HONOLULU -- One of the new pope's biggest challenges is to find more priests. There is a worldwide shortage and Hawaii is no exception.

A number of Hawaii priests are asked to do double-duty by running two churches.

Father Marc Alexander keeps track of everything from contractors to kindergartners at busy Sacred Heart Church on Wilder Avenue. He then buzzes over to St. Pius X in Manoa to check in on the charity food pantry.

"I think at times, quite honestly, I feel a little bit overwhelmed," Alexander said.

Hawaii's diocese has 26 priests now. Ten years ago, there were 48. So, Alexander is one of 11 priests assigned to two churches.

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"It takes its toll. It really does," Alexander said. "Sometimes I feel that I can't meet all the needs as immediately as I would like."

In six years, Alexander has centralized the two churches computers and phones. He's contracted two other priests to take some of the eight weekend masses, but mostly he relies on volunteers.

The spirit of helpful volunteers sustains him. However, he points out that too few young men are becoming priests and too many quit. At 47, he said he should not be one of Hawaii's younger priests.

"It's very scary because I look at the future and wonder, 'Well, where are we are going?'" Alexander said.

Although many say letting priests get married would solve the shortage, Alexander said priest burnout may be just as big a problem and he said there are things that even a conservative pope would want to do about that.

"To study more carefully what makes a happy priest, if you will, or provides a supportive system for a priest," Alexander said.

He said more privacy, time off and training would be nice. He said he also has faith the new church leadership will agree.