European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 19, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday june 19, 1988 the stars and stripes pane 7 Bishops Call shortage of priests a crisis Minneapolis a a shortage of rims has reached crisis proportions he head of the National conference of Catho Lic Bishops said following discussion of in Issue by inc Church s lop prelates. But Bishop in pcs w. Malone of Youngstown Ohio also said there were encouraging signs thai the vocation Cri Sis May be ii blk 10 be turned  Malone spoke at a news conference tuesday Al Minneapolis St. Paul inter National Airport following inc conclusion of an eight Day Retreat by roman Catholic Bishops at Collegeville where the problem was addressed. The number of priests is going Down and the number of catholics is going up Malone said. It sounds like we be got a  he said the group decided beforehand hat the session would not draw any conclusions develop specific plans of action or make formal recommendations. Malone predicted the . Bishops would be influenced by the information they have developed As they consider ways to solve the problem. I believe Here is a recognition among the Bishops generally speaking that there is a crisis he said. Malone said All 259 Bishops in be United Stales attended the Retreat which ended monday night. 1986 percent Catholic by Region Mountain 15.49% West North Central 19.73% East North Central 25.14% Middle new Atlantic England 35.89% 45.62%. South Atlantic 7.83% Pacific 20% West South central18,27% East South Central 4.9% Chicago Tribune graphic source the official Catholic directory a paper presented by Bishop Lawrence h. Welsh of Spokane wash., said that if we do not take Steps o restructure our Parish life and the mini sity of our priests we will real ize a severe shortage in very Short  Welsh suggested that the Bishops identify vocations to the Priesthood As one of our administrative priorities in our respective  1955, the ratio of catholics to priests was 700-1, Malone said. Twenty years later the radio was 800-1 and today 900 t. But the problem is relative he said because North America still enjoys the most favourable ratio Ofner Icsis to catholics of any continent. The world ratio is 2,000-1, he said while it is 1,100-1 i Europe and 7,000-1 in latin America. In a 1970 Survey he said Many priest said they would not recommend their Way of life to Young people. But a recent Survey shows that priests arc speaking More positively about their work. There May be some administrative remedies such As clustering parishes with one priest serving More than one Parish or merging parishes he said. Malone said the Church would not re consider its position on priestly celibacy allow married priests to re enter the Active Priesthood or permit the ordination of women. We discussed Icse options because they Are part of the current Conversa  he said. Mulone said the Church is unlikely to permit priests to accept a calling for a specific number of years As one Way of attracting More priests. Liberty week lodging still available in new York new York a mayor Edward 1. Koch has invited the world 10 come to new York for the statue of Liberty Centennial Celebration on the fourth of july weekend and people Are inking him up on it by he thousands. Yet despite the hordes of tourists who plan to converge on the City there still Are rooms at the inn officials report. It s a myth that the City is sold Oul for the Liberty events. It never was totally booked Jack Macbean a spokesman for the new York convention and visitors Bureau said tuesday. Hundreds of thousands of visitors Are expected in the City for the weekend festivities including the ceremonial delighting of the statue of Liberty s Torch by president Reagan a fireworks show and an inter National pageant of tall ships. It s unfortunate that people gel it into their Heads that there s no room Macbean said. It happen Din los Angeles with the 1984 olympics and tickets and hotel rooms went begging. If you Call the Hilton and ask for a room they la Tell you they re booked for the week but there arc still rooms available through Lour  we re letting people buy one Day at a Lime be cause we have 300 hotel rooms left Why got stuck with even one room said Gary Abramson who runs the new York office of flagship travel a bos ton Lour operator. Flagship signed up for 1,550 hotel moms and started Selling its july 4lh hours last january. Sales got off to a slow Start and were hit with cancellation sin april after the libyan bombing when fears of terrorism were High Abramson said. Bui now terrorism in t the focal Point in peo ple s minds and sales have picked up Fie said. Carlos Ciraldo general manager of Megan serv ices idc., a