Amid what the media has presented as a general feeling of optimism about the papacy of Francis, there are some matters that remain causes of concern among American Catholics. One of these is the current state of the priesthood, which has seen a dramatic decline in its numbers over the past forty years and a corresponding decline in new ordinations. At the same time, there are questions about the manner and consistency of seminary formation—including formation related to sexuality and sexual abuse—while parish communities express worries about the “ecclesiastical environments” created by priests who seem out of touch with the concerns of ordinary Catholics.

This package of stories on the priesthood features Paul Blaschko [1] writing on his time as a seminarian in the archdiocese of St. Paul, Minneapolis, an experience that compelled him to tell his story “in the hopes of calling attention to what might very well be more widespread problems” in sexual formation for priests; Barbara Parsons [2] on the “unraveling of a community” because of priests whose formation was poorly designed or misguided; and Mary Gautier [3] on the challenges the church faces as new ordinations drop and the newly ordained endure “low pay, long hours, and often little professional or personal support beyond the seminary.”