21 students begin priesthood studies for Irish dioceses

19 Sep 2024, 20:42 by https://www.irishcentral.com/author/kerry-o-shea · IrishCentral

21 new seminarians have begun their 2024-2025 academic programme and priestly formation for Irish dioceses, the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference announced on Wednesday, September 18.

The 21 new students are currently undertaking their Propaedeutic Programme in the Redemptoris Mater Seminary Dundalk, Archdiocese of Armagh; Royal English College Valladolid, Spain; Royal Scots College Salamanca, Spain; and the International Seminary of Ars, France.

According to RTÉ News, the men range in age from 22 through their 50s and come from all socioeconomic backgrounds and a variety of careers.

These 21 bring the total number of seminarians studying for the priesthood for Irish dioceses to 74.

Upon completion of the programme, the seminarian, with the nomination of his bishop, then applies to a seminary to continue his formation for an Irish diocese.

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Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan, chair of the Bishops’ Council for Vocations, said on Wednesday it is "really heartening" that 21 men have begun as seminarians.

Bishop Callinan noted how over the past year, the Bishops' Conference "promoted vocations to Diocesan priesthood." He went on to "thank God to those who have responded to His call."

He added: "We are all well aware that we need many more to respond. Therefore, there can never be any sense of complacency. The example of good priests up and down the country who walk with and lead their people to worship God, and care for their neighbours in good times and in bad, continues to inspire."

Father Willie Purcell, National Diocesan Vocations Coordinator, added: “The 21 men who are beginning their vocational journey by entering the propaedeutic year demonstrates to the world that God never ceases to call men to diocesan priesthood.

"While today’s number is good news, I pray that vocations to the priesthood will continue in the coming years. The Church and the faithful need priests."

The Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference shared the number of seminarians who began their academic programme and priestly formation for Irish dioceses in previous years:

2010: 16 seminarians
2011: 18 seminarians
2012: 12 seminarians
2013: 20 seminarians
2014: 14 seminarians
2015: 17 seminarians
2016: 14 seminarians
2017: 19 seminarians
2018: 17 seminarians
2019: 15 seminarians
2020: 13 seminarians
2021: 9 seminarians
2022: 10 seminarians
2023: 15 seminarians

The increase in men entering priesthood comes just months after two dioceses in the West of Ireland lost their bishops as part of a reorganization in response to "signs of the times."

It also comes after the Catholic Church launched an initiative last year encouraging young Irish men to consider priesthood.

Meanwhile, Ireland's Central Statistics Office (CSO) published data last year, gathered during Ireland's 2022 Census, that showed the percentage of the Irish population who identified as Roman Catholic fell from 79% (3,696,644 people) in 2016 to 69% (3,515,861 people) in 2022.

Despite the decline, Roman Catholicism remained far and away the most popular religion in the Irish State, according to the 2022 Census, with more than 3.5 million respondents saying it is their religion.

The Irish Times reported in 2022 that, according to a survey conducted by the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP), 2,116 priests serve in Ireland’s 26 dioceses, in 1,355 parishes, and at more than 2,650 churches or Mass centres.