“In October 2012, a study conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) based at Georgetown University found that the Catholic Church in the United States has an abundance of potential priests, religious brothers, and sisters – by their estimates, almost 600,000 individuals who have never married and who have seriously considered a vocation to the priesthood or consecrated life. This is welcome news for a Catholic population that continues to grow and benefits from the support and service of those committed to these vocations.
“Earlier this month I saw that potential become reality. I had the privilege of attending a Mass in Stamford, Conn., where four women made their perpetual vows and another four sisters took their first vows to the Sisters of Life, a contemplative/active religious community. Along with the traditional vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, these sisters take a fourth vow to ‘protect and enhance the sacredness of human life.’ Since its founding in 1991 by the late Cardinal John O’Connor of New York, it has become one of the fastest-growing religious orders in the country.
“Yet at a time when Church teaching often stands in contradiction to the prevailing culture, many people characterize those who enter religious life as strange or radical in their religious fervor. These cynics consider the religious vocation as a way to escape from the real world, or a means of settling for an easier way of life. Indeed, in an article that appeared online in The Atlantic earlier this month, writer Emma Green asked that very question regarding today’s teens and young adults: ‘Why would a millennial become a priest or a nun?’
“In attempting to provide an answer to this question, Green interviews a number of millennials who have chosen to enter religious life. What she found probably surprised most secular readers: Not only are these young people not choosing to ‘settle,’ but they actually are enthusiastic about the challenging lives they are being called to live. In fact, it’s the challenge and contradiction to the world around them that they find so attractive.”
In a recent commentary, writer Christopher White (who is also Director of Education and Programs at the Center for Bioethics and Culture) reflected on the calling of the Sisters of Life and how this calling is an example of the sacrifice and hard work being embraced by millennials as they follow their vocation.
To access Mr. White’s complete article, please visit:
Catholic Pulse: Sisters of Life: Prophets in a Pagan World (28 AUG 13)
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