Sociological and Cultural Issues Affecting the Rise of Priestly Vocations in North America

Introduction

On May 4, 1989, Our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II commended those in ordained ministry and consecrated life, saying:

In a special way, I commend to you young men the closing words of this evening's Gospel: "You did not choose me, but I chose you" (John 15:16). Yes, the gift of a vocation to the priesthood is not something you seek for yourselves. It has nothing to do with status or privilege as the world understands these things. Your great privilege will be to lay down your lives with Christ the High Priest if you are truly called to this vocation. May God help each of you to discern his will so that you too may "Go out to bear fruit, fruit that will last."¹

The "status or privilege," mentioned by the Holy Father, reveals something of the struggle in the hearts of young men in North America. As the Church tries to build a vocation culture in which those called can courageously respond to the Lord's call, it must speak directly to the diminishing status or privilege of the priesthood as seen by the broader increasingly secularized society.

Feedback from Seminarians

The process used to invite aspirants to the priesthood into this endeavor included an on-line survey. A letter was sent from the Secretariat for Vocations and Priestly Formation of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to all rectors of major seminaries in the United States and Canada urging participation. Thirty seminaries in the United States yielded 405 seminarian responses, and four seminaries in Canada generated an additional 21 responses. A total of 426 seminarians responded to this survey. They were fairly equally divided among classes ranging from pre-theology through fourth-year theology.

The on-line survey asked two very direct questions: (a) "What sociological and cultural issues prevent the birth of priestly vocations in North America?" and (b) "What sociological and cultural issues facilitate the birth of priestly vocations in North America?" In addition to these open-ended questions, seminarians were asked to identify who (if anyone) was most responsible for inviting them to consider a vocation to priesthood, and which parish programs or vocational techniques were instrumental in their discernment. This survey was placed on the USCCB Secretariat for Vocations and Priestly Formation website. Attached to this article is a list of seminaries that participated in this project as well as an overview of the seminarians' responses.

Throughout this article, I will rely on the thought-provoking and insightful words of the seminarians themselves. I do so with gratitude to the individual men who participated in this study and the seminary rectors who encouraged the large response.

The Current Culture

The work of cultural analysis is important because those involved in vocation ministry at every level and in every situation need to know the soil in which the message of Christ is to be sown. When looking at the complex social and cultural diversity of North America, the task of identifying and understanding the sociological and cultural issues is essential if the Church is to provide an effective pastoral response. Much has been written about social and spiritual trends that mark contemporary North American society.²

Many would agree that negative cultural factors are among the major obstacles to creating a vocation culture. Such obstacles include materialism, consumerism, secularism, individualism, pluralism, moral relativism, and religious indifference. These trends were identified not only at the 2002 Third Continental Congress on Vocations to Ordained Ministry and Consecrated Life in North America, but also at the 1997 Second Continental Congress on Vocations in Europe.³

Within the current culture of North America, both in Canada and the United States, young people are said to be "spiritual," even though they may not belong to a particular church or practice a particular religion. Yet in a 2004 Gallup Organization poll, teens (13-17) were asked, "Do you think that there is an overall purpose for your life?" An astonishing 87% said "yes." Those responding in the affirmative were asked, "What do you think it is?" The surprising first response was "To be a good Christian." The second response was "To make a difference and help people." Gallup quoted one young man as saying, "I'm not sure (about my purpose in life), but I do believe that God put me here for a purpose."³ While the young people of North America live their faith within the current culture where they live now, many have come to the United States and to Canada from various other cultures. An influx of Asian and Hispanic immigrants into North America has enriched the Church. These young people, from various cultural backgrounds, are still products of their native cultures; they live out their heritage within their new society while not necessarily forfeiting their native culture. For many of the new immigrants, the priesthood constitutes a socio-economic rise in their expectations, a fact that recalls the older immigrants from Western Europe in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Asian Catholics in the U.S. make up approximately 9% of the Catholic population; while in the seminary Asians make up 12% of the seminary population. Respect for family, faith, celibacy, and religious vocations among the various Asian populations provides the Church with a number of priestly vocations.⁴

The Issues that Prevent Priestly Vocations

In the responses from the seminarians, "materialism," variously defined, was listed as the main obstacle to priestly vocations in North America. When the first values in society are money and pleasure, young people naturally resist a life where serving others, living simply, and practicing obedience and celibacy carry the highest value. In light of this, many seminarians have said that vocations to the priesthood emerge as counter-cultural, even opposite to what peers at the local or national level most seek.

