TruthBook Religious News Blog

By Chaz Muth
Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- U.S. Catholic religious communities are attracting more ethnically and culturally diverse members now than in previous generations, according to an in-depth survey released Aug. 11.

The "Study of Recent Vocations to Religious Life" also showed that most U.S. religious communities report diminishing numbers with aging populations, but at the same time indicated those who are choosing religious life today are passionate about it and some orders are cultivating vocations from the millennial generation.

With less than 10 percent of women religious and 25 percent of men religious under the age of 60, it's imperative that U.S. religious communities figure out effective methods of recruitment, said Mercy Sister Mary Bendyna, executive director of the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate and principal author of the study.

The study -- conducted by CARA, a Georgetown University-based research center, on behalf of the National Religious Vocation Conference, based in Chicago -- surveyed 4,000 men and women who are in formation or newly vowed members.

"Clearly the numbers are diminishing and will be diminishing more in the coming years," Sister Mary told Catholic News Service. "We're aging, and it will impact us more in the coming years, because many of our members in their 60s and 70s are still active in ministries, but that won't be the case in another decade or two."

The study was conducted to find the best methods for religious institutes to attract and retain new members, said Holy Cross Brother Paul Bednarczyk, executive director of the National Religious Vocation Conference, a professional association of religious vocation directors.

"The Internet, DVDs and other media are much more important to this generation, than for those who were connecting to the religious communities in the 1990s," Brother Paul told CNS. "Religious communities definitely have to be present on the Web to connect with their target groups."

Though the numbers in religious orders may be decreasing, the study found that new members are passionate about religious life and that men's and women's communities following more traditional practices have better success attracting younger members today.

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Labels: Catholicism, Chaz Muth, recruitment, vocation

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