22 August 2013

Msgr. Pope on the Number of Priests per Parish – 1950 vis-à-vis 2013

“It is a common notion that the number of priests has plummeted in this country. Many speak of the halcyon days when there were four and five priests per parish, and the seminaries were packed. And while some of these memories are accurate, they are drawn from a time in this country that was very brief.

“The fact is, the number of priests per parish spiked sharply after 1950 and has now leveled back to the levels of 1950 and before.”

In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on the number of priests per U.S. parish in 1950 vis-à-vis the number of priests per parish in 2013.

To access Msgr. Pope’s complete post, please visit:

Msgr. Charles Pope: Welcome to 1950! A Surprising Statistic About the Number of Priests per parish (15 AUG 13)

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