RELIGIOUS LIFE TODAY

Newer entrants to religious life are filled with abundant hope!

Though no report can fully capture the characteristics and motivations that draw people to this life, we hope that the information presented here and included in the Recent Vocations to Religious Life: A Report for the National Religious Vocation Conference will help vocation directors, members, institute leaders, and the wider church gain a deeper understanding of the newer entrants to religious life.

Diversity is the hallmark of religious life today. No two religious institutes among the 700 plus that exist in the United States are exactly alike and neither are any two members within those communities exactly the same. Variety is found in the spirituality, charism, size, and mission of religious communities and in the cultural, ethnic, generational, and educational backgrounds of newer members. This diversity safeguards the variety of gifts and charisms that religious life offers the world. It also ensures that women and men who are seeking to become part of religious life are able to find a community that allows them to feel at home and calls forth their own personal gifts.

Women and men entering religious life—whether their institutes are apostolic, cloistered, evangelical, missionary, monastic, or societies of apostolic life—are aware of the changing demographics reflected in the numbers of newer members and the cultural and generational diversity.

"What’s the gift of the smallness? What’s the gift of the global church entering religious life? What’s the gift of intergenerational diversity?" asked one newer entrant. 

CHARACTERISTICS OF NEWER ENTRANTS

The 2020 NRVC/CARA Study on Recent Vocations identified more than 3,300 women and men who entered religious life from 2003 to 2018. On average, around 200 people a year make perpetual (final) profession, and about 400 begin the process of becoming religious sisters nuns, brothers, or priests, known as initial formation. The rate of those entering formation has remained consistent in the past decade and represent a leveling off from a decline at the end of the prior century. New entrants and religious institutes see formation as a time for deeper discernment about whether consecrated life is a good fit. This helps ensure healthy members and healthy communities. 

It is estimated that approximately 12,145 men and women have entered religious life since 2003 and roughly 31% remained through final vows. The most common time to leave was during candidacy or postulancy followed by the novitiate.

CHARACTERISTICS OF NEWER ENTRANTS

• Approximately 3,300 men and women entered religious life during past 15 years.
• 28 average age at entrance.
• 81% were employed before entrance.
• 73% attended a catholic school for at least part of their education.
• 73% grew up in "middle-class" households.
• 71% obtained a bachelor's degree or more before entering religious life.
• 34% have a relative in religious life.
• 33% have a parent born outside the U.S.
• 70% of new entrants considered religious life before age 21.

CHARACTERISTICS OF NEWER ENTRANTS

Newer members recognize the increased cultural diversity of the Catholic Church in the U.S, and they look forward to ensuring that religious life reflects that diversity.

Young, culturally diverse, raised Catholic, and educated in Catholic schools: These are key characteristics of recent entrants to religious life. Most considered religious life by the time they were 21 and the average age of entrance is 28. 

Women and men entering religious life in the 21st century—whether their institutes are apostolic, cloistered, evangelical, missionary, monastic, or societies of apostolic life—are aware of the changing demographics reflected in the numbers of newer members and the cultural and generational diversity. They continue to be called to religious life and accept these changes as part of their reality—and the grace—of choosing this way of life. 

CHARACTERISTICS OF NEWER ENTRANTS

Most newer members prefer living with members of different cultures and are more racially and ethnically diverse than professed members. A quarter of newer members were born outside the U.S. (coming from 68 countries) and their first language is among 59 different languages. 

CHARACTERISTICS OF NEWER ENTRANTS

Newer members see community life as what is distinctive and attractive about religious life. Most prefer to live in larger communities. 

Many newer members see community life as what is distinctive and most attractive about religious life. Healthy and holy community life includes praying together, celebrating holidays and feast days as a community, living with other members, and sharing meals.  Living at or near a ministry site and living simply in solidary with the poor, marginalized, and neglected is ranked as “somewhat” to “very” important. The younger a respondent is, the more likely he or she is to prefer to live in a larger community, especially one with at least eight members. This is consistent with findings from the 2009 study of newer members. 

"Our community has people from many countries, so that is one of the values of community life. We are living together and it doesn’t matter your nationality. We are one body, one family."

Thirteen percent of perpetually professed are younger than 60 and the identical proportion are aged 90 or older. Major superiors and newer members acknowledge the challenges for new entrants who may be alone in formation or lack peer support within congregations. However, newer members were not deterred from entering by these circumstances. In ranking their attitudes about various aspects of communal life, newer members give their religious institutes the highest ratings on their care and support of elderly members. Almost all newer members prefer to live in communities with members of different ages (93 percent). 

