• by JENNIFER PREYSS
• Originally published September 2, 2010 at 9:39 p.m., updated September 3, 2010 at 3:20 p.m.

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• Seminarians with Victoria DioceseAdam Beard: Our Lady of the Gulf, Port Lavaca; St. Joseph Seminary, College I

  Philip Brune: Sts. Peter and Paul, Frelsburg; St. Mary Seminary, Theology II

  John Dougharty: Holy Cross, Bay City; Holy Trinity Seminary, College ...

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Seminarians with Victoria DioceseAdam Beard: Our Lady of the Gulf, Port Lavaca; St. Joseph Seminary, College I

Philip Brune: Sts. Peter and Paul, Frelsburg; St. Mary Seminary, Theology II

John Dougharty: Holy Cross, Bay City; Holy Trinity Seminary, College I

Kristopher Fuchs: St. Michael the Archangel, Needville, Holy Trinity Seminary, Pre-Theology II

Scott Hill: St. Roch, Mentz; St. Mary Seminary, Theology I

Patrick Kippenberg: Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Shiner, St. Mary Seminary, Theology III

Jacob Koether: Holy Cross, Bay City; St. Mary Seminary, Theology I

Jasper Liggio: Shrine of the True Cross, Dickinson; Holy Apostles Seminary, Pre-Theology I

Matthew Soto: Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Shiner; Holy Trinity Seminary, Pre-Theology II

Stephen Vacek: Holy Cross, East Bernard; St. Joseph Seminary, College III

With priestly vocations in a perpetual decline nationwide, it seems unmatched by comparison that the Victoria Diocese has seen a surge in the number of seminarians working toward ordination.

Currently, 10 men affiliated with the Victoria Diocese attend seminaries throughout the country.

Each of the men is in various stages of life and formation, and once they conclude their seven- to nine-year spiritual, academic and pastoral training, they become ordained and report back to the Victoria Diocese to serve their careers in area parishes.

The number of seminarians is significant this year because it is the largest participation since the Victoria Diocese formed in 1982.

"It's definitely true. The (number of) young men entering the priesthood is not what it was even a generation ago," Victoria Diocese Bishop David Fellhauer said.

The number of priests has steadily fallen since the Second Vatican Council concluded in 1965, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. At that time, there were 36,000 diocesan priests and 22,700 religious priests in the 195 dioceses or eparchies that belonged to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

In 2010, 27,000 diocesan priests and about 12,800 religious priests were reported.

Many parishes domestically and around the world have a shortage of priests, or have one priest serving multiple parishes.

Others still, have been forced to close entirely.

The number of U.S. parishes in 1965 without a resident priest was 549, compared to about 3,400 in 2010.

There doesn't seem to be any shortage of theories explaining the dwindling numbers of priests in present day - most notably the change in social and religious tolerances, family structures producing fewer children than previous generations, resistance to lifelong celibacy, and Western cultural expectations of wealth and family after high school graduation to name a few.

Yet, the rise of seminarians in the Victoria Diocese is not only apart from the current trends, it yields no logical explanation.

Fellhauer asserts that though it is a question to be pondered, the call to priesthood is an invitation by God, and therefore any rise in men seeking a "cunter-cultural" life, cannot be reasonably or theoretically explained without examining the supernatural.

"Ultimately, it will remain a mystery" of God, he said.

The Rev. Dan Morales, Victoria Diocese vocation director, said he, too, is puzzled by the influx of men joining the priesthood locally, but is excited about the future of the diocese.

"We've been praying for an increase in vocation for a long time. I'd like to say there's a secret and a science behind it, but in vocations, you're so used to waiting on an answer to prayer," Morales said.

Even if a potential candidate comes to Morales, he's not guaranteed a spot. And once a candidate is admitted to the seminary, not every seminarian will make it through the near-decade-long formation and ordination process, Morales said.

"If they can't handle it academically, or in any other areas, they could be asked to leave," Morales said.

Or, the seminarian himself could realize he isn't meant to be priest after he's entered school.

"We had one guy realize he was too selfish for this life," Morales said. "But no matter what, the men who enter seminary leave a better person," Morales said.

As vocation director, Morales is in direct contact with the seminarians on a regular basis before and after their formation to make sure their hearts and minds remain on track.

The process is intense, Morales said, and requires a lot of mental and spiritual stamina. Even before any man can enter the seminary, they are required to go through several months of interviews, spiritual preparation, physical and psychological testing, all while living a celibate and single lifestyle.

Even then, if the Bishop does not give his consent, it is possible to be turned away. This can also happen if the potential seminarian made a recent decision to join the priesthood.

"We wouldn't even consider someone if their calling was recent, we ask them to mature a little more," Morales said.

With a dire need for committed men, the church refuses to settle on the quality of priests serving the Catholic Church simply to fill holes in parishes, Morales said.

Once accepted, the goal of the seminary is orient the students with a marriage to God, similar to a nine-year engagement period, to see if both are a good fit for a lifelong partnership. Essentially, they will be purposefully electing to live chaste, poor, selfless lives, relinquishing any plans of marriage, family, possessions and career ambition, in exchange for a life of serving God and his people.

"It's really only by the grace of God that I got through my first year," St. Mary seminarian Philip Brune said. "I didn't realize how counter-cultural it was until I got to seminary."

Brune said he wouldn't have chosen any other life and encourages other men to consider the vocation.

"It sounds really crazy, but if people really knew how great it is, they'd say 'Oh man, that's awesome! You get to do that?'" Brune said. "The priesthood will always be a matter of bringing people to God and letting them know they are beloved sons and daughters of God. Once you find God, you can't help but fall in love with love, since God is love."

Echoing those sentiments, Brune's seminarian classmate Scott Hill said his experience has also been positive. Hill said he's thankful to have the counsel of Morales, who continues to encourage him during his formation.

Morales' counsel, Hill said, may also explain the rise in local interest as well.

"Father Dan probably had a lot to do with it. He's really honest and open with us," Hill said. "But with statistics, you have to rely on God. Hopefully, it will continue to rise."

Morales said that despite the falling numbers nationally, he's excited there are a few good men who could end up serving the Victoria Diocese.

"I've been so impressed with these guys," Morales said. "This is the best time to be a priest for these young guys. They're so excited about serving the Lord and making a difference," he said.

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