Small is beautiful, suggests diocesan vocations study

Just 16 U.S. dioceses ordain above replacement rate

Of nearly 150 U.S. Latin Catholic dioceses, only sixteen of them have ordained enough priests in recent years to maintain their current levels of clergy, according to a new study.

A candidate lies face down during his priestly ordination. Credit: ©Mazur/catholicchurch.org.uk.

In the years between 2013 and 2023, not a single diocese serving more than 750,000 Catholics had enough ordinations to maintain its current level of priests, suggesting that when it comes to diocesan vocations to the priesthood, small is beautiful — and often fruitful

In fact, data indicates that bigger dioceses — where priests serve larger flocks — are struggling to produce vocations at a replacement rate, while smaller dioceses — with priests serving fewer Catholics — are flourishing with priestly vocations.

That information could be significant, as ecclesiastical leaders consider the prospect of merging small dioceses in the United States.

A 2025 report on “The State of Priestly Vocations in the United States,” published by the Vocation Ministry organization, listed 16 small and medium-sized dioceses which defied a downward vocation trend in the U.S. over the past decade.

In a table where a score of 100% meant that a diocese ordained enough priests to maintain clergy levels, the report presented the 16 dioceses producing priests above what they required for replacement rate, indicating growth over the decade:

• Wichita, Kansas: 255%

• Nashville, Tennessee: 170%

• Springfield, Illinois: 160%

• Kansas City-St. Joseph: 150%

• Little Rock, Arkansas: 143%

• Lincoln, Nebraska: 140%

• Paterson, New Jersey: 128%

• Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana: 123%

• Covington, Kentucky: 120%

• Sioux Falls, South Dakota: 115%

• Bismarck, North Dakota: 110%

• Duluth, Minnesota: 110%

• Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: 110%

• Grand Rapids, Michigan: 105%

• Madison, Wisconsin: 103%

• Arlington, Virginia: 102%

At the other end of the scale were several larger dioceses, where ordinations fell well below replacement level over the same 10 year period:

• New York, New York: 23%

• Phoenix, Arizona: 23%

• San Diego, California: 24%

• Brownsville, Texas: 24%

• Sacramento, California: 24%

• San Antonio, Texas: 31%

• Rockville Centre, New York: 33%

• Los Angeles, California: 33%

• Fresno, California: 35%

• San Bernardino, California: 36%

Yet the lowest percentages of ordinations against replacement rate were found among dioceses with fewer than 100,000 Catholics, underlining that size is not the only factor determining diocesan priestly vocations.

The Diocese of Beaumont, Texas, recorded a score of 15%, followed by the Diocese of Amarillo, Texas, and the Diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska, at 20%.

Among dioceses with between 100,000 and 300,000 Catholics, the Diocese of Lubbock, Texas, was at 25% followed by the Diocese of Portland, Maine, at 27%.

Among dioceses with 300,000 to 750,000 Catholics, the Archdiocese of Las Vegas, Nevada, scored 20%, followed by the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, at 28%.

The report also presented figures for the number of seminarians in each diocese between 2014 and 2023, using them to create a similar percentage scale, where a score of 100% meant that a diocese had enough seminarians to maintain its priestly population through ordinations over the decade.

The Diocese of Wichita, led by Bishop Carl A. Kemme since 2014, also recorded the highest percentage on this scale.

The diocese, which serves around 110,000 Catholics, had 195% of seminarians needed for replacement rate ordinations, ahead of the dioceses of Nashville, 111%; Lincoln, 107%; Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, 106%; and Grand Rapids, Michigan, 104%.

Catholic media have previously described the Wichita diocese as experiencing a vocations boom.

Among dioceses serving more than 750,000 people, the Diocese of Dallas led with 69%, followed by the archdioceses of Philadelphia, 57%; Newark, 55%; and Atlanta, 52%.

Dioceses with the lowest percentages included Great Falls-Billings, 9%; Gallup, 12%; San Diego, 12%; Laredo, 14%;, San Jose, 14%; New York, 15%; Las Vegas, 16%; and Stockton, 19%.

The new report suggested a link between the average number of Catholics a diocesan priest serves and ordination percentages.

“Ordination percentages decline when the diocesan average of the number of Catholics a priest serves exceeds 1,800,” the reported said.

“Clearly, a more personal, community-centered approach to priestly ministry is a key factor in fostering vocations.”

The report also sought to measure how accessible priests are to potential priesthood candidates in a given diocese.

“In dioceses where priests serve multiple parishes or large congregations, there is less time and energy for personal outreach or spiritual mentorship,” the report said.

“Conversely, in dioceses where priests have fewer administrative burdens and smaller communities, they are better positioned to develop and foster these critical relationships.”

On the whole, the study found that priests are considerably more accessible to potential vocations in dioceses with fewer than 100,000 Catholics, and decidedly less accessible in dioceses with more than 750,000 Catholics.

“Priests serving smaller communities often have the unique opportunity to build close, personal relationships with parishioners, fostering a deeper sense of trust and connection,” the report said, while acknowledging that such clergy often travel long distances between parishes, draining time and energy.

The new report highlighted other factors affecting priestly vocations, including family background. It estimated that Catholic marriages in U.S. dioceses fell by around 25% over the past 10 years, with a possible impact on future vocations.

The report also highlighted several factors it did not examine due to a lack of reliable data. These included Mass attendance, the retirement rate among priests, and priests leaving the ministry.

Vocation Ministry, which was founded by Rhonda Gruenewald in Houston, Texas, in 2011, said that figures collected over the past 10 years confirmed insights in its 2023 report, which was based on 2021 data from the Official Catholic Directory.

“While single-year data can give a snapshot of a recent trend, 10-year correlations provide a more reliable view of the significant factors influencing vocation development,” it noted.

The 2023 report noted the overall downward trend in priestly vocations in U.S. dioceses, the advantages of a low parishioner to priest ratio, the positive impact of diocesan vocations directors, and the importance of targeted youth programs.

The previous report estimated that around 30% of seminarians leave before completing their formation. But the new report said that, based on new data, “the national average Discern-Out Rate may be higher than initially reported — possibly closer to 50%.” The 2025 report opted for “a more conservative estimate of 40%.”

The report concluded that “addressing the realities of declining vocations and overburdened clergy will require innovative approaches and a renewed commitment to building environments where all vocations can flourish.”

“The Catholic Church needs all the boats to rise—more holy priests, more holy sisters and brothers, and more holy marriages,” it said.