A multi-stage process for reducing the level of sulfur in a distillate feedstock having a sulfur content greater than about 3,000 wppm, which process comprises: a) reacting said feedstream in a first hydrodesulfurization stage operated at a temperature from 200°C to 400°C and a pressure from 150 to 1,500 psig (1 to 10 MPag) in the presence of a hydrogen-containing treat gas, a portion of which is cascaded from the separation stage e) after the second hydrodesulfurization stage of d) below, said first hydrodesulfurization stage containing one or more reaction zones (12a, 12b), each reaction zone operated at hydrodesulfurizing condition and in the presence of a hydrodesulfurization catalyst, thereby resulting in a liquid product stream having a sulfur content less than 500 wppm; b) passing the liquid product stream to a separation zone wherein a hydrogen-containing product gas stream and a liquid phase product stream are produced; c) passing the liquid phase stream to a second hydrodesulfurization stage; d) reacting said liquid phase product stream in said second hydrodesulfurization stage, operated at a temperature from 200°C to 400°C and a pressure from 1 to 10 MPa (150 to 1,500 psig), in the presence of a hydrogen-containing treat gas, wherein the rate of introduction of the hydrogen portion of the treat gas in this second stage is less than or equal to 3 times the chemical hydrogen consumption in this second reaction stage, said second hydrodesulfurization stage containing one or more reaction zones (28a, 28b) operated at hydrodesulfurization conditions wherein each reaction zone contains a bed of hydrotreating catalyst, thereby resulting in a liquid product stream having less than 100 wppm sulfur and a weight ratio of aromatics to polynuclear aromatics of at least 11; and e) passing the liquid product stream of step d) above to a second separation zone wherein a hydrogen-containing product gas stream and liquid phase product stream are produced. a) reacting said feedstream in a first hydrodesulfurization stage operated at a temperature from 200°C to 400°C and a pressure from 150 to 1,500 psig (1 to 10 MPag) in the presence of a hydrogen-containing treat gas, a portion of which is cascaded from the separation stage e) after the second hydrodesulfurization stage of d) below, said first hydrodesulfurization stage containing one or more reaction zones (12a, 12b), each reaction zone operated at hydrodesulfurizing condition and in the presence of a hydrodesulfurization catalyst, thereby resulting in a liquid product stream having a sulfur content less than 500 wppm; b) passing the liquid product stream to a separation zone wherein a hydrogen-containing product gas stream and a liquid phase product stream are produced; c) passing the liquid phase stream to a second hydrodesulfurization stage; d) reacting said liquid phase product stream in said second hydrodesulfurization stage, operated at a temperature from 200°C to 400°C and a pressure from 1 to 10 MPa (150 to 1,500 psig), in the presence of a hydrogen-containing treat gas, wherein the rate of introduction of the hydrogen portion of the treat gas in this second stage is less than or equal to 3 times the chemical hydrogen consumption in this second reaction stage, said second hydrodesulfurization stage containing one or more reaction zones (28a, 28b) operated at hydrodesulfurization conditions wherein each reaction zone contains a bed of hydrotreating catalyst, thereby resulting in a liquid product stream having less than 100 wppm sulfur and a weight ratio of aromatics to polynuclear aromatics of at least 11; and e) passing the liquid product stream of step d) above to a second separation zone wherein a hydrogen-containing product gas stream and liquid phase product stream are produced.