More Vocation Myths

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Written by Fr. John A. Welch, M.S.

Untitled-1.jpgI thought I might discuss a few more myths about vocations to religious life that I have run across in my experience as Vocation Director for the La Salette Missionaries. A professional study has listed several myths that are very interesting.

Myth #1: There are fewer religious communities.
Fact: The rise and diminishment of religious institutes has always been part of the continuum of religious life. Once a need is met, unless a community adapts its founding charism to addressing the changing needs in the Church, it is not uncommon for the community to end.

Many congregations today that share a same charism are either consolidating or merging into new religious institutes. One little known fact is that since the end of Vatican II in 1965, approximately 175 newer religious communities have been founded in the United States alone. Some were only short-lived, but others are canonically recognized as religious institutes by the Church today.

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Ten Vocation Myths

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Written by Fr. John A. Welch, M.S.

Untitled-1.jpgIn my work among vocation candidates to our own La Salette Missionaries, I have spoken with many people about their vocation. I have found that many have impressions about vocations to religious life that are sometimes far from the truth.

Fortunately, a few years ago there was a wide-ranging study on Religious Vocations in the United States – sponsored by the National Religious Vocations Conference (NRVC) and the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA). The results of their study have dissolved some ongoing myths about vocations to religious life. Some may actually surprise you.

Myth #1: No one is entering religious life anymore.

Fact: More than 70 percent of all religious communities (both men’s and women’s) report having new members in formation. Nearly 20 percent have five or more people in some stage of formation. These numbers do not reflect the large number of entrants in the 1950s and ’60s, although many people have used this period as a point for comparison.

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Witness of Consecrated Life

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Written by Sr. Doris Gottmoeller, RSM

 

This talk was originally given at the National Religious Vocation Conference in October 2010 and is a reponse to a talk given by Bro. Sean Sammon, FMS, entitled “Forward in Hope,” available on this website. 

Untitled-1.jpgMy thanks to Brother Sean Sammon, FMS, for drawing us into a deeper reflection on the challenges and opportunities inherent in religious life in the United States today (published in Jan. 25, 2011 issue of this online magazine). By way of response, I would like to address two questions: What have we learned from the journey of the last fifty years? And what is the problem we’re trying to solve?  Stating the problem accurately sets us in the direction of the solution.

What have we learned from the journey of apostolic religious life in the United States over the last fifty years?  First of all, not every circumstance which brought religious life to its present state was within our control. The dramatic decrease in the size of the average Catholic family is one example: parents with two children are not as eager and proud of having one of their offspring embrace a celibate way of life, as were parents who had six or eight children.

 

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