More priests, less communities?” “

There is a counter-tendency in progress as far as vocations are concerned in the Catholic Church of England and Wales. Vocations have grown over the last four years. The reasons for this upswing, according to the national vocations office, are to be sought in a better information campaign that makes aspirants to the priesthood more aware of what awaits them there and also greater openness, on the part of the Church, to no longer young candidates. This growth of vocations, especially among professional people with a career already behind them, is unfortunately offset by difficulties in some dioceses, in particular Salford e Lancaster. VOCATIONS GROWING OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS. The Catholic Church of England and Wales has enjoyed a continuous growth in vocations to the priesthood over the last four years: a trend confirmed by the arrival of 35 new aspirants to the priesthood in seminaries in September 2005. A further 19 young men, during the same period, began a year of pre-seminary formation aimed at developing their knowledge of the faith with a view to their full-time involvement in seminary studies next year. This new tendency – a very positive development – contrasts with the year 2002 when the number of new seminarians did not rise above 23. One person “satisfied” by this growth is Father Paul Embery, director of the national Office for Vocations, an agency of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, according to whom “the growth in the number of vocations is the result of better organized advertising campaigns and the impact of new Catholic movements and of events like World Youth Day. It’s important to emphasise however – says Fr. Embery – that the best promoters to the priesthood are priests themselves. Many of those studying for the priesthood cite the example of priests whom they have known in the past and who have inspired them”. Some English dioceses are launching special programmes that furnish aspirants to the priesthood with all the necessary information on the life and ministry of the priest, so that they know very well what awaits them once they decide to enter a seminary. “The vocation to the priesthood thus becomes a conscious and well-informed choice, so that any change of mind will hopefully become less probable”. CANDIDATES OF EVERY AGE. If applications to enter a seminary are increasing, so too is the average age of seminarians: from 25 in 1984 to 31 in 2004. However, the national Office for Vocations is quick to point out that “we encourage candidates of every age through courses of formation and the Catholic press. Vocation to the priesthood is not determined by age. There is, on the other hand, a widespread concern in the Catholic Church that adolescent candidates are often discouraged from entering a seminary because they are considered too young”. According to Fr. Embery, “it’s wrong to think that this is the best advice to give. We would like, on the contrary, greater attention to be paid to the younger candidates and that the decisions on their vocation be taken in the best possible way”. Meanwhile English seminaries are packed with young men with late vocations: men who have changed course in life, having in the past filled sometimes important professional positions. DIOCESES IN DIFFICULTY. If the growth of vocations gives good grounds for hope in the future of the English Church, the same optimism is not being felt in some English dioceses, which “are having to come to terms” with ever more reduced financial resources – involving sometimes painful decisions. For example, in the diocese of Lancaster Bishop Patrick O’Donoghue was forced to sack five laypeople working in the sectors of education, finance and the administration of diocesan properties. “We are unable to pay their salaries”, said the bishop. “The budget for the educational sector had reached the figure of 325,000 pounds (approximately 464,000 euros), a burden that our financial resources cannot support”. The laying off of lay personnel has also struck the diocese of Salford close to Manchester, where Bishop Terence Brain has decided to close its adult education office. Explaining why it was inappropriate to separate adult education and formation in the parishes”, Father Anthony McBride, episcopal vicar of the department for education, said “it seemed to us pointless to maintain a special office [for adult education], whose work can be absorbed by the department for marriage and family life and by the centre of religious education”. The lay personnel relieved of their posts have in any case been guaranteed a generous severance package and a new job in various roles. According to the Catholic weekly “The Tablet”, there exists a tendency, on the part of the Church, to use, where possible, priests instead of laity. The diocese of Birmingham, for example, employs many priests in executive roles, not for financial reasons but because the bishop, Vincent Nichols, believes “it has no sense to employ laypeople where the work can be performed also by priests”.