Ordinations in the USA

It is reported that there are to be 595 ordinations to the priesthood in the USA this summer, an increase of 118 or about 25% over last years figure of 477. Compared with 2005, it is a 31% increase. Although this year's figure may be exceptional, scrutiny of the statistics, both of ordinations and seminarians, indicates that there is an upward trend of about 5% year on year. Although doing little to redress the fall in the number of priest over the last 50 years, it is pleasing that tide has turned, and that there is cause for modest optimism. It is interesting to note that the current crop of ordinations started their training in 2008 or 2009, early in the pontificate of Benedict XVI. Could this be evidence of a Benedict bounce? I have written before that what happens in America often happens a few years later this side of the Atlantic. It would be great if it did in this case.