In addressing materialism, one seminarian stated:

Everything in our society says to live for yourself, not for others. We are a materialistic society. The priest is not considered to be a vital member of society; he is far down the line after doctors and lawyers and businessmen. He is an anomaly, misunderstood and with unfair labels placed upon him. The modern priest must break out and show that he . . . can lead a spiritually fulfilling life and lead others to the same without being a social outcast, but rather a pivotal member of society that is badly needed.

Within recent years, the clergy abuse scandals have brought about a tremendous amount of media attention, mostly negative. These past few years have been difficult for the Church in North America and many vocation directors have identified the negative media attention to be an obstacle in promoting priestly vocations. The same scandalous stories of clergy abuse are repeated ad nauseam, while it is clear that the vast majority of priests have lived faithful, dedicated, and committed lives in the priesthood.

Sexual promiscuity in society and the easy accessibility of pornography on the internet provide evidence that in this North American culture many do not value the gift of celibacy and have failed to see the sacredness of human sexuality. Such weakness in societal morals negatively undermines the cultivation of priestly vocations. Among today's youth, there seems to be a lack of understanding of the priesthood and the gift of celibacy.

As in other Western nations, in North America, individualism and self-centeredness are prevalent. Many young people fail to see the benefits of serving the needs of others, sacrificing oneself for another, or acting generously to improve life for the many. Many young adults are unable to realize the graces and blessings that come from serving others and how these charitable acts prove to be a gift to the broader community.

Increasingly, lack of commitment contributes to the declining number of men entering the seminary. A number of reports and statistics suggest that it is not only the priesthood in the Catholic Church that shows a decline in numbers, but that the numbers of ministerial leaders in other denominations are also decreasing. Interestingly, a number of denominations are experiencing fewer clergy, even those that call to ministry married men as well as women. It seems that the solutions some prescribe for the lack of priestly vocations in the Church by considering various options (e.g., optional celibacy) would not address the real issue of lack of commitment.⁶ North America faces a commitment crisis, not a vocation crisis. Even marriage suffers from the lack of permanent commitment in our society; recently The Washington Post reported that marriage is at an all time low.⁷

The Ecclesial Community

Within the ecclesial community, a man's family and his interaction with priests are significant in either helping or discouraging his vocation. Some key elements within the faith community purposefully or inadvertently prevent the promotion of priestly vocations.

As the domestic church, the family is where a man first learns about his relationship with God and others. When the family's faith life is not built on a solid foundation, this tends to add difficulties in a man's discernment. A large number of seminarians mentioned that a lack of support on the part of family members, or even family members actively discouraging a man from considering priesthood, weigh heavy on a perspective candidate.

Another factor is to be found in family education and the lived practice of the faith. If the children are not taught the benefits and graces that come from sacrificing for another, they do not learn how to renounce themselves for the good of others. Parents who do not practice the faith deprive their children of spiritual examples in the home. When a family does not embrace the teachings of the Church as to the obligation to participate at Mass on Sundays, it is almost certain that the family would not invite or encourage their children to consider a vocation to priesthood or religious life. Many believe that the family's failure to promote priestly vocations is connected to the fact that families are much smaller than they once were. Many parents yearn for grandchildren, and they fear the loss of progeny if their son were to enter the seminary. When this demographic fact is added to a careerism mentality that many families have, it often leads parents to hope that their children will succeed in life in a profession that brings economic wealth and social advancement. This type of pressure may deflect consideration of the priesthood for a young man, for it prevents the seed of a vocation from growing.

When families lack a sense of faith and are unable to recognize the blessing of a priestly vocation in their midst, this vocation goes unsupported. This lack of understanding God's will or Church teaching only compounds the inability to support a son to consider the seminary.

Catholic families in North America have experienced the same phenomenon as that of the general public: family life has been weakened by an increase in divorce rates, the family unit is smaller with an increase of single-parent homes and the increased influx of extracurricular activities such as sports or extra jobs that keep families from spending time together. Many of these factors that have compromised the intimacy of family life over the past decades have had some ill effects.

