Study: Nearly half of new priests were discouraged against seminary

[didymus]

The USA Today:

**Study: Nearly half of new priests were discouraged against seminary

**By Daniel Burke, Religion News Service

Conversations around the kitchen table may be more responsible for the shortage of Roman Catholic priests in the U.S. than influences from American culture, a new study suggests.

Almost 45% of Catholic priests planning to be ordained this year said they were discouraged from considering the priesthood, according to a survey produced by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University for the U.S. bishops.

Of those, nearly 6 in 10 said a parent or family member was the source of the discouragement. Fifty-one percent said a friend or classmate had counseled them against the priesthood, and 15% said a priest or other clergy had. The percentages add up to more than 100 because respondents could select more than one category.

The number of Catholic priests in the U.S. has dropped steadily since the 1970s, a worrisome trend for church leaders. In 2000, there were 45,700 priests, compared to 40,600 in 2008. The U.S. church will ordain 465 priests in 2009; 310 responded to the CARA survey.

Sad.
One might expect classmates to discourage a vocation but clergy (unless they think the person is unfit)?

I saw a survey quite awhile back of Catholic college seniors showing that some very large %age had at some point considered a vocation but no one – priest, parent, teacher, had ever suggested it to them or encouraged the idea.

 

[KathleenElsie]

This does not surprise me. The average family now has one or two children. Parents and grandparents want the kids to have children of their own so there are a couple of family members around for the long run.

The vast majority of those that choose the priesthood come from larger families. In fact it is not uncommon for two or more members of large sibling groups to go into the priesthood.

 

[Scoobyshme]

And yet, God is raising up a new priesthood, faithful to His Church and His truth. The old guard, who have allowed Satan to enter within to make them worldly, is slowly dying out.

The best news I’ve heard lately, for the Church in this country, is that in the next 5 years, 3 out of 4 bishops will reach mandatory retirement age! This includes Cardinal Mahoney of L.A. and Cardinal George. The bishops that the Pope has been appointing lately are orthodox, courageous, and faithful! What a concept, eh?

God bless!

Scooby

alabamacatholicresouces.com

 

[Holly3278]

Wow. That is really sad. We must pray for those who wish to become priests that they would not be discouraged from going to seminary.

 

[NCSue]

I’m not a life-long Catholic (converted about 12 years ago), but it seems that at one time, parents felt blest and proud to have a son entering the priesthood. From what I’ve observed, it seems that nowadays, parents have different expectation of their sons and are not as willing to support them in pursuing the priesthood.

Pray for our priests and for those discerning a vocation!

 

[markeverett49]

I object to this finding! Or rather, the interpretation of it.

It’s one thing to say that a seminarian encountered some opposition (–opposition from one important person) and something else altogether to encounter serious opposition (-such as from a parent who threatens to disown a child should he enter seminary) or much opposition (-such as from a majority of one’s friends.)

It’s a rare decision that meets with no opposition. Put another way, anyone who forgoes seminary just because someone else thought it a bad idea (-or less than the best available choice) should forego seminary!

 

[didymus]

True, when the seminarians polled say they were “discouraged” by someone we don’t know just what degree of opposition that indicates.

But nowadays parents are probably more likely to oppose a son entering the priesthood because with smaller families he may be their only son or even their only child. I read an article* by a priest making just that point and on a recent podcast (scroll down) about the church in India the priest said areas where large families were still customary vocations flourished but were falling off where the “micro-family” [great phrase] had taken hold in the culture.

*I think it was titled “Bricks without Straw” but when I Googled too many hits came up – if anyone else can find it please let me know.

 

[markeverett49]

But nowadays parents are probably more likely to oppose a son entering the priesthood because with smaller families he may be their only son or even their only child.<<<<

I understand this perspective but I don’t attach to it the same weight you do. And this for two reasons. First, avoidance of seminary is no guarantee of a grandchild. (Many married couples contracept and never provide grandchildren for their own parents to spoil.) Second, parents with but one child usually contracepted in order to limit family size; given that, they would have some nerve telling a child he was obligated to have a grandchild for their sake.

 

[Dale_M]

True, when the seminarians polled say they were “discouraged” by someone we don’t know just what degree of opposition that indicates.

Yep. It appears that the survey also asked a similar question about encouragement, again without measuring the strength of encouragement.
85% said a priest encouraged them
53% said a friend encouraged them
42% said a parishioner encouraged them.
catholicreview.org/subpages/storyworldnew-new.aspx?action=6067

Parent/family members seem to discourage more than they encourage, but again we don’t know how strongly.

Some additional interesting facts:
465 men will become priests in the US this year, which is up from 401 in 2008.

10% of these new priests were not raised Catholic.

You can see photos of all the new priests at:
usccb.org/vocations/classof2009/

 

[RobbyS]

The USA Today:

Sad.
One might expect classmates to discourage a vocation but clergy (unless they think the person is unfit)?

I saw a survey quite awhile back of Catholic college seniors showing that some very large %age had at some point considered a vocation but no one – priest, parent, teacher, had ever suggested it to them or encouraged the idea.

The prestige of the priesthood has collpased since Vatican 2, especially as laicism has spread among church members. Many regardedit as more a profession than a calling, and as families get smaller and smaller, many mothers don’t want to “waste” the talents of their sons.