Sad Statistics
About the Priesthood

       “In the year 1950 there was one priest for every 440 Catholics in Switzerland; in Austria, one for every 940; in Germany one for every 1000; in Mexico one for every 5080; in Brazil one for every 6740; and in Guatemala, one for every 18,400. The worldwide average was 1270 Catholics for each priest as well as 5680 non-Catholics and heathens, or about 7000 souls for each priest.

       (These statistics are worsening.) In 1999, there are 50,000 less priests than there were in 1970, while the Catholic population has increased a lot. The crying need for priests in our time cannot be described more clearly or frankly than by these few numbers. How can one priest seriously attempt to direct seven thousand souls? Yes, we have guarantees that the Church, built on the Rock of Peter, cannot be destroyed even though there exists this desperate need of priests everywhere. But the souls are countless who do not find the way to the Catholic Faith because of the lack of priests who should be teaching and baptizing them.”

From the book, Mothers Of Priests,
by Rev. Fr. Robert Quardt, SCJ ...

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