Philadelphia archdiocese to ordain largest class of priests in 23 years
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, will ordain its largest class of new priests in 23 years this month, reflecting what recent reports describe as growing interest in the priesthood across the state, according to recent reports.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, will ordain its largest class of new priests in 23 years this month, reflecting what recent reports describe as growing interest in the priesthood across the state, according to recent reports.
CatholicPhilly, the archdiocese’s news outlet, announced May 8 that Archbishop Nelson Pérez will ordain eight men to the priesthood on May 16 at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.
The most recent year the ordination class was at least this large was 2003 when nine men were ordained, the outlet reported.
The State of Priestly Vocations Report found the 2026 ordination class marks a 63% increase over the archdiocese’s recent average for priestly ordinations.
As Zeale News previously reported, the archdiocese welcomed more than 1,000 people into the Church this Easter, more than double the number received a decade ago.
CatholicPhilly also noted a broader increase in priestly ordinations across the Northeast, citing a study from Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate that found more than 400 priests are expected to be ordained nationwide this year.
