Surge in Priestly Vocations in Angola as Archdiocese of Luanda Announces 17 Ordinations

“There is great demand. There are many young people and adolescents in the vocational group,” he said.

The increase has become so significant that the seminary has been forced to move its regular vocational meetings to larger venues.

“We used to meet in a room that could accommodate a maximum of 50 people. Now we will have to move to a larger room because at our first Sunday meetings, we keep having to add more chairs. We will now have to use the conference hall because the number keeps growing,” the Angolan Catholic Priest said.

Fr. Pereira noted that the growth is not limited to the Diocesan seminary but is also being experienced by various religious congregations serving in Luanda. As a result, formation houses have become more selective in admitting candidates.

“The numbers have grown and are now satisfactory. The congregations are experiencing the same thing. We can now afford the luxury of selecting those who should enter, and that requirement is becoming increasingly necessary,” he said.

The seminary rector said the upcoming ordinations reflect the vitality of the local Church and will help respond to the growing pastoral demands of the Archdiocese.

“We are going to ordain 15 deacons and two priests,” he announced, noting that most of the candidates belong to the Diocesan Clergy of Luanda.

While welcoming the increase in vocations, Fr. Pereira observed that pastoral needs continue to outpace available personnel as Luanda’s population grows and migration into the capital increases.

“The needs are always greater. Satisfying one need automatically creates another. Today, even with a large number of schools and hospitals, demand continues to exceed supply. The same is true in pastoral ministry,” he said.

He also appealed to Christian families to become more involved in promoting Priestly and Religious vocations, reminding parents that the Church’s future Priests and religious come from within their own homes.