By Matthew Gambino • Posted March 28, 2025

Which diocese in the United States has the most seminarians?

That’s Philadelphia, which currently has 71 men in formation for its local Church. When men from other dioceses and religious orders are added to the tally, a total of 139 are in formation at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.

This finding, cited in the most recent Official Catholic Directory, was part of an analysis last month by Catholic New World Report which looked at the state of Catholic priestly vocations in the U.S. The online Catholic news agency reported smaller dioceses tend to attract more vocations per capita than large dioceses.

Of the largest dioceses in the country, those with Catholic populations of more than 1 million, the Philadelphia Archdiocese has more seminarians per Catholic – one per 16,281 Catholics – than any other of its size, according to the analysis.

To put it one way: Among the heavyweights of Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and other very large Catholic communities in the U.S., Philadelphia is punching above its weight.

The report reviews selected dioceses to glean their approaches to promoting vocations, including the Philadelphia Archdiocese.

Some words of reflection by seminary rector Bishop Keith Chylinski were mentioned briefly in the story, and he shared his thoughts more broadly with me.

He attributes the ability to attract a proportionally high number of seminarians to the “intersection” of several factors: “constant prayer for vocations, a strong historical and cultural Catholic presence, dedicated programs for formation, active vocation promotion, and a sense of community.”

The strong system of Catholic education in the Philadelphia region, with its 15 archdiocesan high schools and a wealth of colleges and universities, both Catholic and secular, contributes to a “seed bed” of vocations.

One example appears on CatholicPhilly this week as Cardinal O’Hara High School senior David Trinh announced he has been accepted to St. Charles and will begin studies as a seminarian this fall.

On his first day there, after prayer in the chapel, he will enjoy a meal with his new seminarian brothers in the dining hall of the new campus in Gwynedd. Towering above them is a large stained-glass window featuring the motto of the seminary: Humilitas.

That’s a Latin word meaning humus, or soil. Those seeds of priestly vocations are springing from a rich soil made ready for growth by a lot of hard work and prayer.

A culture of vocations promotion has been building in our region for a number of years.

It’s enriched by constant prayers of faithful Catholics during countless holy hours in eucharistic adoration at many of the parishes of our local Church.

It’s enhanced by Vocation Office programs like day camps and nights of reflection, and efforts by groups such as the Serra Club.

It’s tilled with urgency for men to heed Christ’s call to serve the Church as priests.

Bishop Chylinski noted that 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.”

At this time the Philadelphia-based nonprofit International Institute for Culture (IIC) is joining in the work of vocations by launching its Thank-a-Priest initiative.

Its aim is to restore the perception of the priesthood’s dignity by sharing inspiring stories of priests who have made a profound impact in people’s lives.

“The mission of ThankAPriest.com is to highlight the noble calling of the priesthood,” said Dr. John M. Haas, president and founder of the IIC. “By sharing stories of priestly heroism and compassion, we hope to inspire young men to recognize the priesthood as a profound and fulfilling vocation.”

Certainly, promoting vocations faces headwinds. One priest to serve more than 16,000 Catholics, as noted above, is a daunting prospect for one considering ministry in a large diocese.

But our local Church’s success in attracting seminarians “could be due to intentional prayer, to its strong Catholic identity in fostering missionary disciples after the heart of Jesus Christ, focused vocation promotion, and robust family and community involvement,” Bishop Chylinski said.

Add to that assessment the fact that many young people enjoy facing a challenge with all their youthful drive and energy, and there is much reason for hope.

“We feel very blessed and grateful,” the bishop said of the challenge in fostering vocations, “but we are also confident in the goodness of God still calling young men along with a lot of hard work in cooperation with Him!”

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Matthew Gambino is deputy communications officer for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.