Priesthood in Ireland - Signs of a new era for the Church

Thirty-six seminarians – ranging in age from 18 to their mid-40s – are due to commence study for the priesthood in this country in 2009.

In comparison with earlier decades, this is a modest number, but it is a particularly favourable development because it marks a distinct increase over other years in the current decade.

The number is, in fact, the highest since 1999. It is up from 24 last year, which amounts to a fairly dramatic increase of 50% in just one year. It would seem to be part of a trend because the number last year was up by 25% over the previous year. These increases are partly the result of a determined effort to broaden the Catholic Church’s appeal for vocations.