Decline in Active Clergy Limits Assignment Options

December 10, 2001

The continuing decline in the number of priests available to staff the 217 parishes and six chapels of Brooklyn and Queens makes filling openings as they occur "a challenging assignment made more desperate as the months go on," according to the director of the Clergy Personnel Office of the Diocese of Brooklyn.

Msgr. John J. Brown made his comment on the release of a clergy census report tracking personnel statistics as of Oct. 15. Since March 1, 1998 the number of active priests has dropped from 438 to 410 and their median age has risen from 55 to 56.8.

In the current statistical report, the total number of priests, including retirees, stood at 627, compared to 688 in 1998.

"Our Assignment Board finds it increasingly difficult to match a priest to a parish that can best use his particular skills, whether it be language, specific pastoral experience or some other quality," he said. "The dwindling number limits our options."

Msgr. Brown heads a seven-member board of priests that recommends assignments to Bishop Thomas V. Daily, who makes the appointments.   

"The people most affected by the decline are the laity in the parishes, and I believe they are coming to the realization that down the road this may affect the availability of pastoral services to which they are accustomed," Msgr. Brown said.

"But we're also concerned for the well-being of priests called upon to carry out more functions than hours allow," he added.

Describing the decline in the number of priests as "a gradual but steady diminution," he said 342 priests were in parochial ministry today whereas in l998 there were 354.

At the same time, in an attempt to meet the decline, the number of priests assigned by Bishop Daily to non-parochial work, such as agency directors, military and school chaplains and seminary faculty, has dropped from 84 to 70.

According to the report, religious order priests administer 23 parishes and 138 permanent deacons, whose average age is 62, are in active ministry, mostly in parishes.

Projecting into the future, Msgr. Brown said in the next five years 90 priests will be eligible to retire at age 71. "This will compound an already challenging assignment task in the years ahead," he said.

"It's obvious that changes will have to take place which will allow us to preach the Gospel of Christ in an effective manner," he added.

"The declining numbers underscore the importance of the clustering process revived by Bishop Daily," Msgr. Brown said. Thirty-one groupings of parishes throughout the Diocese are focusing on sharing personnel and other resources in order to "minister to the people for whom we were ordained to serve---the laity in our parishes," he said.

Bishop Daily explained the clustering process in his pastoral letter, "All Are One in Christ Jesus," issued Nov. 1. An earlier pastoral letter, "Pray the Lord of the Harvest," published July 5, 2000, addressed the vocation shortage.

"Thanks to these statements, we've been given direction on a serious matter in our ecclesial life," Msgr. Brown said. "We have to continue moving ahead to resolve the problem of how best to distribute our clergy in response to the pastoral needs of our people."