Does anyone join the priesthood anymore?

meoklmrk91 · 01-04-2013 6:07pm #1

Okay I'm pretty young, 22, and I have to say that I have never met a priest under 40 or heard of anyone joining the priesthood in my lifetime. Apparently it was a big thing to have a priest in the family and it wold seem that they were one of our biggest exports.

padd b1975 · 01-04-2013 6:08pm

Thanks for sharing that.

Swampy · 01-04-2013 6:10pm

Riveting read.

meoklmrk91 · 01-04-2013 6:15pm

padd b1975 wrote: »

Thanks for sharing that.

Swampy wrote: »

Riveting read.

No probs guys, getting published later in the year, should be a hit.

Seriously was just asking a question, has anyone heard of anyone young joining the priesthood in recent years, cause it seems like all the ones I have known are like eternally 83 years old.

Ruu · 01-04-2013 6:17pm

I got mine with 10 Weetabix tokens.

Fr_Dougal · 01-04-2013 6:17pm

meoklmrk91 wrote: »

Seriously was just asking a question, has anyone heard of anyone young joining the priesthood in recent years, cause it seems like all the ones I have known are like eternally 83 years old.

Yes.

AlekSmart · 01-04-2013 6:17pm

Memo to Frankie.....Ditch the ban on marriage and those white anglo-saxon protestants might just start lookin towards the priesthood once more (Ok Ok..ye can delete the prods bit).

Until then,the Catholic Priesthood looks set to become the sole preserve of the African/Asian sub-continents.

Rayne Wooney · 01-04-2013 6:18pm

meoklmrk91 wrote: »

Okay I'm pretty young, 22, and I have to say that I have never met a priest under 40 or heard of anyone joining the priesthood in my lifetime. Apparently it was a big thing to have a priest in the family and it wold seem that they were one of our biggest exports.

Apparently 1 joined the college (or whatever you call it) last year, I'd love to know what his motivation was, hopefully not from reading the newspapers..

RhubarbCrumble · 01-04-2013 6:18pm

A friend of mine is a priest. He's 39 and joined the priesthood at 18, straight from school.

donvito99 · 01-04-2013 6:18pm

Have you not seen any of d'young African priests?

Praetorian Saighdiuir · 01-04-2013 6:19pm

Searchin' for priests under 40 eh? Have you tried plentyofpriests.com?

Airitech · 01-04-2013 6:22pm

This could have a lot to do with it:

http://touch.boards.ie/thread/2056916125/1

Oranage2 · 01-04-2013 6:24pm

Actually got talkin to a I guy that was doing some bible class, something that starts with t maybe theology or something like that, he wanted to be a religion teacher and was from Germany, so no op I don't know any, hope that answers your question.

Vojera · 01-04-2013 6:24pm

I'm late twenties and in my lifetime three guys from my parish (in their early twenties) have gone to the seminary. Two of those were ordained and one quit. My parish is really small, so I guess it's not that rare.

If you walk through the corridors in St Joseph's in Maynooth there are frames with pictures of everyone ordained each year from back in the sixties. You can see that it goes from at least forty per year down to about five per year in recent times.

admiralofthefleet · 01-04-2013 6:25pm

donvito99 wrote: »

Have you not seen any of d'young African priests?

sure they wouldnt know, they're from donegal

1ZRed · 01-04-2013 6:31pm

One word

CELIBACY

DainBramage · 01-04-2013 6:36pm

Vojera wrote: »

If you walk through the corridors in St Joseph's in Maynooth there are frames with pictures of everyone ordained each year from back in the sixties. You can see that it goes from at least forty per year down to about five per year in recent times.

no fan of the church but still kind of sad to see something dwindle away like that.

meoklmrk91 · 01-04-2013 6:37pm

donvito99 wrote: »

Have you not seen any of d'young African priests?

Not personally no, I meant more Irish priests because it is clear that they with the lack of young Irish priests to take over from the old priests from Latin America and Africa will have to take their places.

1ZRed wrote: »

One word

CELIBACY

Has a good bit to do with it, not everything though, I think that the churches teachings are against a lot of young Irish people's beliefs, but then that is just my experience.

Skid X · 01-04-2013 6:39pm

meoklmrk91 wrote: »

Okay I'm pretty young, 22, and I have to say that I have never met a priest under 40 or heard of anyone joining the priesthood in my lifetime.

I'm sure I saw a documentary about some priests on an Island off the West a few years ago, there was definitely one youngish Priest, I think his name was Fr Dougie or something like that.

