Northern Irish priests keep hope as vocations slowly rise

The Catholic Diocese of Clogher is celebrating its first new entrant to the priesthood in six years; he will join just one other seminarian in the diocese.

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The collapse of priestly vocations in Northern Ireland has led to empty seminaries and aging priests who struggle to meet the pastoral and sacramental needs of their parishioners. The situation is dire, but Catholic dioceses throughout the UK and Ireland remain hopeful for the future. This is especially true in Clogher Diocese, where they are celebrating the first entrant to the priesthood in six years.

According to Irish News, the young man is a former teacher in his 20s who is preparing to enter his propaedeutic year, a time of discernment during which the candidate lives the seminarian life. If he feels that God is calling him, then he will begin the long road to the priesthood, accompanied by just one other seminarian studying in Clogher Diocese.

While the shortage of priests is widespread in the UK, it seems to be worst in Northern Ireland, where few young men are discerning vocations at all. A separate report from Irish News recently reported on a Belfast parish, St. Patrick’s, which has seen its number of priests dwindle to just one for the first time in two centuries. The report notes that even a decade ago St. Patrick’s had as many as six priests in active ministry.

There are currently just 26 seminarians in Northern Ireland, with the majority of those (16) studying in the Archdiocese of Armagh. Other dioceses must content themselves with small groups of two or three seminarians, while Derry has the second most seminarians, with four.

Down and Connor Diocese only has three seminarians at the moment, but they are preparing to welcome six young men to begin their formation in 2025. Fr. Eddie Magee, Diocesan Communications Officer, credited the uptick in vocations to the commitment of the church to accompany and support those who consider a call to the priesthood.

Fr. Magee’s diocese has put forth a great deal of effort to encourage young men to discern a priestly vocation. He noted that, like many UK dioceses, his has a Director of Vocations who seeks out and keeps in contact with men who are thinking they might be called. Furthermore, Fr. Magee’s diocese holds events like vocational retreats and encounters with priests to help engage these young men in their discernment. He said:

“As a Diocese, we ask God’s blessing on all those who are responding to the call to ministry in the priesthood, diaconate, and religious life and encourage all to continue to pray for vocations,” Fr. Magee said.

While it is heartening to hear Northern Ireland’s priests stay on the positive side, fears of diminishing numbers in the UK and Ireland are understandable when reading reports that Ireland’s national seminary, Maynooth, a facility that could house 500 seminarians, is only occupied by 20 students for the priesthood. At least the Maynooth location is still open, whereas Belfast’s St. Malachy’s Diocesan Seminary was forced to close its doors in 2018 due to lack of students.

Derry’s Vocations Director, Fr. Pat O’Hagan felt compelled to pray mid-sentence when discussing the possibility of just three new priests over the next three years:

“We hope to celebrate the ordination of a new deacon next year who should proceed to priesthood in 2026,” he explained. “The following years will, please God, see at least one priestly ordination each year.”