Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Population: 6,598 (1995) Religions: Catholic 99%
GDP per capita: US $10,000

The 6,500 inhabitants of this archipelago are nearly all descendants of French settlers. The islands are administered by France with the status of Collectivité territoriale, and the local economy, founded on fishing, is presently in a state of crisis.

Spiritans have been on the islands since 1763 and even today provide most of the clergy for this Apostolic Vicariate; at the moment, three confreres are working there. The present lack of vocations from the islands calls for a concerted effort in that direction, as well as a greater sharing of responsibility with the lay people of a Christian community that has been traditionally practising.

Regarding community, the isolation of one confrere on the island of Miquelon poses a problem. While still maintaining the understandable ties with the Province of France, a degree of closer co-operation between this little circumscription and those of North America would lead perhaps to an enlargement of the very limited contacts with that continent.