Originally published at The Catholic Thing
In 2022, The Catholic Project at The Catholic University of America – where I serve as director – conducted the largest study of American Catholic priests in more than half a century. This National Study of Catholic Priests (NSCP) looked at many aspects of how American priests are faring.
Our study showed that American priests are, by and large, flourishing. They demonstrate high levels of satisfaction in their vocations and enthusiasm for their work as pastors. The youngest cohort of American priests are, by their own description, the most theologically conservative and politically moderate of any cohort.
These young priests are also the most likely to demonstrate elevated signs of burnout in their ministry.
There are several likely reasons for this. For one, older priests are more likely to have settled into the priestly life and adapted to life in the parish or religious community. Then there is the simple fact of attrition. Men in older cohorts who did not adapt well to priestly life may have already left ministry, leaving fewer members in older cohorts who report burnout.
It used to be the case that a newly ordained priest could look forward to five, ten, or even fifteen years
