Coincidence? I think not ... in fact, I think this is by design. Over the span of several years, Cardinal Mahony ordained a large number of deacons and only a handful of priests.: Here is a sampling.
2005: Eleven men were ordained as permanent deacons; and only 5 priests.
2007: The ordination of 60 men to the Permanent Diaconate at Santa Barbara City College's La Playa Stadium represented the largest single group of deacons ordained at one time in the history of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and possibly in the country.
2008: Nineteen men were ordained as permanent deacons
2010: Fourteen men were ordained as permanent deacons
2011: Fifteen men ordained in Fresno
The same scenario has been played out across the country, especially in those dioceses shepherded by "progressive" bishops. Meanwhile, other bishops placed greater emphasis on calling men to serve in the priesthood. In those dioceses, the seminaries are full.
In the case of the "progressive" bishops, like Albany and Rochester, for example, the plan was to assign permanent deacons to priestless parishes and have the priests commute to the different parishes during the week to say mass and consecrate enough hosts for their weekend, priestless, "service", led by a deacon. In Rochester, a priest was pulled from his parish and replaced by a woman administrator. The bishop made a big deal of this, going so far as to 'install' her at a special mass.
(l - r) Bishops Matthew Clark of Rochester and Howard Hubbard of Albany
Both are now retired.
In his acceptance speech for the "John Cardinal O’Connor Award” in March of 2013, Bishop Clark said:
I pray, too, that we will strive always to translate into appropriate structures and significant decisions what our pastoral statements say about women in the church that we will widen the pastoral embrace of the church to welcome more fully and affectionately our gay and lesbian sisters and brothers that we will rejoice that God touches the hearts of our laity with a call to pastoral ministry, not seeing that call as in competition with priesthood [In Rochester, you have made the laity superior to the priesthood. Here a group of super-laity runs parishes, delivers homilies, tells the priest what to do, decides what churches close and stay open, etc.]; that we will be especially attentive and open to the faith experience of people who show every sign of being devoted disciples of the Lord, but who say all too frequently, “I am finding it very difficult to remain a Roman Catholic.”
The full speech is here: Fruits of the Council
This is not to suggest that vocations to the permanent diaconate are any less sincere than those to the priesthood. FWIK, speaking strictly of the Albany Diocese, there were several priests ordained around the time of VCII, who were assured the council would reverse the Latin Church's position on a married priesthood. When that did not happen, they left the priesthood and married. One of those individuals donated his vestments to our parish. He could not bear to attend mass.