Introduction | A-1
I. Historical Perspective and
Current Situation
International pastoral ministers have always been
a part of the fabric of the Catholic Church in the
United States. They were instrumental in bringing
the faith to our shores, they helped nourish that faith,
and they continue to serve generously among us to
this day. Many of our American saints were inter-
national pastoral ministers, from St. Frances Xavier
Cabrini to St. Mother Theodore Guerin, from St.
Isaac Jogues to St. John Neumann and St. Damien
de Veuster. We must acknowledge that, from the
time of the earliest missionaries to our land until the
present day, we have benefited from the ministry of
so many from other lands and cultures. The richness
of their diversity has helped us to appreciate and
more fully embrace our catholicity.
The presence of international pastoral ministers
continues to be a gift to the Catholic Church in our
country. They serve in a myriad of ways and are a vital
part of the New Evangelization. Demographically,
they have a growing presence among us:
• International Priests. In 2012, almost 6,000
international priests from 124 countries served
in the United States. These priests worked in
188 dioceses/eparchies.
1
They tend to be younger
on average than US-born priests, and 98 percent
of them are engaged in active ministry.
2
• International Seminarians. In 2013, 879 interna-
tional seminarians from 81 countries were study-
ing in American theologates. This represents 26
percent of the total number of seminarians in
theologates. Fifty-nine percent of international
seminarians were studying for a US diocese; 10
percent for a diocese outside the United States;
and 30 percent for a religious order.
3
1 2012 Annual Report on the Implementation of the
Charter for the
Protection of Children and Young People.
2 M. L. Gautier, P. M. Perl, S. J. Fichter,
Same Call, Different Men: The
Evolution of the Priesthood since Vatican II
(Collegeville, MN: The
Liturgical Press, 2012), 101.
3 M. Gautier,
Catholic Ministry Formation Enrollment: Statistical
Overview for 2012-2013
(Washington, DC: Center for Applied
Research in the Apostolate [CARA], 2013).
• International Religious Brothers and Sisters.
Unfortunately, there is very little data on inter-
national religious brothers and sisters, but they
are very active in ministry within the United
States. Similarly, there is little data for interna-
tional deacons and international ministers serv-
ing within the Eastern Catholic Churches
sui
iuris
in the United States, although these groups
are active and have rendered valuable service.
The large number of international pastoral min-
isters and their importance for the life of particular
Churches in the United States challenge us to pre-
pare them well for their service and to prepare the
communities that receive them. There are, however,
some overarching hopes for international pasto-
ral ministers that we all share. We hope to
receive
them well, to
integrate
them into the life of the local
Church and US culture, and to
support
them person-
ally and ecclesially. We also want to enable those on
temporary assignment to be prepared for return to
their home countries, enriched by their experience
in the United States. These
Guidelines
provide gen-
eral directions for dioceses, eparchies, seminaries,
and those in institutes of consecrated life and societ-
ies of apostolic life to help realize these hopes.
II. Theological Framework
Understanding the Exchange of
International Pastoral Ministers:
The Context of Faith
For some observers, the recent arrival of interna-
tional pastoral ministers in the United States seems
to be a historical novelty and a purely practical solu-
tion to the diminished number of US-born clergy
and religious. In fact, from a historical and faith per-
spective, the reality is far more complex and richer
than we might first imagine.
The previous section indicated the historical
antecedents of international clergy and religious
coming to serve the Catholic Church in the United
States. An even earlier pattern, at the beginning of
the Church in apostolic times, speaks to our situation
today. Furthermore, pragmatic reasons for assisting
international pastoral ministers assume a secondary
Introduction