“It is beautiful to have all different generations and ethnicities in one community, in one house, if we allow ourselves to see that beauty.”

CHARACTERISTICS OF NEWER ENTRANTS

Personal prayer, daily Eucharist, and Liturgy of the Hours characterize the regular prayer life of most sisters, brothers, and priests. 

Personal private prayer characterizes the regular prayer life of a majority of sisters, brothers, and priests in almost all responding institutes. New members report that they were attracted to their religious institute by its spirituality and prayer life and, especially, by its common prayer and devotional practices. 

CHARACTERISTICS OF NEWER ENTRANTS

Prayer practices include communal prayer including Eucharist, Liturgy of the Hours, as well as faith sharing, communal rosaries, and other devotions. Personal prayer practices also play an important role in the lives of religious men and women including lectio divina, meditation and centering prayer, journal writing, poetry and prayer blogs. Small proportions of men and women also participate regularly in ecumenical prayer such as Taizé or pray with an online group.

Respondents of diverse ethnicities are more likely to report that faith sharing, ecumenical/interfaith prayer, and prayer using an app/online resources are “very” important to them. Among all respondents, a desire to be Christ-centered, live the spirituality of the community, and use their gifts for the sake of others is a common aspiration.

"What sustains me the most is prayer. Both my quiet contemplative time that I take each morning. And then our community prayer."  

CHARACTERISTICS OF NEW MEMBERS

Desire for prayer, spiritual growth, deeper relationship with God, service, sense of call, charism, and the joy of the community attracted newer entrants to their vocation.

Newer members are most likely to say they were attracted to religious life by a desire for prayer, spiritual growth, and a deeper relationship with God. To only a slightly lesser degree, most newer members also say they were attracted to religious life by a sense of call to consecrated life and a desire to be of service and part of a community. In turn, they were attracted to their specific religious institute by its prayer life and mission, followed by the community life and the example of members of the institute. Ministries of the institute are also important to most newer members.

Newer members to religious life first became acquainted with their religious institutes in diverse ways. As in NRVC’s 2009 study of newer members, the most common way to meet a religious community was in an institution, such as a school, where the members served. Besides institutional settings, other relatively common ways of becoming acquainted with the institute were through an internet search of websites, a relative or friend in the institute, working with a member of the institute, or print materials.

Respondents of color are more likely than white respondents to say that their decision to enter their religious institute was “very much” influenced by the cultural diversity of the members, the diversity of languages among members, and by the preferential option and commitment for the poor among its members.

"My first really strong attraction to the religious way of life came as a college student. I was experiencing a deepening of my faith and a desire to follow Christ and to serve him. It became very clear to me that God was calling me to this way of life."

"My attraction to my community is their spiritual freedom. That attraction to Jesus and their freedom to know the truth is there. That’s what still attracts me."

CHARACTERISTICS OF NEW MEMBERS

Most of the respondents to the survey had considered religious life by the time they were 21 and average age of entrance was 28. They were able to access a wide array of print and online resources as they discerned. They talked to their pastors and attended vocation-related events. The majority of recent entrants to religious life were invited by someone to consider religious life and discern a vocation. Men were just a little more likely than women to say that someone invited them to consider discernment (70 percent compared to 64 percent).

The most common way that newer entrants became acquainted with their religious institute was through an institution where the members served. Among newer entrants who experienced a formal presentation of religious life as an option, most of them were exposed to the idea in college, or high school. More than 70% discerned for more than a year before entering.

In their discernment, they were encouraged by members of religious institutes, family, friends, and parish members, and campus ministers. Family support grew stronger upon entrants. Compared to Vatican II- age respondents, Millennial and Post-Vatican II newer members were more likely to say that websites (such as community sites and VISION Vocation Network), and social media were “very” helpful to them in their discernment. 

Among these media, two-third of newer entrants found websites of institutes to be at least somewhat helpful, while just over half found print material to be at least somewhat helpful and one-third found other online content to be at least somewhat helpful. Compared to older respondents, younger respondents were more likely to report that websites and social media were “very” helpful to them. Older generations of new members are more likely to find print materials and the printed VISION Vocation Guide “very” helpful in their discernment. Respondents of color are more likely than white respondents to indicate that print materials; social media; were “very” helpful to them when they were discerning. 