The priest plays a major role in how a man views a vocation to priesthood. The responses from the priesthood aspirants reveal that poor examples of priests frustrate many young men in their vocation discernment. Many seminarians refer to priests who were negative or "unhappy," but the most grievous has been the recent scandals brought about by some priests who have sexually abused minors and have tarred the image of priests in the minds of some people. Seminarians and prospective priesthood applicants have been profoundly affected by these events and the rampant publicity that surrounds specific (often old) cases. These poor examples add further difficulty to a discernment process that is already complex. A man will question whether he is truly called to be a part of a vocation in which he witnesses weakness, arrogance, dishonesty, ambition, or factions. At the same time, examples of sinful or falsely accused priests raise distrust on the part of conscientious parents.

For some seminarians, other bad examples in the priesthood impede the cultivation of priestly vocations. These include consistently poor preaching, lack of reverence for the Mass, a given perception of a homosexual or effeminate clergy (real or imagined), liturgical abuses, and a lack of leadership on the part of priests and bishops.

Because the priest is such a major player in the area of recruiting vocations to the priesthood, his failure to invite or support a worthy candidate complicates vocation promotion. For the most part, dedicated and faithful young men are willing to entertain possibilities for their lives, especially if these possibilities include living the fullness of life. Many priests have missed the opportunity to invite men to consider the priesthood. In a recent survey of men scheduled to be ordained to the priesthood in 2003, 78% of them said that a priest invited them to consider the priesthood.⁸ In a poll of young adult Catholics, only 15% indicated that they had been encouraged to think about a vocation to the religious life or priesthood. For those who were encouraged to consider religious life or priesthood, it came primarily from their family.⁹

These statistics substantiate two important factors in cultivating priestly vocations. First of all, priests have a tremendous influence on a man's vocation discernment and are an important presence in nurturing a priestly vocation. Secondly, we as priests have been negligent in our roles as "fishers of men" (Mt. 4:19). If these statistics are accurate, then a great majority of our young people have not been invited by a priest to consider either a vocation to priesthood or religious life.

In relating the priest's vocation efforts with the life of the parish, one seminarian from Canada indicated:

. . . [M]ost parishes have been gravely negligent in their responsibility to foster vocations. Proof? Assume (for the sake of argument), that an average priest has a service life of 25 years (an admittedly conservative estimate). If we are facing a decline in priestly vocations and a shortage in priests themselves, then that means that there are parishes that have not replaced their own priest. In other words, they have not encouraged one man in at least 25 years (remember, this is a low number) to become a priest. Something has gone dreadfully wrong in a priest's life if he can say that in over 25 years, he has not inspired even one man to live a life like his.

Responding seminarians mention other elements in the ecclesial community that hinder the increase of priestly vocations, too. These include poor catechesis, "watering down the faith," and the lack of spiritual formation. Concern is often expressed that this generation of young people does not know the basics of the faith. Many, young and old alike, do not know the difference between resurrection and reincarnation, ascension and assumption, incarnation and Immaculate Conception. The lack of catechetical formation is seen as a main factor in preventing priestly vocations. Young men do not commit to what they do not know well.

The element of dissent in the Church, a failure to promote priestly vocations on the parish level, a lack of reverence for sacraments and sacramentals, and a perceived lack of dialogue between clergy and laity were also mentioned as being detrimental to promoting priestly vocations.

One seminarian offered these words:

Give young men an ideal of sacrifice…to strive after. He is not a mere celibate social worker. He is an alter-Christus who makes God present to the faithful by the ministration of the sacraments and the example of his own life of prayer and sacrifice. The sacredness, nobility, and royal dignity of the priesthood would be made more evident to young men by . . . the saints who give us examples of great heroism in virtue and holiness, as would a wider use of the great treasury of sacramentals, holy images, and devotions to Our Lord, Our Lady, and the saints. Make our churches places which inspire men to holiness of life, and they will want to sacrifice their own lives for it.

A number of studies have shown that the young people of today are spiritual. They long for a relationship with God, and they earnestly seek the truth. They search for meaning in life and many of them believe that God has a purpose for them.¹⁰ There is dissatisfaction with negative cultural trends. A seminarian from the U.S. put it this way, "The inability of American pop culture to satisfy our deep spiritual longing for God and for absolute truths prompts us to search for deeper meaning."

The fact that there is a "culture of death" concerns many young people. Seminarians have identified this as one of the reasons they considered the priesthood in the first place. A number of them indicated that they worked in pro-life efforts in the Church and subsequently discerned a call to the seminary. Participation in these pro-life programs evolved into a willingness to serve in the visible and public ministry of the priesthood. These seminarians found strong encouragement for priestly vocations in pro-life groups.

