From The Catholic Herald (UK)
By Francis Phillips
I blogged some time ago about a book I was reading: Renewal: How a new generation of faithful priests and bishops is revitalising the Catholic Church
by Anne Hendershott and Christopher White. The book’s main theme,
addressing the situation in the US, is that faithful bishops leading
faithful dioceses attract more young men to the priesthood than dioceses
where strong Catholic episcopal leadership appears to be weak and which
seem to be run by committees.
In support of this contention, the book quotes the retired Archbishop
Elden Curtiss of Omaha, Nebraska, who published an article in 1996,
entitled “Crisis in Vocation?”, in which he wrote, “When
dioceses and religious communities are unambiguous about the ordained
priesthood and vowed religious life; where there is strong support for
vocations, and a minimum of dissent about the male celibate priesthood
and religious life, loyal to the Magisterium; when the bishop, priests,
Religious and lay people are united in a vocation ministry – then there
are documented increases in the number of candidates who respond to the
call.”