Dear Parishioners and Friends,
This past week
all the active diocesan priests met for our annual convocation in Hersey, PA.
This was the first year that all the priests gathered at one time. The
situation necessitated reducing daily Mass here at the Cathedral to one during
those three days. I am grateful to Fr. Kosek, a Barnabite priest, for filling
in for us.
You may have
seen in the AD Times an article about the decreasing number of diocesan
priests. Of the 127 active priests, 119 are assigned within the diocese and 100
of them are assigned to the 104 parishes throughout the diocese. Over the next
five years, taking into consideration the number of scheduled ordinations, and
possible retirements, deaths and those who might leave the priesthood, the
number of diocesan priests in parish ministry could decrease to 80.
These are
projected numbers. But what will the actual numbers be? I would suggest that
much will depend on our prayers and active support for priests and for
vocations to the priesthood. What are you and I doing to change the projected
loss into an actual gain?
In Christ,
Msgr. Baker
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