Diocesan Priestly Vocations in the United States: A Look at the Numbers

2,980 men are preparing for priestly ordination as diocesan seminarians in the Latin-rite dioceses of the United States, according to data published in the most recent (2024) edition of The Official Catholic Directory.

Diocesan chancery offices supply statistics to the Directory, which also offers, as of January 1, 2024, an authoritative list of tax-exempt entities under the umbrella of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The statistics published in the 2024 edition of the Directory are thus slightly over a year old; they do not take into account the men who were ordained in 2024 and the men who entered seminary in 2024.

There are 176 Latin-rite dioceses in the United States, and seminarians prepare for ordination in 175 of them. The Archdiocese for the Military Services co-sponsors seminarians for ordination in other dioceses and eventual ministry in the military archdiocese.

The seminarians discussed in this article are diocesan seminarians. They do not include seminarians who are preparing for ordination as priests of religious institutes in seminaries that happen to be located within the boundaries of a given diocese. These religious-order seminarians often hail from other dioceses and may eventually minister in other dioceses.

For example, in addition to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s seventy-two diocesan seminarians, six religious-order seminarians are preparing for ordination in two religious-order seminaries located within the archdiocese, according to the Directory. In addition to the Diocese of Lincoln’s thirty diocesan seminarians, seventy-eight seminarians are preparing for ordination as priests of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, whose seminary is located in the diocese.

Highs and lows

Of the 175 dioceses for which diocesan seminarians are ordained, nineteen have forty or more seminarians. The dioceses with the highest number of seminarians are Philadelphia (72), Washington (69), Boston (62), New York (62), St. Paul and Minneapolis (60), Miami (55), Cincinnati (54), Baltimore (51), Charlotte (51), Los Angeles (51), Cleveland (48), Galveston-Houston (46), Wichita (44), Brooklyn (43), Dallas (43), Milwaukee (43), Phoenix (43), Arlington (40), and Austin (40).

On the other hand, twelve dioceses have three or fewer seminarians, according to data published in the Directory. Two of them–Fairbanks and Springfield, Massachusetts–have no listing for diocesan seminarians in the Directory.

With 11,235 Catholics, the Diocese of Fairbanks has fewer Catholics than any other diocese in the nation. Carolyn Dukes, chancellor of the Diocese of Fairbanks, confirmed that the diocese “did not have any seminarians in 2024.”

An official of the Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts said that she inadvertently omitted the number of diocesan seminarians when she submitted data to the Directory; she added that the diocese had one seminarian at the time. (Another official, communications director Mark Dupont, said that the diocese now has four seminarians.)

Thus, the dioceses with the lowest number of seminarians, according to data published in the Directory (with the adjustment made for Springfield), are Fairbanks (0), Baker (1), Springfield, Massachusetts (1), Anchorage-Juneau (2), Gallup (2), Laredo (2), Springfield-Cape Girardeau (2), Tucson (2), Belleville (3), Monterey (3), Owensboro (3), and Shreveport (3). Eleven dioceses have four seminarians, six dioceses have five seminarians, and seven dioceses have six seminarians.

Citing the Diocese of Tucson’s current number of seminarians (six in early 2025), Lorraine Rivera, the diocese’s director of communications, said in an email that the number published in the 2024 edition of the Directory (two seminarians) is “not correct.” The diocese did not respond to a follow-up question inquiring how many seminarians it had in early 2024, as statistics were being supplied to the Directory.

Vocation-rich dioceses

Vocation Ministry recently published The State of Priestly Vocations in the United States: 2025 Update, an important report that examines, among other data, what it calls the priestly replacement rate: “the number of ordinations needed annually simply to replace the current number of priests in a diocese” (p. 23).

In this article, I examine related but different questions. When one compares the number of diocesan seminarians to the number of Catholics in each diocese, does the diocese attract one seminarian for every 10,000 Catholics, one seminarian for every 50,000 Catholics, or one seminarian for every 100,000 Catholics? Which dioceses attract the proportionally highest and proportionally lowest number of seminarians? And why, in the judgment of officials of these dioceses, is this the case?

Examined by this standard, the median diocese in the United States (88th-ranked Green Bay) attracts one diocesan seminarian for every 14,473 Catholics. Fifty-six dioceses attract at least one seminarian for every 10,000 Catholics.