Custardpi · 01-04-2013 6:51pm

DainBramage wrote: »

no fan of the church but still kind of sad to see something dwindle away like that.

In the case of this particular something, no it isn't sad at all. Priests & the Catholic Church in general have been a blight upon the landscape of Ireland for centuries. With the exception of a few brave rebels the Church establishment & the vast majority of priests strongly opposed the independence movement. After the establishment of the Free State & up until fairly recently when they have attempted to don the sheep's clothing of social justice issues they fought tooth & nail against any form of intellectual, social or educational progress.
From the hounding out of writers to the defeat of attempts to establish a decent & equitable health service Ireland has suffered immense damage from the priest infestation from which we are only emerging in the last couple of decades. And that's before one even touches on the treatment of those in religious gulags like the industrial schools & magdalene laundries. Personally I hope that the numbers of deluded fools who sign up for vocations dwindles to zero in the coming years & that Irish people embrace reason instead of ignorance, bigotry & sexual repression. Nobody joining the priesthood? Great, good riddance to it!

01-04-2013 6:54pm

Vojera wrote: »

If you walk through the corridors in St Joseph's in Maynooth there are frames with pictures of everyone ordained each year from back in the sixties. You can see that it goes from at least forty per year down to about five per year in recent times.

Which coincides with the rejection of the CC's moral power over the so-called flock. Enlightenment gained in part through the education they provided, although not necessarily in the intended way.

And also coincides with a rise in standards of living and access to a wider range of financially rewarding careers. I think in times past that the priesthood was a sure fire way of avoiding poverty - and in the case of one priest I know of, avoiding inheriting the farm and lifetime of hard labour that went with it -or avoiding questions about avoiding marriage for gay men.

And of course there was the added bonus of kudos for the family for producing a priest, and the almost unlimited power and access to unquestioning loyalty. We all know how that turned out.

The downturn in 'callings' is very easily explained by socio-economic and cutural factors. Which begs the question if there is any such thing as a calling or not, even to those who believe in such things.

Ecce_Agnus_Dei · 01-04-2013 7:04pm

1ZRed wrote: »

One word

CELIBACY

Do you have any evidence to suggest that men are put off serving God because of the vows they must take? Or are you just engaging in populist conjecture?

These men aren't phased by celibacy: http://www.fsspolgs.org/ There are well over 1,000 seminarians there.

Unpopularity in joining the priesthood is an Irish phenomenon.

The Irish used to send priests all over the world (where they did untold damage) and Ireland was the darling state of the Vatican. How times have changed.

Just because there are only about 50 men training for the priesthood in Ireland, doesn't affect the reality that vocations are up worldwide.

But don't let the facts get in the way of a thinly veiled anti-catholic thread.

1ZRed · 01-04-2013 7:08pm

meoklmrk91 wrote: »

Has a good bit to do with it, not everything though, I think that the churches teachings are against a lot of young Irish people's beliefs, but then that is just my experience.

No I think you've hit the nail on the head. I think young people just can't see anything relatable in it and thus see less and less relevancy with the whole idea, at least from my pov.

All my circle of friends just have no interest in religious matters either.

Gummy Panda · 01-04-2013 7:08pm

Only die hard culchies. Usually if there is three brothers one becomes a Garda, one a solicter and the other a priest

Ecce_Agnus_Dei · 01-04-2013 7:10pm

1ZRed wrote: »

No I think you've hit the nail on the head. I think young people just can't see anything relatable in it and thus see less and less relevancy with the whole idea, at least from my pov.

All my circle of friends just have no interest in religious matters either.

How hip and cool it is to be an atheist these days.

I see this New Atheism as nothing but a fad the way roller-blading was in the 1990s.

Atheism is a shallow ideology and is a distinctly Western, middle-class affair dabbled in by a debonair, privileged minority who see themselves as being above death, judgement, heaven and hell.

DainBramage · 01-04-2013 7:12pm

Custardpi wrote: »

In the case of this particular something, no it isn't sad at all. Priests & the Catholic Church in general have been a blight upon the landscape of Ireland for centuries. With the exception of a few brave rebels the Church establishment & the vast majority of priests strongly opposed the independence movement. After the establishment of the Free State & up until fairly recently when they have attempted to don the sheep's clothing of social justice issues they fought tooth & nail against any form of intellectual, social or educational progress.
From the hounding out of writers to the defeat of attempts to establish a decent & equitable health service Ireland has suffered immense damage from the priest infestation from which we are only emerging in theid last couple of decades. And that's before one even touches on the treatment of those in religious gulags like the industrial schools & magdalene laundries. Personally I hope that the numbers of deluded fools who sign up for vocations dwindles to zero in the coming years & that Irish people embrace reason instead of ignorance, bigotry & sexual repression. Nobody joining the priesthood? Great, good riddance to it!

thanks the lecture on the damage the CC has caused in this country, I was completely unaware of it- it was the posters description of the numbers in the photos declining each year, I thought was kind of poignant.
If the photos were of people in any other walk of life I would have thought the same.