While the young people in North America are "believers," they are not necessarily "belongers." That is to say, their faith in God is vital to them; but many of them do not belong to a church or parish. Interestingly enough, a significant percentage of young people (aged 13-17) indicate that doing God's will is important to them.¹¹

Many young people, including many of the seminarians surveyed for this article, say that the need to do God's will is directly in response to evils in our society, identified as terrorism (September 11, 2001 and elsewhere), a "culture of death," materialism, careerism, and individualism. They see that the world needs to change and that good must prevail. A number of seminarians expressed their dissatisfaction with the negative cultural trends, adding that they hope to make a difference by advancing the mission of the Gospel and providing the grace that comes from administering the sacraments.

The Church in North America has seen wonderful expressions of faith expressed by our young people as a direct result of Pope John Paul II's initiatives. North America has been blessed with World Youth Day in Denver, Colorado (1993); the Third Continental Congress on Vocation to Ordained Ministry and Consecrated Life in North America in Montréal, Québec (2002), and World Youth Day in Toronto, Ontario (2002). These events were monumental in promoting vocations. In fact, the young people who gathered at the Third Continental Congress on Vocations offered an unsolicited statement regarding their life in the Church and their eagerness to discern their vocation. In it they said:

Everything we ask of the Church we will offer in return. We ask for prayer and will pray in return for the Church. We seek wisdom and knowledge and will use those gifts in return to enrich our Church. We will remain faithful to Christ and the Church by living out our vocations, promoting a culture of life and joy, while living in hope and love. We strive to be saints of today and come to cultivate saints of the next generation. Please give us the resources we need to be what God has called us to be! The resources we ask for we will also give.

As young people we seek answers to the many deep questions that dwell in the depths of our hearts. We seek to grow in understanding and knowledge of prayer, to discern our vocations in Christ, and to learn all aspects of our faith. Please openly witness to your faith, by being available. Specifically, to you who live the consecrated life and serve as ordained ministers, offer us authentic joyful witnesses to your way of life, that we may experience the passion of your service. Invite us to share your excitement and deep love of Christ and the Church.¹²

The single most important factor in fostering vocations to the priesthood rests with personal contact with a "happy, healthy, holy" priest as a role model. Every analysis of the culture of the Church in North America and in veritably all of the responses of the seminarians undergirding this study reinforces the centrality and efficacy of the priest. A priest's good example and his invitation to a young man to consider priesthood are crucial to increasing the number of priesthood candidates in North America.

The clear identity of the priest is important in the effort to attract men to consider priesthood. This was expressed by a number of seminarians who say that priests need to be identified by their clerical attire, their good examples of service, and their leadership in the local community. By their living a chaste celibate life while embracing simplicity of life and obedience for the sake of the Kingdom, priests model an image of Christ for all to see and for men to admire and hope to emulate. A Canadian seminarian writes, "We do not live in comfortable times in Canada and the United States. If young men see priests willing to lay down their lives for their vocation--that will be inspiring."

Through their visible and active lives, priests powerfully inspire and mold a community by performing charitable acts and exercising priestly ministry. Priestly expressions of public ministry help to shape the image of the priest that in turn helps to cultivate future vocations to the priesthood, many times, unknowingly. Ecclesia de Eucharistia states: "Often it is the example of a priest's fervent pastoral charity which the Lord uses to sow and to bring to fruition in a young man's heart the seed of a priestly calling."¹⁴

Good examples and heartfelt invitations by priests are paramount in facilitating priestly vocations in North America. The personal contact, the close proximity he has to men who serve at the altar, and in the ways he collaborates with the bishop in promoting priestly vocations--all contribute to creating a vocation culture within the presbyterate. Many good pastors who are astute in promoting vocations to the priesthood will actively mentor a young man they feel may have a priestly vocation by first inviting him to share in a greater role within the parish. Many wise pastors will ask suitable young men to volunteer for ministries in the parish (i.e., altar server, lector, Eucharistic minister, charitable outreach, youth ministry). Service in the sanctuary and in the local community beyond the parish will allow a man to be formed by the graces flowing from the celebration of the Eucharist and, at the same time, afford the priest an opportunity to mentor a possible vocation to the priesthood.

