Mexico City: A remarkable wave of priestly vocations has swept through the Archdiocese of Guadalajara, with 169 new priests ordained over the past three years a striking testament to the vitality of the Catholic faith in Mexico’s Jalisco state.

The latest ordinations took place on Pentecost Sunday, June 8, when more than 30 men received the sacrament of Holy Orders. This follows a particularly fruitful year between June 2022 and May 2023, when 107 priests were ordained, and an additional 32 joined the presbyterate in May 2024.

The Diocesan Weekly of Guadalajara reported that an equal number of transitional deacons were ordained alongside the priests last Sunday. Since Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega assumed leadership of the archdiocese in 2012, a total of 553 diocesan priests have been ordained, marking a significant era of growth in local vocations.

The recent ordination Mass, celebrated on Pentecost at the Church of the Mexican Martyrs, was a deeply spiritual event. Cardinal Robles Ortega, presiding at the Mass, urged the new priests to embrace their calling with unwavering dedication.

"Follow Him not just in moments, not just for a few years, but with your entire life," the Cardinal exhorted. "Let your words, your actions, your very lives proclaim the message of Christ."

He reminded the ordinands that the mission is great and the demands are many, but they are not alone the Holy Spirit empowers them to be authentic witnesses of the Gospel.

The Archdiocese of Guadalajara, one of the largest Catholic jurisdictions in Mexico, continues to be a dynamic center of faith and formation in a country where Catholicism remains deeply rooted in the cultural fabric. This steady rise in priestly vocations reflects the Church's enduring role in the spiritual and social life of the Mexican people.