The Diocese of Green Bay is in dire need of priests. Our diocese has about 59 diocesan priests for 157 parishes. Thankfully, we have 20+ international priests, 10+ priests from religious orders, and 10+ pastoral leaders to help us lead our parishes. But according to Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), the Green Bay Diocese has the worst ratio of diocesan priests to parishes in the entire country – nearly three parishes for every diocesan priest.

Our goal as a diocese is to call forth and form 30 seminarians to be missionary leaders in the priesthood by the year 2025. We currently have just twelve men in seminary formation, and seminary formation takes seven to nine years of study. The goal then is to almost triple the number of men in formation just so that we may begin to see three ordinations per year.

God will provide for our needs, but he wants us to cooperate in his work. We need everyone to take on the mission of promoting vocations and inviting young people to see if God is calling them to the priesthood or religious life. “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest” (Luke 10:2).

Please deeply think of a few ways you can personally help foster vocations in your parish, ministry, or family.