Help wanted: Antigonish diocese works to replenish supply of priests
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Antigonish, faced with a decline in numbers of clergy, is looking to replenish its supply.
The diocese covers the counties of Antigonish, Pictou, Guysborough, Inverness, Victoria, Richmond and Cape Breton.
Rev. Donald MacGillivray, the spokesperson for the diocese, said there has been a decline in the number of men entering the priesthood since the 1980s. He said the reasons are complex.
"In the past, going away to college and becoming a priest was a way to get a good education and have a leadership position in the community," he said. "That was highly valued. I suspect that that's less so now."
MacGillivray adds that the decline in church attendance, and a sex abuse scandal that rocked the diocese a decade ago, has coincided with a decline of the number of men entering the priesthood.
"It's been very difficult and it's been quite a scandal. We're trying to work through it as a community and probably will be for a long time."
A vocational committee has launched an advertising campaign in hopes of attracting people to the clergy. The committee also works with men who wish to become a priest.
"Once someone is discerning to think about becoming a priest they will work with them through the process," said MacGillivray.
Challenging times
He said it's challenging for priests now as a number have passed retirement age and are still serving several parishes.
"What do we do?" he said. "The people still need to be served. People still come to church for weddings, baptisms, funerals, on Sunday to listen to the word of God and to come to the eucharistic table. These are all things that people still desire and that we have to try to the best of our ability to provide."
To ease the workload, a dozen international priests have come to Nova Scotia to serve.
"We have priests here from Africa, priests here from India and without their generous support it would be more difficult for us to serve the needs of the people," MacGillivray said.
The diocese is also relying on a diaconate program for support in churches. The program enables parishioners, who do not intend to become a priest, to be ordained as a minister of the Catholic Church. The deacons can take on some roles in the church.
MacGillivray is confident that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
"This institution has been around for a long time," he said. "It's been stressed in all kinds of different ways since its foundation. We have to keep that in perspective and things will work out. It's been here for a long time and it will continue to be here for a long time."
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