New study shows church has 'essential role' in fostering priestly vocations
Washington D.C., Apr 17, 2010 (EWTN News)
A recent study analyzing the ordination class of 2010 shows the “essential role” the Church has in helping promote vocations to the priesthood, asserts one cardinal.
The study was conducted by Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA), and commissioned by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) as part of an annual national survey, The Class of 2010: Survey of Ordinands to the Priesthood.
“One important trend evident in this study is the importance of lifelong formation and engagement in the Catholic faith,” said Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley of Boston, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations.
The cardinal noted that in addition to their education and work experience, half to three-quarters of the Class of 2010 report they served as an altar server, lector, Eucharistic minister or other parish ministry.
“Most ordinands have been Catholic since birth,” said Cardinal O’Malley, “Four in five report that both their parents are Catholic. Almost eight in 10 were encouraged to consider the priesthood by a priest. This speaks to the essential role the whole Church has to play in fostering vocations.”
The study also found that 92 percent of men being ordained to the priesthood report some kind of full-time work experience prior to entering the seminary, particularly in education. Three in five ordinands completed college before pursuing the priesthood, with one in five also obtaining a graduate degree. One in three entered the seminary while in college.
Additionally, the median age of ordinands is 33 and the youngest member of the Class of 2010 is 25. The report also shows that 11 men are being ordained at the age of 65 or older. On average, men were 18 when they first considered their vocation.
The response rate for the study was approximately 77 percent of the 440 potential ordinands reported by theologates, houses of formation, dioceses, and religious institutes. They included 291 men being ordained for dioceses and 48 for religious orders, such as the Jesuits, Dominicans and Franciscans, according to the USCCB.