When Rev. Earl K. Fernandes was ordained as bishop of Columbus in 2022, he observed that there were more bishops ordained than priests that year in the diocese since there were no priestly ordinations and just 17 seminarians. But Columbus had 16 men enter the seminary last year and has 12 applications for next year. The diocese had a total of 37 seminarians and five priestly ordinations this year, as well as three men ordained to the transitional diaconate.