Archdiocese of Baltimore set to ordain highest number of seminarians in 50 years

The Archdiocese of Baltimore expects to ordain 12 priests in 2027, marking its largest single-year class in over 50 years. According to the archdiocese, one ordination will take place in January and 11 in June.

This increase follows a steady rise in men in priestly formation, growing from 28 seminarians in 2007 to 52 in 2020 and 66 this year. In 2026, 14 men between the ages of 17 and 36 entered formation from 14 different parishes.

Archbishop William E. Lori attributed the growth to prayer, a dedicated vocations team, encouraging pastors, and parents open to their sons entering the priesthood. Father Steven Roth, the vocations director and associate vicar for clergy, said the archdiocese worked to reverse a trend of declining clergy by raising the standards for the application process. In May 2026, the archdiocese ordained five priests and 12 transitional deacons at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen.