Report on Survey of 2003 Priestly Ordinations

In February Father Edward J. Burns of the U.S. Bishops' Office on Vocations asked if the Life Cycle Institute could assist the Committee on Vocations on a survey of men ordained to the priesthood in 2003. I met with Father Burns to design a questionnaire. In February Father Burns sent a short questionnaire to each diocese and religious community asking if one of its staff could list the names of the men ordained in 2003, and either complete an online questionnaire on each or ask the men themselves to do so.

After some days of phoning and reminding, Father Burns achieved 348 completions by the March 31 deadline (306 ordinands to the diocesan priesthood and 42 to the religious priesthood). A graduate student, Patrick Lynch, and I computerized the data under Father Burns's direction.

The questionnaire asked eighteen questions about the ordinand's age, background, education, work experience, activities, hobbies, recognitions, and experience with vocation efforts. We continued using the codes we constructed in 2001 and 2002, for the sake of continuity.

One question asked for "principal full-time work experience," and since many questionnaires listed more than one, we coded up to two per person. Below is a summary of the questionnaires. All numbers are percentages unless noted.

TABLE 1: AGE

NOTE: A total of 305, 42, and 347 ordinands, respectively, responded. The percentages shown are of these numbers and add up to 100% within a column.

TABLE 2: RACE

NOTE: A total of 303, 42, and 345 ordinands, respectively, responded. The percentages shown are of these numbers and add up to 100% within a column.

Table 2 shows that 14 percent of the ordinands are Hispanics (Latinos), a figure higher than in recent years. For example, a 1984 nationwide survey of Catholic seminarians (Hemrick and Hoge, 1987) found that 7 percent were Hispanic. Still the figure is lower than the percent Hispanic in the total U.S. Catholic population today (estimated at 25 to 30 percent).

Table 2 also shows that 11 percent are Asian or Pacific Islanders, a figure higher than the percent in the total U.S. Catholic population (an estimated 2 to 3 percent; see Davidson, et al., 1997, p. 161). Also, only one percent is African-American, which is lower than the percentage of African-Americans in the U.S. Catholic population (estimated at 3 to 4 percent; see Davidson, et al., p. 159).

NOTE: A total of 306, 42, and 348 ordinands, respectively, responded. The percentages shown are of these numbers and add up to 100% within a column.

* Less than ½ percent.

Table 3 tells us that only 72 percent of the ordinands were born in the U.S., and 28 percent were born outside. When this research began in 1998, the figure was 24 percent. The percentage born outside the U.S. has risen. The two principal countries of birth are Vietnam and Mexico.

TABLE 4
HIGHEST EDUCATION BEFORE ENTERING SEMINARY

NOTE: A total of 305, 42, and 347 ordinands, respectively, responded. The percentages shown are of these numbers and add up to 100% within a column.

NOTE: A total of 229, 31, and 260 ordinands, respectively, mentioned any Catholic education. The percentages shown are of these numbers and do not incorporate those ordinands who did not mention any Catholic education. The percentages of all ordinands (348) are 50, 41, and 44, respectively.

The levels of Catholic schooling are much higher for the ordinands (Table 5) than is true of the total U.S. Catholic population. For example, in a 1993 nationwide Gallup survey, 54 percent of Catholics 54 or younger reported that they had attended Catholic elementary school and 26 percent said they had attended Catholic high school. The percent 35 to 54 years old who had attended Catholic college was only 10. (See D'Antonio, et al., 1996, p. 71.)

NOTE: Only 203, 30, and 233 ordinands, respectively, mentioned full-time work experiences. Some mentioned more than one, so we coded up to two experiences. The percentages shown are of the total work experiences reported which were 246, 40, and 286, respectively. Percentages add up to 100% within a column.

NOTE: A total of 303, 39, and 342 ordinands, respectively, mentioned hobbies. The percentages shown are of these numbers and do not incorporate those ordinands who did not mention any hobbies.

TABLE 8
ACADEMIC RECOGNITIONS

NOTE: A total of 199, 25, and 224 ordinands, respectively, mentioned academic recognitions. The percentages shown are of these numbers and do not incorporate those ordinands who did not mention any academic recognitions. The percentages of all ordinands (348) are 10, 19, 4, 2, 46, 3, and 24, respectively.

TABLE 9
STATE/NATIONAL AWARDS OR RECOGNITIONS

NOTE: A total of 34, 11, and 45 ordinands, respectively, mentioned state/national awards or recognitions. The percentages shown are of these numbers and add up to 100% within a column. They do not incorporate those ordinands who did not mention any state/national awards or recognitions. The percentages of all ordinands (348) are 5, 2, 1, and 5, respectively.

TABLE 10
ORGANIZED SPORTS TEAMS IN HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE

NOTE: A total of 301, 39, and 340 ordinands responded to the question of high school sports, and 293, 39, and 332 ordinands responded to the question of college sports, respectively. A total of 154, 17, and 171 ordinands, respectively, mentioned specific sports teams. The percentages shown are of these numbers and do not incorporate those ordinands who did not mention any organized sports teams or activity.

TABLE 11
SERVICE IN THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES

NOTE: A total of 30, 2, and 32 ordinands, mentioned their own military service, and a total of 23, 3, and 26 ordinands, mentioned their fathers' military service, respectively. The percentages shown are of these numbers and do not incorporate those ordinands who did not mention any military service. Ordinands may have selected more than one military branch. (Ordinands specified only fathers as having served in the military.) The percentages of all (348) ordinands are 1, 1, 3, 1, 4, and 1 for their own military service, and 2, less than ½, 3, 2, and 1 for their fathers' military service, respectively.

NOTE: A total of 298, 38, and 336 ordinands, mentioned vocation programs, and 294, 37, and 331 mentioned parish programs, respectively. The percentages shown are of these numbers and do not incorporate those ordinands who did not mention any vocation efforts.

TABLE 13
WHO INITIATED A CONVERSATION WITH YOU
ABOUT CONSIDERING THE PRIESTHOOD?

NOTE: A total of 273, 34, and 307 ordinands, respectively, mentioned conversations with individuals. The percentages shown are of these numbers and do not incorporate those ordinands who did not mention any conversations. Ordinands may have selected more than one individual.

TABLE 14
ADVERTISING TECHNIQUES WHICH WERE INSTRUMENTAL FOR YOU

NOTE: A total of 138, 21, and 159 ordinands, respectively, mentioned advertising techniques. The percentages shown are of these numbers and do not incorporate those ordinands who did not mention any advertising techniques. The percentages of all ordinands (348) are 14, 3, 18, 8, 23, 2, 5, 21, 14, 6, and 12, respectively.

We found three changes in the ordinands since the research began in 1998. First, the average age at ordination rose from 34.8 to 36.8 years. Second, the level of education prior to entering seminary rose. Whereas in 1998, 30 percent had less than a B.A. or B.S. degree, in the 2003 sample it was only 21 percent. Correspondingly, the percentage who had received a Masters Degree or professional degree beyond the B.A. rose from 13 to 30. This is a notable change in only five years. Third, the percentage born outside the U.S. rose from 24 to 28 percent. The two principal countries of birth today are Vietnam and Mexico, in agreement with past studies.

The 2003 questionnaire included a series of questions asking the ordinands about their own experiences with vocation programs. (See Tables 12, 13 and 14.) The vocation encouragement most often remembered was personal contact, especially by a priest, friend, or seminarian. Second most common were retreat programs. Most of the ordinands have a history of activity in parishes (see Table 12), and the form of activity was usually as altar servers, lectors, and Eucharistic ministers. Of various methods in use to encourage vocations, the most effective are pamphlets and magazines (Table 14).

References

D'Antonio, William V., James D. Davidson, Dean R. Hoge, and Ruth A. Wallace. Laity American and Catholic (Kansas City: Sheed and Ward, 1996).

Davidson, James D., et al. The Search for Common Ground: What Unites and Divides Catholic Americans (Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor, 1997).

Hemrick, Eugene F., and Dean R. Hoge. Seminary Life and Visions of the Priesthood: A National Survey of Seminarians (Washington, DC: National Catholic Educational Association, 1987).