Africa, Asia See Increase in  Number of Priests

WASHINGTON (CNS) – Results of a study released June 1 by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) said that the highest growth rates for numbers of priests are in Africa and Asia.

Choice of College Can Determine One’s Vocation

By Mark Pattison WASHINGTON (CNS) – The college experience – and the Catholic college experience, especially – can influence a young man’s decision toward considering a priestly vocation, according to a study issued in early July by Boston College. Among the factors that have helped sway a man’s decision to enter priestly life are access […]

Welcome to Our Permanent Deacons

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, As we approach the end of May, we are blessed with ordinations to both the Transitional Diaconate, as well as the Permanent Diaconate. We will ordain four Transitional Deacons now this spring and four on Nov. 7, for Ordination to the Priesthood in 2016. At the same time, I was privileged to ordain 19 permanent deacons on Saturday, May 23, at the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph.

Former Anglican to Serve in Minn. Archdiocese

By Bob Zyskowski MINNEAPOLIS (CNS) – Vaughn Treco, a husband, grandfather of two and former Anglican priest, was ordained to the Catholic diaconate and priesthood in early May with the approval of Pope Francis. His ordination as a Catholic priest who is married is allowed as an exception to the normal requirement for celibacy. Father […]

Pope: Exhaustion Is Part of Being a Priest

Priestly ministry is hard, sometimes lonely or dangerous work serving the neediest with an open, vulnerable heart, Pope Francis told the world’s priests.

Marriage and Priesthood

This past week, responding to a request from Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Oriental Churches, Pope Francis gave permission that Eastern Catholic rite bishops in the Western world may ordain married men in their home territory. This may seem very confusing, as a number of questions arise from this statement. First, […]

Final Step to Priesthood

Cardinal Timothy Dolan ordained 21 men from the Archdiocese of New York and the Dioceses of Brooklyn and Rockville Centre to the transitional diaconate, the final step on their way to being ordained priests next spring. The ordinations took place on Saturday, Nov. 1, at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, N.Y.

Msgr. Quinn’s Love For the Priesthood

by Msgr. Paul Jervis The ordination of priests and bishops along with the celebration of their anniversaries at this time in the Brooklyn Diocese is an experience of profound joy.  The joy was no less intense for Bernard John Quinn, a young man of 24 years, who was ordained a priest with 14 of his […]

Parish Will Help Prepare Deacon for Priesthood

by Ed Wilkinson At six-feet-four-and-a-half inches, Christopher Heanue is usually the tallest guy in the room.  But last Saturday, June 2, he stood out for a different reason.  He stood tall in the center aisle at St. Michael’s Church, Sunset Park, before stepping forward and being ordained a deacon on the way to priesthood. Heanue, […]