With the ordination of 17 men to the priesthood this summer, the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) now claims to be “the fifth largest religious congregation of ordained priests among its professed members,” with over 700 priests.

Only the Jesuit, Franciscan, Benedictine, and Augustinian orders have more members who are priests, the SSPX declares.

Although the canonical status of the SSPX is irregular, the group notes that other traditionalist religious orders have also enjoyed a surge in priestly vocations.