The bell may be tolling for some lower North Island schools and
churches, as a nationwide shortage of priests forces the Catholic
Archbishop of Wellington to consider their closure.
Archbishop John Dew has announced a review into parishes in the
Wellington diocese, saying the closure or amalgamation of churches and
schools "may well be inevitable".
"The viability of our fledgling pastoral areas, as well as our
funding options, need to be explored," he said in a letter to
parishioners.
There are 38 primary schools, nine high schools and 47 churches in the diocese, an area that runs from Levin to Kaikoura.
There were no longer enough priests coming through the ranks to staff these, Archbishop Dew told The Dominion Post.
"It's been a trend in the Western world for several years, and we have been looking at it seriously.
"I personally wonder whether young people get enough time just to stop and reflect about the essential values in life.
"It would be very sad if a parish had to close; we are trying to avoid that at all costs."
The church had invested in training more laymen and women for
leadership roles, but they were not able to perform many religious
rites, which needed a priest.
Archdiocese Vicar-General Gerard Burns said priests did not have
such a central role in schools nowadays, but schools could still be
affected because, traditionally, they were attached to parishes. If the
parish closed or amalgamated, thought would have to be given to the
school's future – especially schools with smaller rolls.
Victoria University religious studies professor Paul Morris said the
number of Kiwis identifying as Catholic had flatlined at about 15 per
cent, despite an increasing population.
More than a third of people did not tick any religion in the last
census, making New Zealand one of the most secular countries.
Holy Cross Seminary rector Father Philip Handforth said it was
difficult to attract young men to the priesthood when there were so many
other career options.
He runs one of two Catholic seminaries in New Zealand, both in
Auckland.
Trainee priests study at the Good Shepherd Theological
College, where it takes 6 1/2 years to become qualified.
Only a small
portion of the 21 trainee priests at his seminary were Kiwis.
The rest
were mainly from Asian countries, ranging in age from 21 to 40.
Bishop of Auckland Patrick Dunn said the shortage was not such a
problem for Auckland's 62 parishes, where many immigrant priests from
the Philippines and Korea stepped in.
"But regardless of ethnicity, we
would like more people who were born and have grown up in New Zealand."
A group has been set up to conduct the review, and would report back after August 28.