From The Spokesman-Review:
In the state of Idaho, Catholic priests are a precious commodity especially when the number of converts is steadily rising but the supply of priests in the pipeline ready to meet this growing demand is lagging.
The Catholic Diocese of Boise shared publicly last week about its record numbers of people coming through its church doors. The Diocesan Office of Development sent an email to approximately 227,000 Idaho Catholics sharing a message from Bishop Peter F. Christensen that celebrated the “notable growth” and acknowledged “something was going on. “The situation is rather dire in terms of our need for priests here,” said the Rev. Nelson Cintra, 40, the Parochial Vicar at the Lady of the Valley parish in Caldwell. In February, he was appointed to the new position of priesthood “Vocations Promoter” by Bishop Christensen, and Cintra is now launching a full-scale program to foster young men interested in serving God. According to a 2025 end year report compiled by the Diocese’s Office of Development, Idaho has 107 parishes, stations and chapels statewide served by approximately 90 priests.