Catholic san Fra rancisco ncisco Northern California’s Weekly Catholic Newspaper
Pope Benedict XVI celebrates Mass of canonization for five new saints in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Oct. 11.
Pope canonizes five new saints, calling them models of Christian love
By John Thavis VATICAN CITY (CNS) – At a Mass Oct. 11 in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed five new saints, including Father Damien de Veuster, the 19th-century Belgian missionary who ministered to people with leprosy in Hawaii before dying of the disease, and
Sister Jeanne Jugan, a French nun whose Little Sisters of the Poor continue to assist the elderly in the United States and more than 30 other countries. Thousands of pilgrims from around the world attended the canonization and heard Pope Benedict describe the new saints as “shining examples” of Christian love. FIVE NEW SAINTS, page 22
Archdiocese feels pressure of priest shortage, looks to planning, vocations By Gerald Korson Special Report SAN FRANCISCO – In comparison to many other Catholic dioceses in the United States, the Archdiocese of San Francisco has had relatively little difficulty in providing enough active priests to serve the pastoral needs of its faithful. The ministry of priests from other countries at parishes in the archdiocese has, for many years, filled the gap between the archdiocese’s need for new priests and the number of its ordinations to the priesthood each year. So far the archdiocese has been spared the most serious effects of a priest shortage seen in some other regions of the country, where more than 18 percent of parishes do not have a resident priest. But the demographics of an aging resident clergy combined with a lower number of annual ordinations are putting pressure on the archdiocese’s abil-
ity to meet the needs of parishes. The spared the kind of logistical predicaments Archdiocesan Directory lists 44 priests with regard to clergy assignments that ordained in the decade 1970-79, while the have plagued other regions of the councomparable listing for the decade 2000-09 try where the priest shortage is felt more acutely. Its 90 parishes shows 22 priests. dot a relatively compact “I’ve been vicar of 1,012-square-mile landclergy for two-and-ascape, and supply priests half years, and a priest have been plentiful due ministering in the archto the presence of clergydiocese for 41 years,” said rich institutions such as San Francisco Auxiliary the University of San Bishop William J. Justice, Francisco, the Graduate “and this is the first year Theological Union and that I’ve said to priests, in several retreat houses a joking manner, ‘No one situated within and around can get seriously ill or die. the three-county archdioThat’s an order.’ Because cese. we don’t have anybody to Bishop William Justice “We are not in dire replace them.” Bishop Justice, who carries the respon- straits,” Bishop Justice told Catholic San sibilities of Vicar for Clergy, paused, and Francisco. “Because we’ve been able then added in a serious tone: “We’ve got to to supply priests for the parishes, there hasn’t been a lot of pressure on us to look continue to do some serious planning.” The archdiocese largely has been forward.”
Like other major metropolitan areas of the country, the San Francisco Bay Area is attractive to priests from other countries, including foreign-born clergy seeking to do ministry in the United States, some of whom already have relatives in the area.” Yet even with these resources, the archdiocese is beginning to feel the pinch. Looking ahead to the 2010-12 threeyear period, 29 active archdiocesan priests will be eligible to retire. While many of these priests will elect to remain active in ministry, even if they officially retire, this demographic trend can be startling. Particularly when contrasted with the number of priestly ordinations in the archdiocese – three this year, and eight projected for the next three years – a number that falls short of what is needed annually to replace the priests who die, retire, or are unable to continue in ministry. PRIEST SHORTAGE, page 10
INSIDE THIS WEEK’S EDITION Arab-Catholic leaders . . . . . . 3 Health care bills . . . . . . . . . . 6 Movement on immigration . 12 Archbishop’s Journal. . . . . . 16 Scripture, reflections . . 18-19
‘Archbishop’s Hour’ debuts Oct. 30 ~ Page 4 ~ October 16, 2009
‘Nuns Build’ News in brief ~ Pages 8-9 ~
Synod for Africa update ~ Page 21 ~
ONE DOLLAR
Teens’ spiritual lives . . . . . . 24 Classified ads . . . . . . . . 26-27
www.catholic-sf.org VOLUME 11
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