Surveys conducted by the Secretariat for Vocations and Priestly Formation at the USCCB regarding past ordination classes in the United States show that a high percentage of ordinands have served in various capacities at Mass. For example, 74% of the men ordained to the priesthood in the United States in 2004 indicated that they were altar boys. In that same survey, 69% said that they were lectors; 65% were Eucharistic ministers.¹⁵ The statistics are similar in earlier annual surveys. Such evidence verifies that the Mass is the sacred place where priestly vocations are sown and nurtured. The good and wise priest, who is a cultivator of the many vocations in the Church, will be able to see that priestly vocations are right before him as he celebrates the Mass.

Ecclesia de Eucharistia speaks of the Mass as a vital part in a man's discernment.

The centrality of the Eucharist in the life and ministry of priests is the basis of its centrality in the pastoral promotion of priestly vocations. It is in the Eucharist that prayer for vocations is most closely united to the prayer of Christ the Eternal High Priest. At the same time the diligence of priests in carrying out their Eucharistic ministry, together with the conscious, active and fruitful participation of the faithful in the Eucharist, provides young men with a powerful example and incentive for responding generously to God's call.¹⁵

A strong faith life in the family constitutes the fertile soil that is needed for the seed of a vocation to grow. When parents nurture the faith of their children, the opportunity for God's word to permeate their hearts and minds is greatly increased. A high percentage of priestly vocations come from families who pray together, attend Mass together, instill into family members a love for God and others as well as promote Church vocations from within the family. These families are most important in creating a vocation culture. Men are encouraged to respond favorably to God's call to priesthood when family and friends are expressing their support for priestly vocations.

In addition to the family, many elements within the parish community assist in "sowing seeds." A good vibrant parish with a good vibrant priest contributes to the growth of the Catholic community. It has been observed that such parishes also produce much fruit by raising leaders from among their midst in order serve in persona Christi. One seminarian from the United States said: "If you have holy priests you will have holy people, and if you have holy people you will have vocations."

The seminarians responding to the survey offer many good thoughts as to what elements in their respective parishes creates the fertile ground for the seed of a priestly vocation to grow. Some of these elements include: a good sense of the evangelization mission of the Church; liturgies celebrated in a reverent and faithful way; outreach to the poor and needy; and parishioners who actively invite and support men to consider the priesthood, especially when they are identified as likely aspirants.

Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and opportunities for Eucharistic adoration serves as a spiritual basis for vocations. When a man enters into prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, he opens his heart and mind to the Lord of Harvest as he seeks God's will. Many youth ministry programs and parishes have incorporated Eucharistic adoration into their programs for young adults, and most campus ministry programs provide retreat experiences with Eucharistic adoration so that the Lord's voice can be heard.

A good Catholic education, through Catholic Schools or through a parish catechetical program, helps equip a man in making decisions about a priestly vocation. From the time of early childhood through puberty, solid catechesis aids a person in accepting each and every element of their vocation. When a young person has a good catechetical foundation in the Church, he is able to hear and be predisposed to accept God's plan for him. Knowledge of the saints and the solid teachings of the Church contribute to a solid intellectual foundation. This intellectual foundation is vital in knowing what is expected of a man when faced with a vocation to priesthood--as well as recognizing the blessings that will come with ordination.

As Catholic youth mature, the importance of youth programs (i.e., NET, TEC, LifeTeen, and others), campus ministry programs, and lay movements are seen as fruitful to priestly vocation efforts by creating essential environments for discernment. The importance with which perspective seminarians view these vehicles for Catholic formation lies in the clear criterion that such programs embrace Church teaching and adhere to guidelines established by the Church. The seminarians' responses clearly indicated that they place a high priority on fidelity to the Church and her teachings.

The surveys often suggest that if a man comes from a solid Catholic upbringing and his faith is strong the present scandal in the Church serves only to motivate the call of the young man. "We need a few good men . . ." is this frank response. Many would agree that the men in our seminaries today do not see themselves as a part of the problem, but rather, as part of the solution. A seminarian responded, "The Church, and the priesthood in particular, are under attack and our culture is anything but Christian these days. Difficult times such as these spark good men to answer the call and enter the fight."

While such a response has not led to a dramatic change in seminary enrollment, this sentiment is embraced by a good majority of seminarians whose increase of commitment has been notable to rectors, formators, and vocation directors. The adjectives used to describe the men in our seminaries these days are: courageous, dedicated, faithful, committed, loyal, spiritual--to name a few. In creating a vocation culture in which men can discern a vocation to priesthood, the seminary becomes a place where potential applicants can visit, pray, question, and discern. Interaction with seminarians and an opportunity to stay at the seminary provides a time for discernment as well as a chance to assess the suitability of the perspective applicant. The seminary can be an important part in facilitating priestly vocations.