The top 10% of dioceses in the United States, with the highest ratio of diocesan seminarians to Catholics, are the following:

• Rapid City, SD (11 seminarians; 1 per 1,904 Catholics)
• Wichita, KS (44 seminarians; 1 per 2,466 Catholics)
• Lincoln, NE (30 seminarians; 1 per 2,481 Catholics)
• Steubenville, OH (8 seminarians; 1 per 3,541 Catholics)
• Duluth, MN (11 seminarians; 1 per 3,805 Catholics)
• Salina, KS (10 seminarians; 1 per 3,855 Catholics)
• Nashville, TN (28 seminarians; 1 per 3,944 Catholics)
• Helena, MT (12 seminarians; 1 per 4,024 Catholics)
• Evansville, IN (17 seminarians; 1 per 4,149 Catholics)
• Pensacola-Tallahassee, FL (19 seminarians; 1 per 4,267 Catholics)
• Alexandria, LA (8 seminarians; 1 per 4,529 Catholics)
• Winona-Rochester, MN (24 seminarians; 1 per 4,762 Catholics)
• Tulsa, OK (12 seminarians; 1 per 5,034 Catholics)
• Fargo, ND (14 seminarians; 1 per 5,199 Catholics)
• Memphis, TN (12 seminarians; 1 per 5,558 Catholics)
• Wheeling-Charleston, WV (11 seminarians; 1 per 5,725 Catholics)
• Peoria, IL (22 seminarians; 1 per 5,904 Catholics)

What makes these dioceses such “priestly vocation powerhouses,” as it were? Officials of six of these dioceses graciously shared their insights.

Wichita

“Since coming to the Diocese of Wichita over ten years ago, I have seen firsthand the strong Catholic culture of the diocese,” said Bishop Carl Kemme. “There is a vibrant Catholic life here that is present in so many of our families, parishes, and schools.”

Bishop Kemme described this Catholic culture as “the foundation of a larger-than-common response to the call to accept a priestly or religious vocation,” adding that “many are encouraged by parents and family members, even friends, to pursue this call by discernment and formation.”

“Adoration chapels abound in our diocese, with many of them offering perpetual adoration, inviting everyone, regardless of age, to consider adoration as a time to encounter the Risen Christ in the Eucharist,” he continued. “This has been in place now for over 40 or more years. I sincerely believe this is the greatest factor in our recruiting efforts. Many young men have told me that they heard the Lord speak to them about a vocation to the priesthood in adoration.”

Bishop Kemme added:

Strong Catholic schools and a growing home school community, with an emphasis on Catholic identity and orthodox teaching, contribute greatly to our efforts to promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life … Added to this is an effort to have an authentic, sacred, and transcendent liturgy for our people.

Fr. Chad Arnold, director of seminarians and of the St. Joseph House of Formation, likewise credits “the amount of adoration chapels and churches unlocked during the day, allowing men to enter into silence before the Blessed Sacrament.” He also credits the diocese’s “stewardship way of life,” which “encourages a vision of discipleship that is sacrificial, concrete, and practicable from a young age” and makes Catholic schools financially accessible to more students.

“A joyful, healthy, and faithful presbyterate,” Fr. Arnold said, also “gives consistent witness to the joy of serving the Lord in a priestly vocation.” Bishop Kemme likewise said that “a young presbyterate helps to foster among our youth a sense that this is a viable and authentic way to live your life, with young priests serving in our high schools, campus ministry programs, and throughout many of our larger parishes.”

Lincoln

“A focus on the liturgy, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and investment in our Catholic schools and college Newman Center have all been factors in facilitating a fertile ground for the Lord to offer vocations,” said Fr. Alec Sasse, vocations director for the Diocese of Lincoln. “When young men see that Jesus in the Eucharist is treated with reverence, love, and great attention, it communicates to them that what the priest does is truly sacred.”

“No young man wants to give his life for something banal or mediocre, and so we need to reflect that in our worship if we want to encourage men to answer the call of Jesus,” he continued. “Having Eucharistic adoration and confessions readily available is the number 1 answer for fostering vocations.”

Fr. Sasse added:

Having priests and religious sisters visible and active in our Catholic schools has been very fruitful, as has increased investment in our campus ministries. Over 80% of our vocations attended a diocesan Catholic high school. Our diocese has invested much into our Newman Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, which leads to more men opening their hearts to Jesus at a critical junction point in their lives.

