For first time in years, numbers increase at Irish national seminary

Published: 2005-09-01

DUBLIN, Ireland (CNS) -- For the first time in years, numbers are up at Ireland's national seminary, St. Patrick's College in Maynooth. Nineteen first-year seminarians began their studies for the priesthood Aug. 27, bringing the total number of seminarians at St. Patrick's at the start of the new academic year to 75, compared with 63 last year. Church officials say the small increase is good news for a country that has seen vocations shrink from thousands to dozens. Since the 1940s, when Ireland was ordaining more than a thousand priests per year, Irish vocations have decreased steadily. Today, only one diocesan college -- St. Joseph's College in Belfast, Northern Ireland -- continues to train priests; students study philosophy and earn a basic degree before completing advanced studies elsewhere. In the last decade, six Irish colleges have stopped serving as seminaries.

Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .