The Catholic Church in the United States is bleeding out — not slowly, but visibly, year after year. The numbers don’t lie, even if people do. In 1970, the Church in America had about 59,000 priests. Today, that number is down to about 35,000. More than 3,000 parishes have no resident pastor. In many dioceses, priests are juggling three, four, even five parishes at once.
This is not “a challenge.” It is a pastoral emergency. Without priests, there is no Eucharist. Without priests, there is no Confession, no Anointing, no shepherd to bury the dead or baptize the next generation.
The Collapse of Catholic Schools
Another pillar of Catholic life has collapsed alongside the priesthood: our schools.
In the 1960s, the United States had over 13,000 Catholic schools educating 5.2 million children. Today, fewer than 6,000 schools remain, serving just 1.6 million students. Entire Catholic neighborhoods and families that once revolved around parish schools are gone.
This is not coincidence. The shortage of priests and the collapse of Catholic education are twin symptoms of a Church in decline. The priesthood is vanishing. The schools are vanishing. And with them, Catholic identity itself is vanishing from the American landscape.
This Is Not Acceptable. This Is a Disgrace.
Every bishop in America should be on their knees begging God for mercy, then on their feet calling Catholics to arms. Too many act like this is just the way things are now. It is not. This is not acceptable. This is a disgrace. The Church in the United States is being destroyed before our eyes — parish by parish, school by school, child by child.
The faithful must wake up. Stats do not lie. The future is staring us in the face: fewer priests, fewer schools, fewer Catholics. And unless we act boldly, the next generation will inherit an empty shell of what once was the greatest Catholic nation on earth.
The Answer Is Not Hand-Wringing. The Answer Is Action.
God has not stopped calling men to the priesthood. Parents still desire Catholic education for their children. The problem is not that vocations or students have disappeared — it’s that the Church in America has failed to sustain them.
That is why Your Catholic Voice Foundation (YCVF) has stepped forward. While parishes and schools close, YCVF has built the largest Catholic school in the world: Catholic Online School.
- Over 1.5 million student enrollments
- 193 countries reached
- 7,000+ video lessons faithfully teaching the faith
Where brick-and-mortar schools are shutting their doors, Catholic Online School is opening its digital doors to the entire world. Where dioceses are shrinking, YCVF is expanding Catholic education across continents. This is proof that the Catholic Church is not dead. It is proof that renewal is possible — if we have the courage to fund it.
The Solution: Your Catholic Voice Foundation
YCVF is leading the charge, not with words, but with action. Through Catholic Online School, we are already reaching students in every corner of the globe. Through our campaigns, we are sounding the alarm and rallying Catholics to their duty. And through our new Reclaim Catholic Education Fund, we will remove the financial roadblocks that keep young men from becoming priests.
This is the model the Church in the U.S. needs: bold, unapologetic, faithful, and effective.
- We will rebuild the priesthood.
- We will reclaim Catholic education.
- We will not apologize for demanding that every Catholic step up and support this mission.
The Call to Catholics
Catholics of America, the time for silence is over. The time for hand-wringing is over. The time for half-measures is over.
The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Do not sit back while your Church crumbles. Do not pretend the crisis is someone else’s problem. It is your Church. It is your faith. It is your children’s future.
Join us. Support us. Fuel the mission.
Donate to Your Catholic Voice Foundation today. Help us raise priests. Help us teach the faith. Help us save the Church in America.
Because without priests, there is no Eucharist. And without Catholic education, there is no future.
Your support brings the truth to the world.
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