WEDOWEE, Alabama (AP) — The U.S. Roman Catholic church faces a clergy shortage. The number of priests has declined by 60% over the last 50 years. For nuns, there has been a 75% drop. To ease the shortage, dioceses have been looking overseas to recruit in places such as Africa — the fastest-growing region for the church. Priests and nuns from Nigeria to Zimbabwe have arrived in the U.S. and they work in a variety of roles like chaplains, vicars and teachers. To ease their integration, dioceses organize programs such as accent training to reduce communication barriers between the clergy and parishioners they serve.
US Catholic clergy shortage eased by recruits from Africa
