World.  I finished it yesterday. US HERE – UK HERE Just as I finished it, I found these things. First, I want to preface with this: When you are on a journey … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged , , , ,
11 Comments

ASK FATHER: What can we do to get these men into seminary?

From a reader: I am a Youth Minister at a parish and have probably a dozen young men (age 12-19) who are discerning calls to the priesthood and are interested in seminary. I have young priests at the parish, but they are reluctant … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Mail from priests, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged , ,
13 Comments

Tradition = vocations – It isn’t rocket science

I contend that the shortage of vocations is a self-inflicted wound. Yesterday, here in the Diocese of Madison, the Extraordinary Ordinary and the seminarians concluded a week of praying together, talks, activities, hanging out with each other and priests.  Among … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged ,
31 Comments

UPDATED: A great Father’s Day note from a reader

UPDATE 19 June: Today I have received notes from readers saying that they have spotted this Prayer For Vocations in a couple other places as well.  A comment in the combox, below, speaks of one of them. To wit: [T]he … Read More

Posted in Just Too Cool, Priests and Priesthood | Tagged , ,
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CATASTROPHIC: Pray for vocations to the priesthood

I’ve been writing with friends about vocation numbers. From one of my interlocutors today: Catastrophic (HERE): “The past few weeks have again seen a number of ordinations of new deacons and priests in the dioceses of northwestern Europe. 24 of … Read More

Posted in Hard-Identity Catholicism, Priests and Priesthood | Tagged ,
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Bad priesthood vocations numbers? Not by accident. Wherein Fr. Z rants.

I posted this last year, to the day. Any additional thoughts? ___ Originally Published on: May 3, 2016 ___ And yet, do other parishes and dioceses and religious groups change what they are doing? Not much.  It is if they really … Read More

Posted in Hard-Identity Catholicism, POLLS, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged , , ,
30 Comments

“Things have gone terribly, terribly wrong.”

The other day, I posted a thought about a ridiculous claim (HERE).  I wrote: There is no lack of priestly vocations where bishops are capable of projecting solid clerical identity and where they teach perennial Catholic truth in charity and in … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, New Evangelization, Our Catholic Identity, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices | Tagged , ,
38 Comments

Disaster. Vocations. Identity. Liturgy. Prayer. ACTION ITEM and Fr. Z rants.

A while back I wrote that people get the priests that they deserve.  Collectively, at least.  Priests don’t just spring full grown from the heads of… cabbage. Recently, a writer at hyper-liberal Commonweal suggested that vocations are down because his grand vision of … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ACTION ITEM!, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, Semper Paratus, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices, Turn Towards The Lord | Tagged , , ,
31 Comments

Robert Mickens is exactly wrong about priestly vocations. Here’s why.

One of the worst of the hyper-liberal catholic publications, Commonweal, publishes a regular column by long-time Rome correspondent Robert Mickens. Many readers here will recall that Mickens loathes Benedict XVI.  He lost his job with The Tablet, the UK’s worst catholic … Read More

Posted in Liberals, Our Catholic Identity, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged , , ,
18 Comments

1962: Of Manners in Church, of the Vernacular, and of Vocations

One of you readers sent me a link to a video from 1962, made in Ireland, about the changes in the Ritual for administration of sacraments, especially of Marriage and Baptism.   They talk about the New Ritual, the introduction of … Read More

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", Lighter fare, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Women Religious | Tagged , ,
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Would the young Joseph Ratzinger – or I – have had the same reaction if….

As I often write, we are our rites. In the new interview book with Peter Seewald, Benedict XVI was asked how the son of a Bavarian policeman became a priest. I have a measure of sympathy with Benedict’s answer. I, too, … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Benedict XVI, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Mail from priests, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, The future and our choices, Turn Towards The Lord | Tagged , , , ,
24 Comments

Vocations to the priesthood: bad numbers? Those numbers didn’t just happen by themselves.

I’ve written many times about the situation of vocations to the priesthood. We all know that there are certain parishes in dioceses which produce more priests. We all know that there are certain dioceses which produce more priests. We all … Read More

Posted in Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, Si vis pacem para bellum!, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged , ,
46 Comments

“Bless our families, bless our children. Choose from our homes those who are needed for Thy work.”

I have lately mused about vocations.  Last Sunday was the Day of Prayer for Vocations.  What I mean by vocations, by the way, is vocations to the priesthood.  Yes, yes… I think about religious life as well.  When I think … Read More

Posted in Fr. Z KUDOS, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Mail from priests, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged , , ,
23 Comments