hotel reservation service at John f. Ken Nedy International Airport estimated that there Are 2,500 rooms still available in the metropolitan area some As Low As $60 a night. Some hotels wanted to charge As High As the sky but when faced with having rooms to sell they Low ered their rates he said. The 829 rooms at the Vista International hotel in lower Manhattan right in the heart of All the activity Nave been booked solid for a year for Liberty week. In confirmation letters however visitors Are re minded thai the hotel s rooms no longer have views of the statue. During the last six months the View shave been obstructed by a new condominium constructed at inc adjacent Battery Park City. Even in new York there arc some bargains left. City officials say there is room for thousands More Back Packer at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in the Borough of Queens and recreational vehicles a South Midland Beach on Staten Island. They la be Welcome one time Only from july 3 to 6 for about s5 a night. Bui reservations by june 27 arc a must if you show up with a Backpack and no Reser vation you la be sent walking said Parks commissioner Henry Stern it s a unique Chance c c no if. La Nark. Once every 100 year he said. It s rarer than Hal Ley s  stun woman s insurance plot claimed $4.5 million award voided family ties Man to bed for months los Angeles a citing s5.8 million already accumulated in settlements by a stun woman paralysed after a 1980 set Accident a judge on tuesday voided a s4.5 million jury award in her suit against a film director. Jurors made the award Friday in a 142 5 million lawsuit Heidi von Beltz 28, filed against Hal Needham director of the 1980 movie Cannonball run. Von Beltz was standing in Tor Farrah Fawcett when the june 1980 Accident occurred. Von Belli was left a quadriplegic after a car crash stunt and she blamed need Ham and others for pulling her in Ine car without teat belts. Under California Law. The $5.8 million von Beltz had already received in out of court let elements from other defendant and worker s compensation award were subtracted from the amount jurors awarded her Superior court judge Philip Jones on tuesday officially voided the award. Versailles by. A a woman who kept her husband tied to e bed in the basement of their Home for More than two months was convicted tuesday along with two of her children on charges of second degree unlawful imprisonment. A Woodford county circuit court jury found Shirley Kimberl innocent of attempted murder and her children innocent of being accomplices to at tempted murder. Prosecutors claimed mrs. Kimberl and her children doused James Kim Berl 47, with water during his confine ment and created draft with a fan trying to make him catch pneumonia and die so they could collect on an insurance policy. Kimberl escaped through a widow feb. 7. The defense maintained mrs. Kim Berl had been beaten for 22 years by an alcoholic husband and acted Oul of desperation to protect lie self. The jury recommended that mra. Kimberl 40, her daughter Kimberly 19, and son James Kimberl jr., in serve a year each for the unlawful imprisonment. The three have been jailed for four months. The three had been charged with kidnapping but the jury resumed the alternative Misdemeanour charge. A third child Kathy 21, pleaded guilty earlier to Wanton endanger Cal facilitation of kidnapping and at tempted welfare fraud. Woodford county circuit judge David Knox Sether sentencing for july 3. The three were accused of holding the elder Kimberl captive in the base ment of their Versailles Home from dec. 3 until his escape. Assistant Commonwealth s attorney James Greer told the jury that Kimberl had lost his Job and so be came dispensable to his wife and Chil Dren who Only wanted him for his  he Aid the three defendant in tended to kill Kimberl so his wife could collect $50,000 from i pension fund annuity and life insurance policy. In closing remarks Greer said Kim be r i was doused with water and a fan turned on him in a filthy coid base Trent and he was not properly fed or washed. In was evident they were in no hurry to leave he said they were going to slay Here until he died. Defense attorney Thomas o Shaugh Nessy said Kimberl was not abused or neglected during his confinement. Mrs. Kimberl acted Oul of desperation to give herself time to earn enough Money from a painting Job so that the and the children could move Oul of the House he said. Mrs. Kimberl also was found Gui Lyof attempting to commit welfare fraud for reporting on a food stamp application thai her husband had left Home. The jury was instructed thai the highest possible verdict the could be returned against Ibe Kimberl children was accomplice to attempted murder