Attrition And The Real Numbers Of Ordinariate Clergy

Not long ago, I had an e-mail from a visitor who forwarded a question from someone who seems to have had the impression, based on the context of the question, that hundreds of Anglicans were ordained Catholic priests at the start of the North American ordinariate. I replied that as best I knew, the total number ordained since 2012 had been in the range of 70-75. I would attribute the big overestimate to the impression people seem to have that if the media covers anything, it must be big and important.

My regular correspondent has sent me information that indicates the actual number of clergy engaged in any sort of active ministry to former Anglicans in the ordinariate is even smaller.

At least seven men ordained for the OCSP have never had any involvement with an Ordinariate congregation (excluding the half dozen or so active military chaplains presumably slated for future Ordinariate deployment). Another seventeen have retired and are no longer active in an OCSP community (most are still active elsewhere) or have been excardinated to a local diocese, or just thrown in the towel, like Frs Chalmers and Duncan.

nd then we have Luke Reese and Vaughn Treco. And transitional Deacon David Hodil, washed out of seminary. Two other Ordinariate seminarians, in pre-Theology, have withdrawn, although attrition in this category is to be expected. The other defections seem statistically high.

So if something like 70-75 have been ordained in total, about 30 are no longer involved with the North American ordinariate, although some are in diocesan clergy roles. This leaves about 40-45 in some clerical function with ordinariate communities, which roughly matches the known number of actual communities, however small many may be.

But of the 40-45, only about a dozen are in full time roles with ordinariate communities, with the others serving diocesan parishes part time, or in other diocesan make-work jobs like property manager.