The number of ordinations to the diocesan priesthood in England and Wales has fallen for the third year in a row, according to new figures released this week.
The statistics, published by the National Office for Vocation, showed a total of 21 ordinations in 2021 for the 22 Catholic dioceses in England and Wales, as well as the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.
In comparison, there were 35 ordinations in 2018, 32 in 2019, and 27 in 2020.
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An estimated 3.8 million adults in England and Wales identify as Catholic, while an autumn 2021 count found that 370,000 Catholics regularly attend Mass.
The number of ordinations in England and Wales has fluctuated considerably throughout the early 21st century, reaching a high of 44 in 2001 and a low of 15 in 2008.