VOCATIONSTODAY
A NEW GENERATION IS CALLED TO RELIGIOUS LIFE
Young Catholics continue to be interested in religious life. Each year more than 300,000 visitors come to VocationNetwork.org, a resource of the National Religious Vocation Conference, to learn more about consecrated life, and nearly 5,000 inquirers complete online Vocation Match profiles and request more information about particular religious communities. Many of those discerning a religious vocation eventually do enter religious life.
In 2014, 80% of religious institutes for men and about two-thirds of religious institutes for women had at least one person in initial formation, according to the 2014 NRVC/CARA Study on Incorporating Cultural Diversity in Religious Life.
Please encourage the young people in your life to consider a religious vocation, and support vocations to consecrated life through your prayers and financial support. Learn more about the newest generation of sisters, brothers and priests.
KEY VOCATION
INFLUENCERS
KEY Vocation influencers
Parental encouragement
Catholic education
Participation in parish ministry
Volunteer service
Invitation by pastor, mentor, family, or friends
ESSENTIALRESOURCES
National Religious Vocation Conference
2020 NRVC/CARA Study on Recent Vocations
2009 NRVC/CARA Study on Recent Vocations
VOCATIONFACTS
WHO'S CONSIDERING RELIGIOUS LIFE?
Just who is considering religious life is tracked by a number of different organizations, including the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the National Religious Vocation Conference, and VISION Vocation Network.
Newer entrants identify their primary reasons for coming to religious life as a sense of call, a desire to deepen their prayer and spiritual life, and a desire to live and work with others who share their faith and values.
WORLDWIDE
In 2014 there were nearly 1.2 million religious brothers, sisters, and order and diocesan priests in the world:
705,529 religious sisters and nuns
279,561 diocesan priests worldwide
134,752 religious order priests
55,314 religious brothers
IN THE UNITED STATES
• There are more than 66,000 religious sisters, brothers, and priests in the United States in more than 800 religious institutes (approximately 600 women's and 200 men's institutes).
• More than 100 women and men in the U.S. profess perpetual vows annually.
