Building a culture of vocations — the strategy behind diocesan vocational success

In some US dioceses, priestly vocations are thriving.

In 2026, the Church in the United States saw 9% fewer priestly ordinations than it had 10 years earlier.

According to the best numbers available, 342 men were ordained diocesan priests for U.S. dioceses this year. While that number represents a slight uptick from years prior, it also signifies a decline from a decade prior — in 2016, 376 men were ordaine…