Peregrine · 01-04-2013 7:14pm

Gummy Panda wrote: »

Only die hard culchies. Usually if there is three brothers one becomes a Garda, one a solicter and the other a priest

Nonono
One becomes a Garda, another an Irish teacher and the other a priest.

1ZRed · 01-04-2013 7:16pm

Ecce_Agnus_Dei wrote: »

Do you have any evidence to suggest that men are put off serving God because of the vows they must take? Or are you just engaging in populist conjecture?

These men aren't phased by celibacy: http://www.fsspolgs.org/ There are well over 1,000 seminarians there.

Unpopularity in joining the priesthood is an Irish phenomenon.

The Irish used to send priests all over the world (where they did untold damage) and Ireland was the darling state of the Vatican. How times have changed.

Just because there are only about 50 men training for the priesthood in Ireland, doesn't affect the reality that vocations are up worldwide.

But don't let the facts get in the way of a thinly veiled anti-catholic thread.

I have no evidence to support it just from my own experience of when a priest came into us in 6th year talking about the priesthood. None of us showed any interest.

The figures back it up, young men have no interest in being priests. I'd argue that the sacrifices made to become one just aren't worth it in my people's eyes, my own included.

The times are changing and there's less emphasis and value placed on religion year by year, that's just what's happening. It's not just an Irish phenomenon, it's happening in all major first world countries. The only areas where religion is thriving is in poorer, less advantaged countries where education is scares.

There's no coincidence between the abundance of education and the diminishment of religion.

mccarthy37 · 01-04-2013 7:17pm

Priesthood. Drink, feck, arse, girls not allowed anymore not interested.

Auldloon · 01-04-2013 7:18pm

Gummy Panda wrote: »

Only die hard culchies. Usually if there is three brothers one becomes a Garda, one a solicter and the other a priest

and who is gonna stay home on the land? The cats won't milk themselves you know!

1ZRed · 01-04-2013 7:18pm

Ecce_Agnus_Dei wrote: »

How hip and cool it is to be an atheist these days.

I see this New Atheism as nothing but a fad the way roller-blading was in the 1990s.

Atheism is a shallow ideology and is a distinctly Western, middle-class affair dabbled in by a debonair, privileged minority who see themselves as being above death, judgement, heaven and hell.

Good luck with all that bullshit chief

Ecce_Agnus_Dei · 01-04-2013 7:19pm

1ZRed wrote: »

I have no evidence to support it just from my own experience of when a priest came into us in 6th year talking about the priesthood. None of us showed any interest.

The figures back it up, young men have no interest in being priests. I'd argue that the sacrifices made to become one just aren't worth it in my people's eyes, my own included.

The times are changing and there's less emphasis and value placed on religion year by year, that's just what's happening. It's not just an Irish phenomenon, it's happening in all major first world countries. The only areas where religion is thriving is in poorer, less advantaged countries where education is scares.

There's no coincidence between the abundance of education and the diminishment of religion.

Of course religion is less important in countries that place an emphasis on material wealth! Such regions of the world are ripe for Atheism.

Andersonisgod · 01-04-2013 7:21pm

Ecce_Agnus_Dei wrote: »

How hip and cool it is to be an atheist these days.

I see this New Atheism as nothing but a fad the way roller-blading was in the 1990s.

Atheism is a shallow ideology and is a distinctly Western, middle-class affair dabbled in by a debonair, privileged minority who see themselves as being above death, judgement, heaven and hell.

Gotta love a bit of good, old-fashioned bible thumping.

1ZRed · 01-04-2013 7:24pm

Ecce_Agnus_Dei wrote: »

Of course religion is less important in countries that place an emphasis on material wealth! Such regions of the world are ripe for Atheism.

In fairness what have you against atheism? It's never done anything to anyone, yet religion has all these rules and influences that have negatively effected society in many cases. Not saying it's all bad, though.

I'm not one to push my atheism on anyone and I respect any person's beliefs so long as I get it back in return. Cheap shots like that are a bit pathetic in fairness.

toastedpickles · 01-04-2013 7:24pm

meoklmrk91 wrote: »

they were one of our biggest exports.

