Pastor's Page:  "US Catholic Priesthood in 2009 (CARA)”

Our US bishops commissioned CARA (Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate), a data gathering
and sociological study organization located at Georgetown University, to survey candidates for priesthood
in 2009.

These are some results of their study:

• 310 ordinands (candidates for priesthood ordination) responded to the survey, out of 465 men who
were ordained in the United States mostly in May and June of this year. 239 men were ordained for US
dioceses; and 71 to religious orders like the Jesuits, Dominicans and Franciscans.

• The average age of these newly ordained is 36 years. This has been consistent over the past five years in
their research results.

• Background: 72% are white/European American; 11% are Asian; 12% are Hispanic. Hispanic
ordinations are underrepresented considering that 34% of US Catholics are Hispanic in background - or 23
million out of 66 million US Catholics.

• 25% of the newly ordained were born outside the United States. These men are largely from Vietnam,
Mexico, Poland, and the Philippines.

• Work history: 65% have full-time work experience before entering the seminary.
• Interest in the priesthood: They first considered priesthood at an average age of 17. 85% said they
received personal encouragement by a priest; and 75% were supported in their interest by parishioners,
parents, family members and friends. Relatively few men were affected by vocational advertising.

• Of the diocesan priests, serving in parishes, 44% stated that they were discouraged by parents, friends,
family members and others.

• Education: 51% had attended a Catholic elementary school compared with 42% of all US Catholic
adults. 43% of the ordinands attended a Catholic high school in comparison with 22% of US Catholic adults.
They were also much more likely to have attended a Catholic college: 42% compared with 7% of US
adult Catholics.

• Before entering the seminary, 65% of the candidates had completed college, 35% had not completed
college (compared to 25% in 1999), and 19% had a graduate degree.

• Ministry involvement: 60 to 70% had been active in parish ministry before ordination as a Eucharistic
minister, lector, altar server and other ministries in their parishes.

• How can we as the US Catholic Church, as a diocese and as a parish, respond to the continuing challenge
of fewer priests, and a steadily growing Catholic population, mostly Hispanic in background?

The need for an active commitment to ministry on the part of lay Catholics, baptized believers, is of the
utmost importance. Personal encouragement to the priesthood, and men and women to religious life, also
needs to be a priority. Previous studies by CARA have concluded that vocations to the priesthood will
continue to decline for decades to come.

Peace,
Father Bruce