Evidence from a study on the candidates for ordinations this year shows that the vocations are a result of the collaboration of clergy, families, and the entire People of God.
The U.S. bishops’ conference reported Friday on “The Class of 2010: Survey of Ordinands to the Priesthood,” an annual research project commissioned by the conference and conducted by Georgetown University’s Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.
Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, chairman of the conference’s Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations, affirmed, “Most ordinands have been Catholic since birth.” He continued: “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 cardinal pointed out that the almost three-quarters of this year’s class reporting serving previously as an altar server, lector, Eucharistic minister or other parish minister.
“One important trend evident in this study is the importance of lifelong formation and engagement in the Catholic faith,” he stated.Some 92% of the men held a full-time job before entering the seminary, with education being the most popular field. Three out of five of the ordinands completed college before entering the seminary, and one in five also received a graduate degree. A third of the class entered the seminary while in college. On average, they reported first considering a religious vocation when they were 18 years old.
WASHINGTON, D.C., APRIL 19, 2010 (Zenit.org)