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Vocation study reveals changing face and habits of new entrants

16 Aug 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

This Sunday's psalm seems ready-made for those who in recent years have chosen to "taste and see" for themselves what Catholic religious life is like. In keeping with the psalmist's desire to bless and praise the Lord at all times, a landmark vocations study reveals that newer recruits place a high priority on shared prayer and worship, communal living, and Catholic identity. The newest generation of religious priests, brothers, sisters, and nuns are more ethnically diverse than their predecessors and also drawn to more traditional expressions of piety, according to the "Study of Recent Vocations to Religious Life" conducted by Georgetown University's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) for the National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC). "We've heard anecdotally that the youngest people coming to religious life are distinctive, and they really are," said Sister Mary Bendyna, executive director of CARA. "They're more attracted to a traditional style of religious life, where there is community living, common prayer, having Mass together, praying the Liturgy of the Hours together. They are much more likely to say fidelity to the church is important to them. And they really are looking for communities where members wear habits," said Bendyna. "This younger generation is seeking an identity, a religious identity as well as a Catholic identity," said Brother Paul Bednarczyk, executive director of the Chicago-based NRVC, a professional organization of Catholic religious vocation directors. "Symbolism, images, and ritual are all very important to this generation, and they want to give witness to their faith." The study also found that non-Hispanic whites account for 94 percent of current nuns and priests but only 58 percent of those in the process of joining orders, including 21 percent who are Hispanic, 14 percent Asian or Pacific Islander, and 6 percent African or African American. In addition, the study revealed that the graying of American religious is more pronounced than many Catholics might have realized. Ninety-one percent of nuns and 75 percent of priests are 60 or older, and most of the rest are at least 50. And finding new members remains a struggle for many orders. Thirty-four percent of women's orders and 22 percent of men's orders surveyed had no candidates. Almost half the orders that do have someone on the early path toward his or her vows have no more than one or two in the pipeline. Bednarczyk drew reason to hope from the fact that 43 percent of those in the early stages of joining an order are under 30. "Younger people are re-looking at religious life as a viable life option," he said. "It does speak of a future." A full summary and review of study results, as well as a list of best practices that foster vocations, can be found at the NRVC's website, www.nrvc.net. Source: Articles by Eric Gorksi for the Associated Press and Laurie Goodstein for the New York Times

vocations cara studies national religious vocation conference nrvc mary bendyna religious orders study of recent vocations to religious life paul bednarczyk religious life center for applied research in the apostolate

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A positive footnote to 9/11: Interfaith cooperation rises

18 Sep 2011 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The reading from the Book of Isaiah encourages us to “seek the Lord while he may be found, call him while he is near,” while the psalmist makes this worshipful pledge: “Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever” and asserts that “the Lord is near to all who call upon him.” If there is a silver lining to the destruction that occurred ten years ago on 9/11, it might be this: Interfaith worship has doubled in the U.S. in the past decade, according to a new study. Although more than seven in 10 U.S. congregations still do not associate with other faiths, the survey by an interfaith group of researchers found that about 14 percent of U.S. congregations in 2010 engaged in a joint religious celebration with another faith tradition, up from 6.8 percent in 2000. Interfaith community service grew nearly threefold, with 20.4 percent of congregations reporting participation in 2010, up from 7.7 percent in 2000, according to the Cooperative Congregations Studies Partnership. After the 9/11 attacks, “Islam and Islamics’ presence in the United States [became] visible in a way that you couldn’t ignore,” said David A. Roozen, one of the report’s authors and the director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research at Hartford Seminary in Connecticut. National Muslim groups tried to build bridges to other faiths, who in turn “reached out in new ways to be neighborly,” Roozen said. Reform Jewish congregations led the way, with two-thirds participating in interfaith worship and three-quarters involved in interfaith community service. Sources: Articles by Piet Levy for Religion News Service and Ecumenical News International

Muslims david a roozen cooperative congregations studies partnership community service interfaith worship interfaith cooperation 911 congregations reformed jews hartford institute for religion research

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Too much in debt to take a vow of poverty

26 Feb 2012 - Preaching the News for Sunday

“This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand,” Jesus announces in this Sunday’s gospel when he embarks on his public ministry. Many of those who would like to embark on a fulfilling ministry as members of religious communities are stymied because they are carrying an average of $28,000 in student debt. A new study on Catholic vocations has revealed that educational debt is derailing the dreams these young people have to become religious sisters, brothers, or priests. And the problem is likely to get worse: Religious institutes report an increase in the number of inquirers with large educational debt, and national averages show record levels of student debt continuing to rise. The 2012 Study on Educational Debt and Vocations to Religious Life, conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University for the Chicago-based National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC), finds that seven in ten institutes (69 percent) turned away at least one person because of student loans. In addition, many religious communities ask young people to delay their applications to enter because of educational debt. “For those entering religious life, the expectation is that they be debt-free,” said Holy Cross Brother Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C., executive director of the NRVC, “but for graduates in today’s economy, where education costs have risen by 900 percent since 1978, paying off loans can take years to accomplish. The burden of student debt has become a serious problem for religious communities desirous of welcoming younger members.” “Because religious sisters, brothers, and priests are vital to the life of the church and provide great service to society,” Bednarczyk said, “we plan to bring together key stakeholders to develop strategies to ease this significant and growing barrier to religious vocations.” Complete study results are available at nrvc.net. Sources: A news release by the National Religious Vocation Conference (nrvc.net) and a SpiritCitings blog post

vocations educational debt debt center for applied research in the apostolate cara studies national religious vocation conference nrvc religious orders student debt

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Pope says promoting Latin right thing to do

18 Nov 2012 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Referring to the Jewish clergy of the era, the second reading this Sunday says that “every priest stands daily at his ministry.” Pope Benedict XVI wants those studying for the Catholic priesthood, as well as the wider populace, to gain greater familiarity with Latin, the ancient language of church liturgy. Last Saturday the pope announced the creation of a new Vatican department to promote the study and use of Latin in the church and beyond.The Vatican said the pope had instituted the Pontifical Academy for Latin Studies, placing it under the auspices of the Vatican's ministry for culture. In his letter announcing the new department, the pope said that Latin was the subject of renewed interest around the world and the purpose of the academy was to encourage further growth.“It appears necessary to support a commitment to a greater understanding of the use of Latin, both in the church and in the greater world of culture,” Benedict wrote in the letter setting up the academy. The new academy's statutes, written of course in Latin, say its goal is to promote both written and spoken Latin through publications, conferences, seminars, and performances.The initiative is seen by some as an olive branch to traditionalist Catholics, who have long lamented the modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council which replaced the Latin liturgy with Mass in the vernacular.In 2007 Benedict relaxed restrictions on celebrating the old Latin Mass, a move that supporters say has increased interest in the Latin language and the Latin liturgy. The pope also has reintroduced Latin in much of his own Vatican celebrations, with the gospel often chanted in the ancient language.The Vatican argues that while few Catholics may understand Latin, it is a universal language that represents the universal church and doesn't favor the language of one particular group over another. Some critics say the renewed emphasis on Latin is just another indication that today's church leadership is out of touch with the modern world.Homily hint: Many Catholics appreciate having a chance to learn a bit about church history, so working some information about the history of Latin in the church into a homily or planning an adult education event on the topic would likely generate interest, especially as we prepare for more formal liturgical events in the seasons ahead. Sources: Articles by Nicole Winfield for the Associated Press and Philip Pullella for Reuters

benedict xvi latin pontifical academy for latin studies

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