FALL RIVER — Help wanted: Roman Catholic priests.

Multiple positions available.

Must be able to kneel for long periods, willing to listen to bad deeds without judgment, proficient in public speaking, able to inspire good in a sinful population, must not be squeamish in a hospital setting, should exhibit skill in releasing sin from souls, must be adept at joining couples and maintaining faith that it will last until death do them part, available 24/7, capable of guiding souls into eternal life.

While priests certainly don’t think of their holy duties as a job, there is a certain amount of earthly contemplation involved, and yes, even a recruiting process to staff the churches with good men of God.

For the Diocese of Fall River, a shortage of priests has meant a sharing of duties among already struggling parishes, but a few new priests being ordained may mean a resurgence of Catholic men answering the call to serve God — or at least a small comeback for local churches.

Time will tell.

The Rev. Daniel M. Nunes, like many young people, took a couple of years off after college before deciding on a career — though for him it was the “calling” that affirmed his decision to join the priesthood.

Nunes, 35, a Swansea native, was ordained a priest on June 9, 2018, and serves as the parochial vicar at Holy Name Church in the city’s Highlands neighborhood.

“I think young men are listening to the call again,” Nunes said.

Two other young men were ordained in the diocese that same day, Matthew G. Gill of Attleboro and Munoz Montoya, a native of Columbia.

The Rev. Kevin Cook, director of vocations for the diocese, said another two men will be ordained as priests this year, and 14 are in seminary. They range in age from their 20s to 50s.

“Compared to the last 15 years, this is a larger number for us,” Cook said.

In 1978, there were 187 priests in active ministry in the Fall River diocese. That number has dwindled to roughly 75 today.

It was learning from young priests as a student of Bishop Connolly High School and a parishioner of St. Dominic’s Parish in Swansea that inspired Nunes to make his journey to the priesthood.

“I loved what they were doing. They were happy,” Nunes said. “I just started seeing myself doing things in a Roman collar.”

His journey lasted nearly a decade. After graduation from Connolly, he attended Our Lady of Providence Seminary and earned a degree from Providence College. He continued his studies at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Maryland, and St. John’s Seminary in Brighton.

Nunes served for a year at Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in New Bedford, and then took two years off and worked in private companies, doing data entry and helping people sign up for health insurance.

“I wasn’t ready to be ordained,” Nunes said.

In 2016, he went back to the diocese. It was a calling Nunes could not ignore.

“This is from Christ,” Nunes said. “It’s amazing that he lets me do what I’m able to do.”

During the past nine months, Nunes said he’s helped “26 souls cross over into eternal life.”

He devotes a half-hour to an hour, about five times per day, to prayer.

He visits parishioners in the hospital, sometimes getting calls in the middle of the night. He celebrates Mass, performs funerals, and works in the parish school.

“It varies day to day,” Nunes said.

His favorite duty is serving parishioners in the confessional.

“I’ve heard the confessions of people away (from the church) for 40 years,” Nunes said.

He said they are “filled with emotion” when they finally unburden themselves. “God wants them to be happy and be forgiven.”

Nunes said being a priest is all that he’s wanted to do since his high school days.

“It’s been a great ride for nine months,” Nunes said.

He said the sex abuse scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church has no bearing on those who want to devote their life to God.

“It was a horrible thing that was done by sinful men,” Nunes said. “The only thing turning it around is the faithful … because we’re here to help them.”

Nunes said he is trained on how to deal with reports of abuse, and he encourages anyone who has been abused to report the incident to church officials to “help them heal,” and to also notify police.

A goal of Nunes’ is to one day bring an order of nuns back to the city, perhaps to the Holy Name School.

For now, he’s just “enjoying every moment.”

He said that when he’s not praying or ministering, he enjoys reading and watching science fiction and fantasy.

“I’m a huge 'Star Trek' fan,” Nunes said.

Cook said the modest increase in ordained priests and those in seminary is “good news.”

He said men are “more aware” and open to the idea, and willing to put “their heart into it. We’re hoping for more. The need is always with us.”

Nunes said the future is bright for the Catholic Church.

“I feel excited,” Nunes said. “Things are changing. Things are always going to change. The church is going to reinvent itself.

“I’m not in charge,” Nunes continued. “It’s God’s church. He’s going to make sure it keeps going.”

To learn more about vocations in the Fall River Diocese, visit https://www.fallrivervocations.org/.

Email Deborah Allard at dallard@heraldnews.com.