Secular habits are thinning vocations across the West—but abandoning the Church’s schools, abbeys, and seminaries today may cost us the renewal we will need tomorrow.
A little bit side topic, but I learned yesterday from a priest how much the parish (and the adjoining Catholic school) pay in property taxes each month. It is substantial. An uphill battle every month for this little parish in a community that is stable but older.
I don’t know if there are practical solutions to this property tax issue but it is one of the factors at play in the overall problem.
Thanks for subscribing, brother. And yeah, parishes have more expenses than most people realize, and most average parishes tend to hang on by a thread. It’s why it always bothers me when people online talk about things like threatening to stop dropping money in the collection basket, because they don’t like the music director, or didn’t think the homily was good enough. You’re only hurting your own parish.
Yes, I know what you mean. I myself don't like the music or the homilies and other things in my local parish but I realize that I can complain or I can start volunteering to improve things. I recently volunteered to help at a marriage enrichment event and it went well. So much better than complaining. Instead of complaining "why can they never talk about marriage in the homily?" I went and helped out.
That is how we have to do it. The challenge is huge. How do we eat this elephant? One bite at a time.
I'm not sure how you can know that, since SSPX doesn't consistently report its own numbers. Here's what we do know:
Take an order like the Dominicanss. In 2025 they report 323 in formation and about 100 ordinations. In 2018 SSPX had 80 in formation and 7 ordinations
Some orders have waitings lists, others are tanking. It's generally the more traditional orders that are doing well. But SSPX's numbers are not very high by comparison, even if we factor in the differences in scope and size.
"Tradition and Reverence" are nice words, but most people using them don't know what they mean. They toss them around like confetti hoping to blind and disorient others into following their faulty anti Vatican II narrative. Doesn't work with me.
I appreciate you subscribing to my work, John, but you should know I'm fiercely loyal to the Church, to the Truth, and I follow the facts. God be with you, brother.
A little bit side topic, but I learned yesterday from a priest how much the parish (and the adjoining Catholic school) pay in property taxes each month. It is substantial. An uphill battle every month for this little parish in a community that is stable but older.
I don’t know if there are practical solutions to this property tax issue but it is one of the factors at play in the overall problem.
Thanks for subscribing, brother. And yeah, parishes have more expenses than most people realize, and most average parishes tend to hang on by a thread. It’s why it always bothers me when people online talk about things like threatening to stop dropping money in the collection basket, because they don’t like the music director, or didn’t think the homily was good enough. You’re only hurting your own parish.
I didn't even realize I wasn't subscribed.
Yes, I know what you mean. I myself don't like the music or the homilies and other things in my local parish but I realize that I can complain or I can start volunteering to improve things. I recently volunteered to help at a marriage enrichment event and it went well. So much better than complaining. Instead of complaining "why can they never talk about marriage in the homily?" I went and helped out.
That is how we have to do it. The challenge is huge. How do we eat this elephant? One bite at a time.
Yet vocations at the "schismatic" SSPX are booming?
Could it be that tradition and reverence trumps modernism and felt banners?
I'm not sure how you can know that, since SSPX doesn't consistently report its own numbers. Here's what we do know:
Take an order like the Dominicanss. In 2025 they report 323 in formation and about 100 ordinations. In 2018 SSPX had 80 in formation and 7 ordinations
Some orders have waitings lists, others are tanking. It's generally the more traditional orders that are doing well. But SSPX's numbers are not very high by comparison, even if we factor in the differences in scope and size.
"Tradition and Reverence" are nice words, but most people using them don't know what they mean. They toss them around like confetti hoping to blind and disorient others into following their faulty anti Vatican II narrative. Doesn't work with me.
I appreciate you subscribing to my work, John, but you should know I'm fiercely loyal to the Church, to the Truth, and I follow the facts. God be with you, brother.