Demographic Report & Strategic Plan
Priesthood in the Diocese of Savannah
This study was undertaken to answer a fundamental question: how many seminarians does the Diocese of Savannah need in order to maintain the ratio of priests to laity over the next twenty years?
To answer this question, this report examines the growth of the diocese, retirement trends in the presbyterate, ordination rates, and the retention rate of seminarians.
The major finding is an affirmation of the efforts within the diocese over the past 15 years: the current rate of ordination (2.25 priests per year) is in fact sufficient to provide pastoral care for the people of the diocese. However, because the number of parishes is projected to remain the same, but the size of parishes is growing larger, a goal of ordaining 3 men per year is prudent. In order to achieve this, the diocese must accept five new seminarians for study each year—which in fact has been the average rate of acceptance since 1996.
To continue the Savannah Diocese’s relative success in the area of priestly vocations, current promotional strategies should be continued, along with new initiatives such as regular discernment retreats and outreach to children and young adults.