Tommy tiernan explained where they all went

"We overplanted, we had an epidemic! So we tried to engage the rest of the world in a priests for potatoes swap! And we were conned by the Africans, BASTARDS!!!! Took our priests not a potato between them

Our priests went over there and what happened?! What dyu think happened?! THEY MELTED!!!!"

Custardpi · 01-04-2013 7:26pm

DainBramage wrote: »

thanks the lecture on the damage the CC has caused in this country, I was completely unaware of it- it was the posters description of the numbers in the photos declining each year, I thought was kind of poignant.
If the photos were of people in any other walk of life I would have thought the same.

The priesthood wasn't just another "walk of life" though. What's poignant about the number of people wasting their lives in that particular way decreasing? Surely it's something to be celebrated.

01-04-2013 7:28pm

1ZRed wrote: »

One word

CELIBACY

I'd say only as part of the bigger picture.

Community or ones role in the wider community (especially in relation to a huge organisations like the church), was paramount in both how one saw oneself and one's place in society to past generations, and as people have become both more educated and more introverted, the self has taken precedence over the masses or community.

As such any infringement on one's personal choices, or limitations on personal freedoms are difficult to reconcile with the prevailing cultural norms. Celibacy is one issue, but its not the only (somewhat unrealistic) demand made of clergy in terms of their moral, sexual or social selves. Clergy must accept a world of absolutes, something few people can or want to do.

People in developed countries are more self-aware and more intellectually critical than they've ever been before, which isn't that compatible with the clerical lifestyle.

Ecce_Agnus_Dei · 01-04-2013 7:29pm

1ZRed wrote: »

In fairness what have you against atheism? It's never done anything to anyone, yet religion has all these rules and influences that have negatively effected society in many cases. Not saying it's all bad, though.

I'm not one to push my atheism on anyone and I respect any person's beliefs so long as I get it back in return. Cheap shots like that are a bit pathetic in fairness.

I'm a Christian. The souls of atheists are in mortal danger. It's my duty to inform them of this danger. Now Christianity has other priorities aside from trying to reach out to those who think they know better (such as helping the poor), but evangelising to non-believers is still important. The Good News is a message that everyone should hear, regardless of race, colour, country or creed.

That you would prefer not to hear the message Christ is irrelevant.

DarkJager · 01-04-2013 7:31pm

Ecce_Agnus_Dei wrote: »

How hip and cool it is to be an atheist these days.

I see this New Atheism as nothing but a fad the way roller-blading was in the 1990s.

Atheism is a shallow ideology and is a distinctly Western, middle-class affair dabbled in by a debonair, privileged minority who see themselves as being above death, judgement, heaven and hell.

Or maybe they just grew up and don't have imaginary friends in the sky obviously. Your post is laughable.

01-04-2013 7:33pm

Ecce_Agnus_Dei wrote: »

I'm a Christian. The souls of atheists are in mortal danger. It's my duty to inform them of this danger. Now Christianity has other priorities aside from trying to reach out to those who think they know better (such as helping the poor), but evangelising is still important. The Good News is a message that everyone should hear, regardless of race, colour, country or creed.

While you are very entitled to your faith in your good news, you are not entitled to expect others to share it, or welcome your attempts to.

Your opinion on the truth of human existence is just that. Your opinion.

1ZRed · 01-04-2013 7:35pm

Ecce_Agnus_Dei wrote: »

I'm a Christian. The souls of atheists are in mortal danger. It's my duty to inform them of this danger. Now Christianity has other priorities aside from trying to reach out to those who think they know better (such as helping the poor), but evangelising to non-believers is still important. The Good News is a message that everyone should hear, regardless of race, colour, country or creed.

That you would prefer not to hear the message Christ is irrelevant.

I'm an atheist. I don't believe in what you believe in and it's not your duty to tell me anything. My "soul" is none of your business.

01-04-2013 7:35pm

Ecce_Agnus_Dei wrote: »

How hip and cool it is to be an atheist these days.

I see this New Atheism as nothing but a fad the way roller-blading was in the 1990s.

Atheism is a shallow ideology and is a distinctly Western, middle-class affair dabbled in by a debonair, privileged minority who see themselves as being above death, judgement, heaven and hell.

I'm blown away by your arrogance.

Atheists don't need a god to judge them. We have people like you for that.

