WITH priests severely outnumbered by parishioners, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) is asking the faithful to join it in praying that more young men will consider having a vocation for a religious life.
“One of the challenges is to continue praying for the vocation so that it will continue to grow and increase the number of priests,” said Bishop Roberto Gaa, chairman of the CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Vocations.
The Novaliches prelate advised young males thinking of becoming priests to visit vocation ministries of their respective dioceses.
There are about 80 million Filipino Catholics in the country while priests number only around 10,000. This means each priest serves an average of 8,000 parishioners nationwide.
The CBCP has said the ideal ratio should be one priest for at least 2,000 parishioners.
The Catholic Church will celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations on April 30. — Gerard Naval
