- Feb 5, 2002
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(OSV News) — When people are impacted in their daily lives by strong examples of priests and religious faithfully living out their vocations, Bishop Earl K. Fernandes of Columbus believes that’s when vocations to the priesthood and religious life flourish.
Bishop Fernandes, who spoke with OSV News ahead of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations on April 21, said that he has tried to build “a culture of vocations” in his diocese, which has seen a doubling in the number of vocations to the priesthood over the past two years.
When he was ordained as bishop on May 31, 2022, he observed that there were more bishops ordained than priests that year in the diocese since there were no priestly ordinations and just 17 seminarians.
But this past year, the Diocese of Columbus has had 16 men enter the seminary, with 12 in the application process for next year. The diocese has a total of 37 seminarians and five priestly ordinations this year, as well as three men ordained to the transitional diaconate.
Continued below.
www.oursundayvisitor.com
Bishop Fernandes, who spoke with OSV News ahead of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations on April 21, said that he has tried to build “a culture of vocations” in his diocese, which has seen a doubling in the number of vocations to the priesthood over the past two years.
When he was ordained as bishop on May 31, 2022, he observed that there were more bishops ordained than priests that year in the diocese since there were no priestly ordinations and just 17 seminarians.
But this past year, the Diocese of Columbus has had 16 men enter the seminary, with 12 in the application process for next year. The diocese has a total of 37 seminarians and five priestly ordinations this year, as well as three men ordained to the transitional diaconate.
Fostering a culture of vocations
Continued below.
Find out how one diocese doubled vocations in 2 years
When people are impacted in their daily lives by strong examples of priests and religious faithfully living out their vocations, Bishop Earl K. Fernandes of Columbus believes that's when vocations to the priesthood and religious life flourish.
www.oursundayvisitor.com