Rayne Wooney · 01-04-2013 7:36pm

Ecce_Agnus_Dei wrote: »

I'm a Christian. The souls of atheists are in mortal danger. It's my duty to inform them of this danger. Now Christianity has other priorities aside from trying to reach out to those who think they know better (such as helping the poor), but evangelising to non-believers is still important. The Good News is a message that everyone should hear, regardless of race, colour, country or creed.

That you would prefer not to hear the message Christ is irrelevant.

Who told you this?

GarIT · 01-04-2013 7:37pm

Ecce_Agnus_Dei wrote: »

I'm a Christian. The souls of atheists are in mortal danger.

Show me any evidence of a soul, otherwise there's no point in hearing your nonsense.

meoklmrk91 · 01-04-2013 7:37pm

Ecce_Agnus_Dei wrote: »

How hip and cool it is to be an atheist these days.

I see this New Atheism as nothing but a fad the way roller-blading was in the 1990s.

Atheism is a shallow ideology and is a distinctly Western, middle-class affair dabbled in by a debonair, privileged minority who see themselves as being above death, judgement, heaven and hell.

I don't think it's hip and cool to be an atheist, a lot of people ask me what it is others who know quickly go very quiet as though they want me to shut up despite the fact that they asked me my thoughts for fear my disbelief in a higher power might offend someone.

Why is it shallow? I don't see myself as being above death, I will die, as for judgement, I find myself more moral than those who kill, maim or hurt in the ne of their religion however I am certainly not above it. I live my life and try to be the best I can be because I believe that this is the only one that I have, there wouldn't be people blowing themselves up on a regular basis in the Middle East if they did not believe that there was an after life.

I am a live and let live kind of person, if someone's religion makes it a little bit easier for them to get through their life then I am delighted for them. It is their right. As long as it does not hurt anyone else.

As for it being a fad, my parents thought the same thing, 10 years after I made my feelings on the matter clear they don't think so anymore. Most people my age do not believe in the teachings of the Catholic Church, so even if they are involved they are culturally catholic, weddings,funerals, christenings, catholic on the census but lots are agnostic, they rest are atheists or actual non a la carte Catholics. I can assure you that this is not the latest trend, the teachings of the church are redundant so there is little for them to connect to.

1ZRed · 01-04-2013 7:38pm

Candie wrote: »

I'm blown away by your arrogance.

Atheists don't need a god to judge them. We have people like you for that.

"Judge ye lest ye be judged"

They can't even follow their own rules properly. That's the fundamental problem the majority of the very vocal religious types.

DarkJager · 01-04-2013 7:38pm

GarIT wrote: »

Show me and evidence of a soul, otherwise there's no point in hearing your nonsense.

There's no point in hearing his nonsense anyway, he smacks of a being a smug Christian muppet with a superiority complex.

Siuin · 01-04-2013 7:39pm

Ecce_Agnus_Dei wrote: »

I'm a Christian. The souls of atheists are in mortal danger. It's my duty to inform them of this danger. Now Christianity has other priorities aside from trying to reach out to those who think they know better (such as helping the poor), but evangelising to non-believers is still important. The Good News is a message that everyone should hear, regardless of race, colour, country or creed.

That you would prefer not to hear the message Christ is irrelevant.

If the good news is that some dude ended up nailed to a cross because other people were assholes, Id hate to hear the bad news.

Rhetoric like yours makes me thankful that Jews dont shove their beliefs down the throats of those of other faiths and none.

elefant · 01-04-2013 7:43pm

Praetorian Saighdiuir wrote: »

Searchin' for priests under 40 eh? Have you tried plentyofpriests.com?

I'd say he wants to meet priests his own age, listen in on the gossip or simply have a bit of a laugh.

Custardpi · 01-04-2013 7:43pm

GarIT wrote: »

Show me and evidence of a soul, otherwise there's no point in hearing your nonsense.

Luke 4.12: "Do not put the Lord your God to the test". The whole evidence thing doesn't really work with the hardcore sky-pixie followers. Faith i.e. the ability to ignore contradictory evidence & reject reason, is seen as a virtue.

johnny-grunge · 01-04-2013 7:44pm

Ecce_Agnus_Dei wrote: »

How hip and cool it is to be an atheist these days.

I see this New Atheism as nothing but a fad the way roller-blading was in the 1990s.

Atheism is a shallow ideology and is a distinctly Western, middle-class affair dabbled in by a debonair, privileged minority who see themselves as being above death, judgement, heaven and hell.

Yea your right. Atheism is a load of balls. I used to be one until I was swayed by all the irrefutable evidence that Jesus rose from the dead.

Does anyone join the priesthood anymore?

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