Wanted: More Priests

The Number Of Catholic Priests In The U.S. Continues To Dwindle, Forcing The Church To Adapt

(CBS)  Hers may be the new face of the Catholic Church. Meet Sister Dorothy Pawlus of Pittsburgh.

"When I entered religious life, I didn't really know where God would use me," Pawlus told CBS News correspondent Kelly Wallace.

As the first parish life coordinator in Pittsburgh, Pawlus does just about everything a pastor would do — except for administering the sacraments and celebrating Mass.

"This will free up some of the priests to do more of the administrative roles in the diocese or not to have to take on two parishes," Pawlus said.

There were 784 priests in Pittsburgh in 1960. Now there are just 514, and their median age is 61. Nationwide, every year, 1,200 priests retire or die, while only about 450 are ordained to take their place.

What role do experts think the church scandal has played?

"I think we would be naïve to say that the scandals have not played a role," said Monsignor Tom Nydegger, vice rector of Seton Hall's Immaculate Conception Seminary. "I think in the 1960s, we saw dramatic changes in the way people thought, the way people thought about government, about authority, about themselves."

A major challenge for the Church is finding more men like 41-year-old Father Jim Ferry, who left the corporate world and became a priest last year.

"I thought about how I would live a life of service that we're all called to," Ferry said.

The shortage has led to renewed debate about whether the Catholic Church needs to change its ways by removing the celibacy requirement or allowing women to become priests.

"I don't want to be a priest, but I think the people of the parish deserve a pastoral presence," Pawlus said.

A presence that, given the stark numbers, will have to be filled by more non-traditional faces.

[mgpm-2009]

I'm Catholic and am not being "sucked dry" of all my money. I give what I feel I'm called to give.

The Church will survive. It is the Church that Jesus Christ himself founded, and it will not fade away.

I would be proud and honored if my son were called to the priesthood or my daughters to religious life.

[erasmus6]

Actually I think that maybe we should do away with all churches, especially the Catholic church as it sucks people dry of all their money.

I have always believed that we don't need to go to a church to pray, you can do that in your own home.

[ki8911]

At this rate of attrition, the American Catholic will diminish to the point of zero. Wonder if the European/African sections are suffering the same dilema. Now if the Evangelicals could start to dwindle, along with Islam, and every other religion that claims to have the corner market of the "one true faith and church". Religion doesn't unite, it divides and has created more destruction. Get rid of religion maybe people would start helping each other out because we're all creatures sharing this planet, not ripping each others throat out to "convert".