Currently by the grace of God, 420 diocesan priests serve the People of God in the Los Angeles Archdiocese.     

Currently only one parish, Immaculate Conception in New Cuyama, does not have a resident priest.     A Religious Brother is ministering to the needs of the people there; however, that Religious Brother is being transferred by his community.    In the Fall two Religious Sisters will begin ministering to the needs of the people with a priest coming occasionally (once or twice a month) for the Sacrament of Penance and to make present the Most Blessed Sacrament. 

If current trends continue, in five years there will be only 366 active diocesan priests.    In ten years, the number reduces to 326 diocesan priests.   And in twenty years, there will be less priests than there are parishes:  260 priests and 287 parishes.

Currently some of the bigger parishes with hospitals have three priests, like St. Paschal's in Thousand Oaks or Fr. Bill's former parish, St. Martha in Valinda which has over 7,000 families and members speaking 58 languages.    When that third priest is transferred or retires from those parishes, there is today no priest available to replace him.     Parishes with two priests currently, if the Pastor is in good health, will have only one priest: the Pastor.     Some larger parishes may be lucky enough to have an Associate Pastor who serves part-time in two or more parishes.     There are several parishes already sharing one Associate Pastor.
   
In many Mid-West parishes for the past many years, Religious Brothers or Sisters or Lay People are administering the parish and providing daily spiritual care.     Such persons, as in Immaculate Conception Parish in New Cuyama in our own Archdiocese, handle Baptisms, Funerals, Marriages, daily and Sunday Para-Liturgies, pray with the dying, etc.     These persons cannot administer the Sacraments of Penance or Anointing of the Sick, nor can they celebrate the Eucharist.