Priests participate in the sixth annual Napa Institute-sponsored Eucharistic procession through the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City October 13, 2026. A few thousand people took part in the event. Photo: OSV News/Gregory A. Shemitz. The number of Catholic priests worldwide has risen again after five years of no growth, according to statistics published by the Vatican agency Fides ahead of the 100th World Mission Sunday, which was celebrated on Sunday, October 18. According to the Fides report, the total number of priests rose from 406,996 to 407,421, representing an…