Many of the responding seminarians report that in order to provide a Catholic culture that would facilitate priestly vocations, the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, devotion to the Blessed Mother, recitation of the rosary (especially with family), devotion to the saints, reverence for the sacraments, and loyalty to the magisterium were all necessary.

Other elements also have an impact on facilitating priestly vocations. The Catholic media can provide a great opportunity to promote accurate and positive images of priesthood through newspaper, radio, and television. As mentioned above, many young people search for truth. As the Catholic media advances the Church's mission in evangelization, today's youth benefit from such efforts.

Dioceses and religious communities of men offer vocation programs for prospective aspirants to the priesthood. These discernment opportunities put men in contact with other men desiring to do God's will. Such contact, as well as contact with a dedicated vocation director proves to be very important as a diocese or religious community of men strives to regenerate itself with priestly vocations.

When addressing the issues that facilitate priestly vocations, we are aware of the need to take advantage of new technologies, share ideas of what works effectively, and collaborate with veritably all parts of the broader Catholic community.

Conclusion

Reading the many responses of seminarians from the United States and Canada has given me a renewed hope in the future of the priesthood in North America. The seminarians who responded to the survey are indeed committed and dedicated men. Their words were reassuring and often inspiring. These responses give us a good idea of those conditions which facilitate and foster priestly vocations. While complex and multi-faceted, they give us a focus for our work as Church. The responses also give a picture of the obstacles to priestly vocations of which we must be aware and address. Blessed with the presence of the Holy Spirit and with our priesthood entrusted to the care of Mary, the Mother of priests, I look to the future with hope and with the realization that much needs to be done.

In closing, I was struck by one survey response - "Jesus Christ is the only reason to be a priest." With that in mind, I recall one man telling me a number of years ago that the Blessed Mother was an important part of his priestly discernment; in fact, one of Mary's simple phrases helped make his discernment easier, "Do whatever he tells you."¹⁷

Addendum A - List of Participating Seminaries.

Addendum B - Summary of responses: Elements that prevent priestly vocations.

Addendum C - Summary of responses: Elements that facilitate priestly vocations.

Notes

1. Pope John Paul II, Address to Priests, Religious and Seminarians. Malawi, 4 May 1989.
2. Dean R. Hoge, William D. Dinges, Mary Johnson, SND de N, and Juan L. Gonzales, Jr., Young Adult Catholics: Religion in the Culture of Choice (Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2001); Bryan T. Froehle and Mary L. Gautier, Catholicism USA: A Portrait of the Catholic Church in the United States (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2000); Chester Gillis, Roman Catholicism in America (New York: Columbia University Press, 1999); Linda Lyons, "Today's Teens Keeping the Faith,".
3. Conversion, Discernment, Mission: Fostering a Vocation Culture in North America (2003) and New Vocations for a New Europe (1997).
4. Gallup Organization, "How Many Teens See Purpose for Life," by George H. Gallup, Jr. (6 April 2004).
5. Catholic Ministry Formation Directory 2003, CARA, p. 11.
6. The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have reported declining numbers in clergy.
7. Washington Post (2 July 1999, page 1).
8. Survey of Priesthood Ordination Class of 2003, Secretariat for Vocations and Priestly Formation, USCCB, Washington, DC. 71% in 2004 report that they were invited to consider the priesthood by a priest.
9. Dean Hoge, et al., Young Adult Catholics: Religion and the Culture of Choice, p. 236.
10. George H. Gallup, Jr.; Gallup Poll News Service (6 April 2004).
11. Raksha Arora, Gallup Poll News Service (19 October 2004).
12. "Young Adult Statement" in Conversion, Discernment, Mission; Third Continental Congress on Vocations to Ordained Ministry and Consecrated Life in North America, (2003), p.127. The young people worked through the night in bringing forth this statement, part of a seven-point declaration on vocations.
13. Ibid.
14. Ecclesia de Eucharistia, #31.
15. Survey of Priesthood Ordination Class of 2004, Secretariat for Vocations and Priestly Formation, USCCB, Washington, DC.
16. Ecclesia de Eucharistia, #31.
17. John 2:5.