Steubenville

“A vocation is a mystery,” mused Fr. Nicholas Ginnetti, director of vocations for the Diocese of Steubenville. “There is no mathematical formula to explain it, no algorithm that can solve a vocation crisis. First and foremost, vocations come from prayer.”

“The people of the Diocese of Steubenville pray much for vocations,” he observed. “Several of the parishes in Steubenville have a regularly scheduled holy hour for priests. Eucharistic adoration is paramount for developing priestly vocations.”

Fr. Ginnetti said that “of the ten seminarians [currently studying] for the Diocese of Steubenville, eight are related to priests in their families. I think this is interesting for two reasons: first, the prayers of the priests provide powerful graces for their nephews to hear the call to the priesthood. Secondly, having a priest in the family normalizes the vocation, so that it is not something strange.”

“If there is one thing shared in common by all ten of our seminarians, it is a strong, heartfelt devotion to Mary,” he added.

Fr. Ginnetti also said that “the Catholic women’s clubs, Knights of Columbus, Serra Club, and Catholic schools send lots of letters, prayers, and financial support to our seminarians. Receiving Christmas cards from a class full of young students or from an elderly lady whom you don’t even know can make a huge impact in a seminarian’s discernment because it reminds him of the goal of seminary: the salvation of real people.”

“In a unique way, the prayers and sacrifices of the bishop and vocations team are also very important,” Fr. Ginnetti continued. He recounted:

I can still vividly remember the day the bishop called me at my parish office and asked me to be an assistant director of vocations. It was July 6. After the call, I immediately knelt down at my desk and implored God to send us vocations …

A few months later, I received a call from a young man who said he wanted to become a seminarian. As we talked, I asked him why. He said, “I’ve thought about it for a while. But one day this summer, I felt a very strong call from God. I felt convicted that I need to become a priest for the Diocese of Steubenville. I’ll never forget. It was July 6, the memorial of St. Maria Goretti.”

Salina

Fr. Gale Hammerschmidt, director of evangelization and communication for the Diocese of Salina, attributed the diocese’s ability to attract seminarians to “good Catholic high schools,” “strong agricultural roots,” and a “summer mission program for high school students.”

The Diocese of Salina adjoins the Diocese of Wichita. Like Bishop Kemme, Fr. Hammerschmidt said that “families encouraging vocations” are of great assistance — as are “two strong Catholic campus centers within our diocese,” located at Fort Hays State University and Kansas State University. Fr. Hammerschmidt is chaplain of the latter, where an $18-million church that seats 700 was dedicated in 2023.

Winona-Rochester

“My impression of what is producing vocations in our diocese is multifaceted,” said Fr. Jason Kern, director of vocations for the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. “First and foremost is a very strong emphasis on praying for vocations.”

“Secondly, in our diocese we are blessed to have fairly strong family values intact, and this allows for a young man to more freely pursue Catholic life with the foundation and support of his family,” he continued. Finally, those “discerning their vocations have relationships where they are either being directly discipled or have the influence of a pastor or another person who is following the Lord and living their vocation in an inspiring way.”

Tulsa

“I believe that in order to have a culture of vocations, evangelization needs to be the heart of it,” said Fr. Duy Nguyen, director of vocations for the Diocese of Tulsa. “I have seen a growing zeal and fiery conviction of the faith among the faithful as they are being catechized and evangelized through the leadership of Bishop David Konderla, the clergy and religious.”

Echoing other vocation directors, Fr. Nguyen said that “a strong and public emphasis on praying for more vocations in our diocese is very essential to us. Every Thursday, the Office of Vocations offers a holy hour at one parish for the entire month, with the director of vocations committing to be present.”

Fr. Nguyen added:

I spend a considerable amount of time cultivating relationships with discerners day in and day out. Since the priestly vocation is so countercultural and requires a lot of trust and encouragement, it is my top priority to regularly check in and accompany the young men on their discernment before they are ready to take the next step.

As a full-time vocations director, Fr. Nguyen believes he is “able to be more radically available to meet with discerners, engage in conversations about vocations in places that are not commonly visited by the vocations director, and to strategically set a vision and goals for the office.”

