The international priests filling local pews
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Father Owen Limarta, parochial vicar at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, in Centennial. Photo: Courtesy of Owen Limarta
Nearly 40% of the priests serving Catholic parishes in Arapahoe County were born outside the U.S. — a sign of how heavily local churches depend on international clergy as priest shortages persist.
Why it matters: A growing Catholic population and a shrinking pool of priests have made international clergy increasingly essential across metro Denver.
By the numbers: Arapahoe County's 11 Catholic parishes rely on 31 priests, including 12 foreign-born priests.
- Nationwide, the number of Catholic priests in the U.S. has fallen more than 40% since 1970, while about 1 in 4 is foreign born.
Driving the news: Catholic leaders nationwide face a difficult equation as fewer priests serve a growing number of Catholics.
Matthew Book, vicar for clergy across the Denver archdiocese, says international priests are essential.
- Without them, the archdiocese would face a "severe challenge" staffing parishes and ministering to Colorado's Catholics, he says.
Zoom in: Father Owen Limarta — one of the 12 international priests serving a Catholic parish in Arapahoe County — never imagined he'd become part of the solution.
- Limarta grew up deeply religious in Indonesia, where his family converted from Buddhism to Catholicism when he was a child.
- He came to Colorado to pursue a business degree at Colorado State University, where his faith led him into the priesthood.
- He was ordained in 2024.
In the room: Limarta now serves roughly 4,500 parishioners at St. Thomas More in Centennial as its parochial vicar.
- He also launched a monthly Indonesian-language Mass to help immigrants feel more rooted in parish life.
What they're saying: "Everyone desires to be known and to be loved," Limarta tells Axios.
State of play: The Archdiocese of Denver, which includes Arapahoe County, has added roughly 30,000 Catholics since 2019.
- The archdiocese's population has grown from 599,086 to 629,250 since then.
- While that trails many fast-growing urban dioceses, it still means greater demand for priests, Masses, sacraments and pastoral care.
The number of people preparing to enter the Archdiocese of Denver jumped from 669 in 2022 to 936 in 2024, the archdiocese says.
- Dioceses nationwide have also reported some of their largest adult conversion classes in years.
The latest: A recent federal rule change removed a requirement that some religious workers leave the U.S. for a year after reaching their visa limit.
- Book says the previous rule often disrupted parish assignments and relationships.
Yes, but: Limarta says he sometimes feels caught between two worlds — Indonesian at heart, but shaped by his American Catholic formation.
"The first greeting I got from a parishioner was, 'Father, I'm so grateful that I can understand you,'" Limarta says.
What's next: While the archdiocese has not released updated vocation data, Book says more young men are exploring the priesthood — including candidates directly from high school and college.
The bottom line: International priests are essential to keeping Catholic parishes staffed across Arapahoe County.