Denver archdiocese nearly doubles number of seminarians, reaching record high

The Archdiocese of Denver has seen a 96% increase in seminarians over the past three years, reaching a record 110 men preparing for the priesthood.

According to a November report by the Denver Catholic, the archdiocese's official publication, the number rose from 56 during the 2023–2024 academic year.

The report placed the growth in the context of several years of renewed efforts to foster a culture of vocations, including the archdiocese’s Called By Name campaign, which led nearly 100 men to attend a discernment retreat in 2025, with several later entering the seminary.

Of the 110 men currently in formation, 34 entered this year, setting a new record for the archdiocese's incoming class.

Denver Archbishop James Golka welcomed the increase in men discerning the priesthood.

“God is doing something incredible in his Church, especially here in Northern Colorado, right now,” the archbishop said. “We have unprecedented numbers of individuals seeking to become Catholic. We have the highest number of seminarians in recent memory. Thanks be to God! He always knows what we, his people, need, and he is providing in spades, especially with men discerning the call to become good, happy, holy and healthy future priests.”

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According to Denver Catholic, the 110 men currently preparing for the priesthood represent half the number of active and retired priests in the archdiocese, based on a 2025 survey of its clergy.

The report also highlighted two new seminarians at St. John Vianney Seminary, David Lopez Gutierrez and John Bogumill, who shared their experiences discerning a call to the priesthood.

Lopez Gutierrez recalled initially feeling hesitant about pursuing the priesthood.

“I remember it vividly, saying to God, ‘Don’t ask this of me. I’m not ready. I don’t want to go,’” he said.

While attending nursing school and working in the medical field, Lopez Gutierrez said he continued to feel drawn toward the priesthood. Encouragement from parishioners, seminarians, and clergy eventually led him to apply to St. John Vianney Seminary.

Now nearly three months into his first year, he described the experience as a blessing.

“This is home,” he said. “This is where I’m supposed to be.”

Bogumill credited the witness of Monsignor Ken Leone, a priest at his childhood parish, with inspiring him to discern a vocation to the priesthood.

“Just to see his joy, I think it was really contagious for me growing up,” he told the Denver Catholic. “He made a really big impact on me, and I thought about priesthood on and off.”

After studying at Benedictine College and serving as music director at Risen Christ Parish, Bogumill entered St. John Vianney Seminary, where he continues to discern his vocation.

“Once you come to understand to a greater level that you truly are a beloved child of God, then it’s really just a matter of opening yourself up to the will of God and trusting that what he wants for you is better than anything else you could think of,” he said.

The report also highlighted the importance of continued support for both men, which it described as essential to their journeys toward the priesthood.

Father Jason Wallace, the archdiocese's director of vocations, credited priests and deacons with helping men discern their calling and encouraged Catholics to continue praying for them.

“My brother priests and deacons walk with these young men day in and day out as they discern God’s will for their lives, and I’m deeply grateful,” Father Wallace said. “For those of you reading this article, please pray for our seminarians and for all those discerning what God might be calling them to, that he might raise up happy, holy and healthy priests for his people.”