The good news is that after many years of declining numbers of priestly vocations, we now see an increase in the number of men who are exploring and answering the call of Jesus to serve as priests. Our problem is that this is a major financial challenge, because of the cost to provide a college education for our seminarians. As you know, the cost of college education can reach well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Since our priests receive only a modest salary after ordination, it is imperative that the diocese be able to offer financial assistance to educate our future priests.