Swimming against the current

Of the fifty-six dioceses that attract at least one seminarian for every 10,000 Catholics, only five have more than 200,000 Catholics. Only three of those five have more than 400,000 Catholics, and only one (the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.) has more than 600,000 Catholics. In general, the larger a diocese is, the stronger the current it must swim against in attracting seminarians:

• Among dioceses with 200,000-400,000 Catholics, the most vocation-rich are the Archdiocese of Indianapolis (1 seminarian per 6,598 Catholics, ranked 26th), the Diocese of Richmond (1 seminarian per 9,691 Catholics, 50th), and the Diocese of Charleston, South Carolina (1 seminarian per 10,425 Catholics, 61st).
• Among dioceses with 400,000-600,000 Catholics, the most vocation-rich are the Archdiocese of Cincinnati (1 seminarian per 8,126 Catholics, ranked 40th), the Archdiocese of Miami (1 seminarian per 9,073 Catholics, 48th), and the Archdiocese of Baltimore (1 seminarian per 10,101 Catholics, 58th).
• Among dioceses with 600,000-1,000,000 Catholics, the most vocation-rich are the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. (1 seminarian per 9,727 Catholics, ranked 51st), the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis (1 seminarian per 12,000 Catholics, 75th), and the Diocese of Austin (1 seminarian per 16,963 Catholics, 100th).
• Among dioceses with 1,000,000 or more Catholics, the most vocation-rich are the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (1 seminarian per 16,281 Catholics, ranked 95th), the Archdiocese of Boston (1 seminarian per 28,940 Catholics, 126th), and the Diocese of Brooklyn (1 seminarian per 30,690 Catholics, 127th).

All nineteen dioceses with a million or more Catholics fall below the diocesan median of one seminarian for every 14,473 Catholics. That is not to say there is little difference among the nation’s largest dioceses: a Catholic in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is over six times more likely to become a seminarian than a Catholic in the Diocese of San Diego, over seven times more likely to become a seminarian than a Catholic in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, and over ten times more likely to become a seminarian than a Catholic in the Diocese of Brownsville.

Officials of three of the dioceses that are most effective in swimming against the current offered insights into their dioceses’ ability to attract seminarians relative to other dioceses their size.

Miami

Fr. Milton Martínez Blass, director of vocations for the Archdiocese of Miami, credited a “strong culture of vocations,” a “bilingual seminary presence,” and “diverse and devout immigrant communities” in helping his archdiocese attract seminarians.

He explained:

The presence of both St. John Vianney College Seminary and Redemptoris Mater Seminary within the archdiocese creates a natural pipeline for local vocations. Young men can begin their formation close to home, fostering a sense of belonging and familiarity with the local Church while receiving instruction in both English and Spanish during their priestly formation.

Many seminarians come from immigrant backgrounds where faith is deeply rooted in family life. Latino, Haitian, and other ethnic communities maintain strong Catholic traditions, reinforcing vocations through family and cultural support.

Fr. Martínez Blass also credited “active parish involvement,” “youth and campus ministry engagement,” “a shepherd committed to vocations” (Archbishop Thomas Wenski), and “strong prayer and sacramental life.”

“Eucharistic adoration, devotion to Our Blessed Mother through ‘one Hail Mary a day’ for vocations, the ‘vocations chalice’ in parishes and Catholic schools, and a strong sacramental life in parishes inspire men to listen to God’s call,” he said. “Many vocations are born from deep prayer lives and personal encounters with Christ. This combination of pastoral strategies, community engagement, and a thriving seminary system creates a fertile ground for vocations in the Archdiocese of Miami.”

Washington, DC

Fr. Mark Ivany, director of priest vocations for the Archdiocese of Washington, attributes the archdiocese’s success in attracting seminarians to “our presbyterate,” “lay collaboration,” and the Neocatechumenal Way.

“There is a strong fraternity” in which “priests support one another and enjoy collaborating ministerially, as well as spending time together socially,” Fr. Ivany said. “Additionally, an overwhelming majority of our priests could be described as dynamic, joyful, forward thinking, and, at the same time, very faithful to the teachings of the Church and her traditions.”

“Through individuals in parishes and schools, holy families, Catholic organizations, and societies of prayer, a culture of collaboration between the laity and priests in Washington creates an environment conducive for vocations,” he added. Discussing the Neocatechumenal Way, he said:

For the last twenty years, most ordination classes in the Archdiocese of Washington have included a small number of ordinandi from the missionary movement of the Neocatechumenal Way. In our most recent ordination class of 16, two of the men were from this growing movement.

Philadelphia

Auxiliary Bishop Keith Chylinski of Philadelphia, the rector of Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, shared his insights on how the Philadelphia archdiocese has become the most “vocation rich” among dioceses with at least one million Catholics.

“It’s the intersection of constant prayer for vocations, a strong historical and cultural Catholic presence, dedicated programs for formation, active vocation promotion, and a sense of community that likely helps the Archdiocese of Philadelphia continue to attract a proportionally high number of seminarians,” Bishop Chylinski said. He spoke of “a weekly Adoration for Vocations initiative, inviting the faithful throughout the archdiocese to pray for vocations.”

Bishop Chylinski added:

Philadelphia has a rich Catholic heritage, with a long history of devout families and communities, significant Catholic infrastructure, and a well-established presence of religious orders. The presence of historical landmarks like the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, having two canonized saints, the many shrines and retreat centers, along with a deep-rooted commitment to Catholic education and social services, helps maintain a strong Catholic identity. This culture likely fosters a strong vocational climate.

“I believe our bishops and priests have consistently and zealously promoted the call to the priesthood over the years, by personally encouraging seminarians and creating an environment that values religious life,” he continued. “Leaders can have a real impact on fostering a sense of purpose and community among young men pursuing priestly formation. We are blessed in this regard for sure.”

A sense of an urgent need for priestly vocations, he said, has also inspired young men:

Like many dioceses, Philadelphia is facing an aging clergy, which creates a need for younger priests. This sense of urgency may inspire young men to respond to the call, knowing their service is needed to continue the work of the Church in the region. I am very encouraged by the caliber of the men who are pursuing a life of service to God and His Church.

Significant challenges

The 10% of dioceses in the United States with the lowest ratio of diocesan seminarians to Catholics, according to statistics published in the 2024 edition of The Official Catholic Directory (with the adjustment described above for the Diocese of Springfield), are the following:

• Rochester, NY (5 seminarians; 1 per 58,960 Catholics)
• Las Vegas, NV (10 seminarians; 1 per 62,000 Catholics)
• Chicago, IL (31 seminarians; 1 per 67,065 Catholics)
• San Antonio, TX (17 seminarians; 1 per 67,544 Catholics)
• Los Angeles, CA (51 seminarians; 1 per 74,812 Catholics)
• San Jose, CA (7 seminarians; 1 per 75,000 Catholics)
• Buffalo, NY (7 seminarians; 1 per 79,315 Catholics)
• Sacramento, CA (12 seminarians; 1 per 87,892 Catholics)
• San Bernardino, CA (15 seminarians; 1 per 91,425 Catholics)
• San Diego, CA (13 seminarians; 1 per 106,305 Catholics)
• Rockville Centre, NY (11 seminarians; 1 per 119,012 Catholics)
• Monterey, CA (3 seminarians; 1 per 123,000 Catholics)
• Tucson, AZ (2 seminarians; 1 per 149,242 Catholics)
• Springfield, MA (1 seminarian; 1 per 151,546 Catholics)
• Laredo, TX (2 seminarians; 1 per 167,715 Catholics)
• Brownsville, TX (7 seminarians; 1 per 169,933 Catholics)
• Fairbanks, AK (0 seminarians)

I asked officials from fifteen of these dioceses to share their insights about the struggles they face in attracting seminarians. Three graciously did so.

Springfield in Massachusetts

“When I arrived as bishop in this diocese in late 2020 there were no seminarians,” said Bishop William D. Byrne of the Diocese of Springfield, MA. “I have made increasing vocations to the priesthood a goal of my episcopacy. I consider myself as a bishop to be the chief vocation director.”

“Soon after my installation, I welcomed a young man and former Marine into our formation program,” he recalled. “That seminarian will be ordained this June, and we now anticipate five seminarians starting in September. I often say, God hasn’t stopped calling men to the priesthood, but sadly many are not hearing that call.”

Bishop Byrne also spoke of regional demographic challenges:

One factor here was that although we have a large college population, most of these students upon graduation seek work and live outside our diocese as there are simply very few jobs to be found here. The Diocese of Springfield consists of a graying congregation in what once was a thriving industrial region.