Respondents of color are more likely than white respondents to say they attended in-person meetings with a discernment group before they entered their institute. Men religious are more likely than women religious to indicate that they participated in diocesan vocation programs and in meetings with a discernment group. Women religious are more likely than men religious to have participated in a Busy Persons retreat, Nun Run, Open House, Theology on Tap, or similar programs.

“ I did all my research online; googled the congregations; found their mission and charism statements; reached out to several; visited several, and in one, the relationships were easy. They kept inviting, and I kept saying yes. They’re still inviting, I’m still saying yes. ”

CHARACTERISTICS OF NEW MEMBERS

Newer members were engaged in ministry before they entered religious life. The mission and ministry of their institute influenced their decision.

Most newer entrants to religious life were employed before they entered, usually in a full-time position. Slightly more than half were engaged in some form of ministry on a full-time or volunteer basis. Four in ten were involved in campus ministry, young adult ministry, a Bible study group, or music ministry.

"I did a lot of social activism in college in youth ministry. I saw religious life as people who want to live in community, want to live poverty to the extreme, in service. I was like, man, these people rock. That’s awesome."

CHARACTERISTICS OF NEW MEMBERS

New entrants hope to see their communities be bold, take risks, and work collaboratively. They hope to give as much love as they have received. 

Though fully aware of the concerns and challenges that their communities face, newer entrants to religious life are optimistic about the future. They desire more vocations, which, they believe, goes hand in hand with young-adult outreach and evangelization, including a better use of technology and online presence. They hope to see their communities be bold, take risks, and work collaboratively with other communities and lay partners. They hope to gain a deeper sense of community and a clarity of mission and identity. They want their communities to embrace diversity as they honor their roots and live their charisms. All of their hopes have at their core a desire to continue the good works of prior generations while forging a new path for religious life.

Since 1988 the National Religious Vocation Conference has been dedicated to helping religious communities and those in vocation ministry enthusiastically promote consecrated life, invite the next generation to consider it, and professionally assess and accompany those who express an interest in it. As religious life evolves, we continue with this essential ministry because God calls. Men and women respond. Religious life continues.

"In a hopeful way I ask God, “What do you have in store for me today?” Every day I get a chance to be focused on service of the poor. There are so many ways we can respond to God’s love and so many ways we can try to—I can try to—follow Jesus’s example. This is the way I have been called, and I just feel so excited to be part of that."

The data on Religious Institutes in the map to the left is a snapshot from the time research was gathered from participating religious institutes for the 2020 Study. Click to find a community near you!

Religious institutes in the United States may be part of international orders or may be foundations that are indigenous to the United States. A religious institute is a form of consecrated life in which its members take religious vows, including poverty, chastity, and obedience, and lead a life in community with fellow members.

Religious institutes include religious institutes, societies of apostolic life, and public associations of the faithful that are seeking canonical status (official recognition in the Catholic Church).

Religious institutes support newer members through deliberate engagement of the wider religious community in the accompaniment and formation process (initial stages of entering religious life). This helps newer members, especially those who may be the sole new member in their community, to establish the support of peers in formation. This inclusion in the wider community also helps newer members to feel that they have a voice and a place in the community.

A majority of religious institutes have at least one member in initial formation in 2019. In keeping with increasing diversity among religious members of religious institutes and the international character of many religious institutes, over one-third of religious institutes offer formation experiences outside of the United States. Locations of these include Italy, Mexico, the Philippines, France, Kenya, Canada, Vietnam and Peru. Racial and ethnic diversity of religious institutes is increasing.

Vocation ministers are appointed by the major superiors of their institutes to accompany inquirers and assess discerners as they mutually discern their vocation. Yet all members of a religious institute play a part in attracting new members to religious life, through their joyful, authentic witness to the gospel and their institutes.

Most religious institutes (75 percent) report that they have a vocation director, co-directors, or a vocation team. On average, vocation directors serve in vocation ministry for seven years.

Vocation information on the institute’s website or a distinct website for vocations is the most common vocation promotion tactic among responding institutes, with almost four in five using this method. Nearly three-fourths of institutes use print materials.

Vocation information on the institute’s website or a distinct website for vocations is the most common form of publicity used in the past five years. Three in four religious institutes use print materials (e.g., prayer cards, brochures, posters) to promote vocations. Social media is used by 62 percent of religious institutes. Half of religious institutes use the NRVC’s VISION Vocation Guide, VocationNetwork.org, and VocationMatch.com.

"I hope we allow for the Holy Spirit to feel confident in doing vocation promotion across all our ministries and not just the ones where we traditionally do vocation promotion."