Dublin archdiocese lost 19 priests last year and ordained only two, according to a survey of church manpower published in the latest issue of the Irish Catho- lic. The figures also show there were no new seminarians in Dublin in 1997, compared with an intake of three in 1996.
Other dioceses to suffer a sharp drop in numbers in 1997 include Ferns, which lost 12 priests to death, retirement or for other reasons. Two people entered seminary in Ferns during the year, but there were no ordinations.
On the other hand, Cloyne fared relatively well, with eight ordinations outweighing a loss of six priests, and six seminary entrants as well. Northern dioceses also did better than average, particularly Down and Connor, which lost one priest to five ordinations and three seminary entrants.
Overall, 100 priests were lost to the Irish church in 1997, compared with 47 ordained. The figures were similar to those of 1996, while the 41 seminary entrants in 1997 were an increase of four on the previous year.
Commenting on the survey, the newspaper points out that, despite the fall-off in vocations, Ireland still has more priests than a century ago, and the numbers per head of population are still much higher than the international average.
The country "experienced such an unprecedented number of vocations in the middle of this century that it is no surprise that numbers are now falling to perhaps a more normal level".
But the article also comments that Dublin, with "a rapidly growing Catholic lay population", has ordained only eight new priests over the past two years, while it has lost 35. The recent "Who are the men in black?" advertising campaign was an attempt to increase vocations in Dublin and resulted in a "very large" attendance at a seminary open day late last year.
