Catholic archdiocese of Washington has largest ordination class in 14 years

Associated Press | May 23, 2003 | Michael Kahn

[Jeff Chandler]

>>The LA archdiocese has no ordinations last year, only 2 in 2001 and 3 in 2000 and only 3 in 1999. I guess there are too few liberal seminarian canidates for the LA archdiocese.
<<

Wow!!!!! That's truly sad, especially considering the fact that they have a seminary in the diocese. Although, I know a priest who, upon graduating from that seminary and leaving the grounds, literally removed his shoes and disposed of them.

[Loyalist]

The liberal mainline Protestants have boiled their membership down to a sympathetic core which will stand by them, through thick and thin.

But even if they didn't, a newly-independent American Catholic Church could bring a new vitality to liberal Christianity in the way that new movements, fresh with optimism and enthusiasm, generally do.

It would be starting with at least as many adherents as the liberal Protestant demoninations put combined, thousands of clerics, a network of educational institutions, a lot of real estate and a fair amount of cash.

Don't underestimate the spirit and commitment that marks many a new enterprise. It could see the new AmChurch through a lot of difficulties.

[Jeff Chandler]

The liberal mainline Protestants have boiled their membership down to a sympathetic core which will stand by them, through thick and thin.

But even if they didn't, a newly-independent American Catholic Church could bring a new vitality to liberal Christianity in the way that new movements, fresh with optimism and enthusiasm, generally do.

It would be starting with at least as many adherents as the liberal Protestant demoninations put combined, thousands of clerics, a network of educational institutions, a lot of real estate and a fair amount of cash.

Don't underestimate the spirit and commitment that marks many a new enterprise. It could see the new AmChurch through a lot of difficulties.

---

Do you hear that, sink? There's hope yet! (Just kidding, sink!)

[sinkspur]

Since I follow John Paul II, I know you must be kidding.

If he decides an American Church is the way to go, in union with him, that's the way I'll go.

[Jeff Chandler]

Just teasin' ya!

[JNB]

That priest, since he is probably orthdox, probably went though many horrors at that seminary. The LA Archdiocese and the surrounding diocese' in many ways is the last bastion of full on liberalism at all levels in the Catholic church in the US. Not saying liberalism doesnt exist at other diocese', it certainly is still quite a power force in most diocese', but the Jadot Bishops in most other diocese' have largely retired, while Cdl Mahony has 8 more years of being the Archbishop of the LA archdiocese.

[Jeff Chandler]

That seminary is so bad that the liberal Diocese of Phoenix doesn't even send their seminarians there any more!

[Dajjal]

With constant prayer and 24/7 Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament this will happen again.

I'm thinking it won't happen again until we start to educate the children in real catechism -- giving up the phenomenological gobbledygook and returning to the strict logic of St. Thomas.

[Maximilian]

giving up the phenomenological gobbledygook and returning to the strict logic of St. Thomas.

You mean "phenomenological gobbledygook" like "personalism," right?

[Maximilian]

Following up on a previous thread regarding the ordinations in Cincinnati, we just got our latest edition of the "Anti-Catholic Telegraph," with news of this year's ordinations. They ordained 6, which is a big improvement over the average for the past few decades.

However, the ages are 38, 30, 41, 54, 46, and 52. That's an average age of 43.5 years. These priests will have fewer years of service, meaning that you need more priests just to stay even. Even the dire warnings about the crisis in the priesthood coming from the diocese predicted that the number of priests may fall below 200. But 6 priests times 30 years only equals 180. So we're still far below replacement. And I wonder if we should factor in a drop-out rate, which has been considerable over the past few decades.

[Dajjal]

"...giving up the phenomenological gobbledygook and returning to the strict logic of St. Thomas."
You mean "phenomenological gobbledygook" like "personalism," right?

Right. Ontology is prior to epistemology.