“I bring this need for more vocations to my everyday prayers, offering many holy hours for the intention,” he said. “I sincerely believe we are turning the corner, but I also know that to reinvigorate vocations much work remains, work that I am committed to undertake.”

Chicago

“I’ve been vocation director for 8.5 years, which has had its shares of joys and disappointments, and has been quite humbling,” said Fr. Timothy Monahan, vocation director of the Archdiocese of Chicago. “It is a relationally intense ministry, focused on the Trinity, the local presbyterate, the parish and school, and the family.”

“There are obvious principles of fidelity to the Magisterium, adoration of Jesus in the Eucharist, devotion to Mary, and a robust sense of the priesthood in service to the People of God, but we have not found any quick fix to raising our numbers,” he continued. He explained:

I have encountered far too many priests and laity who want a simple and fast solution to the vocation crisis, and are quick to criticize without any willingness to work for a solution. The percentage of Catholic marriages has plummeted further than that of ordinations over the past 50 years, which has helped me understand that the vocation crisis is larger than just with the priesthood.

Fr. Monahan also described what he sees as “the single biggest obstacle for vocational discernment”: “in a large urban environment, people are extremely busy and will even pride themselves in that busyness. This creates a crowded and noisy space that tends to drown out the voice of God calling to our young people.”

“Chicago was vocationally very rich through the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and even into the 80s, so I believe that the local Church became accustomed to young men saying ‘yes’ without us having to do much to support them,” he added. “The culture has changed so much since then, so we are now trying to be more intentional about cultivating vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. This is analogous to what we are experiencing with evangelization and those leaving.”

“The increasing secularization of the culture has brought resistance to the idea of being a priest, which I encounter in parishes and in families,” he concluded.

Rockville Centre

In a statement attributed to spokespersons for the Vocations Office of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, the spokespersons said that “as was certainly the case with every diocese, the effects of the COVID shutdowns and the lack of full freedom to have large in-person vocations events for months at a time provided a hurdle.”

“While the number of seminarians for Rockville Centre is quite low, especially in proportion to the number of Catholics on Long Island, we have a group of serious discerners which almost matches in number the seminarians we currently have in formation,” they continued.

“The high cost of living on Long Island has resulted in smaller families in many cases, and relocation to other parts of the country in other cases,” they observed, adding:

The highly competitive environment in New York and on Long Island can lead to an emphasis on financial success over openness to religious vocations and lives of simplicity. At the same time, however, our work in vocations and conversations with serious discerners and those seeking application to seminary has shown us that there seems to be a slowly growing number of young Catholics who are looking beyond the pressure to achieve individual, worldly success and are desiring to live a life in response to God’s call to service.

“Time will tell how these trends will continue to unfold, yet it is our hope on Long Island that the renewal of a culture of vocations is not only possible but is already slowly beginning to take hold,” the spokespersons concluded.

Conclusion

Every priestly vocation is the work of divine grace. Grace builds on nature, and the data suggest that the most populous American dioceses tend, in general, to have less fertile soil than mid-sized dioceses, which again tend, in general, to have less fertile soil than small dioceses. While not every small diocese is “vocation rich,” most “vocation-rich” dioceses are small, and every diocese with more than a million Catholics attracts a below-average ratio of seminarians to Catholics.

At the same time, the presence of a major city in a diocese does not doom the diocese to attract a below-average ratio:

• Jacksonville is the tenth-largest city in the United States. The Diocese of St. Augustine, in which Jacksonville is located, ranks 41st with 1 seminarian for every 8,146 Catholics.
• Charlotte is the fifteenth-largest city in the United States. The Diocese of Charlotte ranks 63rd with 1 seminarian for every 10,581 Catholics.
• Indianapolis is the sixteenth-largest city in the United States. The Archdiocese of Indianapolis ranks 26th with 1 seminarian for every 6,598 Catholics.

The population of a diocese, far more than the population of the largest city in the diocese, correlates with less fertile soil for diocesan priestly vocations.

In his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis observed that “there are ecclesial structures which can hamper efforts at evangelization” (n. 26). The pope has shown a willingness to split up existing dioceses: between 2020 and 2024, he created thirty new dioceses and eparchies around the world from the territory of larger dioceses and eparchies. While there is no guarantee that splitting up American dioceses with 750,000 or more Catholics, or a million or more Catholics, will create more fertile soil for diocesan priestly vocations, the idea surely merits consideration.